3 point that wasn't

[blacktailer]

Here is a pic of a buck we stumbled on this Fall long after general season closed.  It was in a highly hunted, quite open area.  Nothing left but hide, bones and antlers.  I'm thinking whoever shot it took a closer look and figured it wasn't quite legal.  It looks real close.  I imagine this happens a lot and is quite a shame.  When in doubt, better hold off the trigger.  Anyone else stumble across 3 pointers that weren't???

[Sagedawg]

That sucks!!!!

[tmike]

That buck is legal, at least they wouldn't prosecute according to several Yakima county game wardens.

[Curly]

A few years back I found a nice 2 point that had been shot probably a week earlier on the deer opener.  I was pheasant hunting at the time.  It was a shame to see.

This year I was deer hunting and passed on a very large 2 point buck (probably 20" spread) that had one eye guard that I was pretty sure was over an inch......but I passed on him anyway.  I just didn't want to take the chance and it was opening day anyway.

[Ellensburg]

If I shot that buck I'd take it out and eat the meat.... Wasteful *censored*s

[strutnrut1984]

 i doubt they even went up and checked. i saw a guy this year down in grays harbor on the late opener. shoot at a buck 4 times in the bottom of a clearcut. nver went to see if he hit it got back in there truck and drove off. i was posted on the next ridge over. about an hour later i work my way over where i could glass that area. sure enough there he was laying there wounded a large spike its a 2pt area. i went out to try and find a junior hunter. saw a fella and his young son where it was located not sure if theygot him or not.

[Buschingc]

Looks legal to me... It almost looks like it has a third point on the left side (the antler that's in the snow).. But I could be wrong... I would have to agree, I dont believe they would prosecute, but I wouldnt take that chance..

[yajsab]

Would the eye-guard count?

Ellensburg - if you do that, wouldn't it consider poaching?

[Curly]

Yes, eye guards count toward the minimum point rules;  just like any antler point, they have to be at least an inch long.  The deer in the picture looks to have a point that is only 1/2" or so.

[DBake]

Anything a ring can fit on right? Looks legal to me.

[Ray]

It's hard to tell if it's legal without seeing what lies under the snow.

Taking a look with just that photo it seems to not be within the 3 point or better rules.

I have seen mule deer that have long antlers but only two stems. It is often a matter of getting a closer look at brow tines. Depending on the situation that may be easy or not. Last fall I was looking at a buck from across this drainage feeding. I could not see that he had the crucial 3rd point and I moved on. It was hard to do because there was no way I could sneak on him without being caught red handed. Such is life and hunting.

It's unfortunate that the deer was dead. However we don't know for certain that it was shot by a hunter. Circumstances lean that direction though..

[M_ray]

Anything a ring can fit on right? Looks legal to me.

Actually DBake check your game pamphlet again WDFW defines a leagal point as:
 "All antler points mus be AT LEAST 1" long measured on the longest side"

I don't know where this "as long as you can hang a ring on it" defenition ever cam from but I for one have never seen it written ... but as far as this buck goes according to the WDFW it is an illeagal buck provided there is no point under the snow that we can't see. Having said that what tmike is refering to is that the WDFW is to big of *censored*'s to push the issue and ticket these types of offenses because the poor bleeding hearts on the jury side with the hunter who cry's "well I thought it was an inch from 300 yards"! Seems backwords considering that there are so many anti's you would think that they would want to string up every hunter they could but that is the excuse that the WDFW gave us when we turned in a guy and his son with an almost identical buck as this and they let him off without a ticket.

[grizzlygibbs]

My bro found a forked horn buck that he walked up on, not even close to being legal!... Pisses me off!

[Ridgerunner]

I believe Oregon has the law about the ring.  IMO that is a better way to go than the 1 inch rule.

[saylean]

We've found a few blasted 2 points in the twisp area....

[blacktailer]

After I took the picture, I kicked the snow off the side that was on the ground and he was a slick 2 point.  Seems to me that the way the laws are written, you better make sure that third point is 2 inches and leave yourself a little "wiggle room".  It's darned tough judging an inch at 20 yards, let alone 100,200 or 300 yards.  I shot a 2 x 3 earlier (pics already posted) at 264 yards.  I have a good pair of Swarovski Binos, a Zeiss 15-45 Spotting Scope and a Leupold scope that goes to 14x.  His third point measures right at 2 inches.  I will say that I watched him for quite a while and debated quite a bit before I was 100% sure he would be legal.  It really pays to have good optics.  Without them, I would have definately let my buck live another day.  I had the luxury of doing this because he was bedded down and not running across an open hillside.   I think anyone hunting a 3 point or better area should try and carry a spotting scope if possible.  If not, you better not take the chance.  My 2 cents!!!

[DBake]

Anything a ring can fit on right? Looks legal to me.

Actually DBake check your game pamphlet again WDFW defines a leagal point as:
 "All antler points mus be AT LEAST 1" long measured on the longest side"

I don't know where this "as long as you can hang a ring on it" defenition ever cam from but I for one have never seen it written ... but as far as this buck goes according to the WDFW it is an illeagal buck provided there is no point under the snow that we can't see. Having said that what tmike is refering to is that the WDFW is to big of *censored*'s to push the issue and ticket these types of offenses because the poor bleeding hearts on the jury side with the hunter who cry's "well I thought it was an inch from 300 yards"! Seems backwords considering that there are so many anti's you would think that they would want to string up every hunter they could but that is the excuse that the WDFW gave us when we turned in a guy and his son with an almost identical buck as this and they let him off without a ticket.

Depends on how big my hands are or how small your hands are.

[croix]

Based on what I tell my wife six inches looks like...  never mind.

[X-Force]

     croix...

A couple years ago my dad came upon a small 4pt wt in open country with 7 or 8 holes in it and one antler shot off. 

[WAcoyotehunter]

Would the eye-guard count?

Ellensburg - if you do that, wouldn't it consider poaching?

I guess if you take a two point out of the woods it's poaching...but to me it's far worse to kill one and leave it lay, and it's still poaching if you shoot it and leave it.

[M_ray]

Oh ok DBake it's cool were not compareing wieners here I'm just quoting our lovely game dept.   besides I don't wear jewelery but I can tell you mine is a solid 2"   so I can judge a leagal buck pretty good I'd say!!!

[Ellensburg]

Would the eye-guard count?

Ellensburg - if you do that, wouldn't it consider poaching?

Yea an eyeguard would count.

To answer your question. I wouldn't shoot unless i knew it was a 3 point but say I somehow saw things and got up and found that. I would take it anyways rather than waste the meat. That deer looks so close that I wouldn't be afraid to at all. Just shooting it would be poaching, leaving it there would be poaching+wasting meat.

[deaddog]

I remember the ring thing when I was a little tyke. It was just a method used by hunters to judge their deer. If you could hang your wedding ring on it, it counted. there was no point restrictions back then.

[alecvg]

Found a two-point skull once that was obviously shot, man that sucks... stupid people piss me off. 

[huntnphool]

I remember the ring thing when I was a little tyke. It was just a method used by hunters to judge their deer. If you could hang your wedding ring on it, it counted. there was no point restrictions back then.

Talk about being in the dog house, I lost my ring in Montana last week My wife is less than pleased!!!

[nw_bowhunter]

I would not have shot the buck. To hard to justify a 3rd point.

Huntnphool-2 days after getting married I bent my ring opening bottles of beer, my wife was like "dumb ass"!

[elkaholic_74]

i doubt they even went up and checked. i saw a guy this year down in grays harbor on the late opener. shoot at a buck 4 times in the bottom of a clearcut. nver went to see if he hit it got back in there truck and drove off. i was posted on the next ridge over. about an hour later i work my way over where i could glass that area. sure enough there he was laying there wounded a large spike its a 2pt area. i went out to try and find a junior hunter. saw a fella and his young son where it was located not sure if theygot him or not.

Just curious Strut why do you come all the way from Lynden to hunt here in grays Harbor?