Dead 2 point mulies

[KFhunter]

The minimum pt's rules is keeping yotes well fed.  Wish they'd end this practice.

I sure don't.    From a guy who lives and breathes deer, APRs are not the devil.

Slob hunters on the other hand .... they have always been around and always will be I guess.

Guess it would take some explaining how killing spikes and forkies make more bigger better bucks? 
Seems to me that more people would go home with deer if they took a forkie and the big ones would still be out there 

Or maybe with the APR's in place less people go home with deer and the yotes eat just a little better, which makes more yotes to eat fawns...I digress 

the guys that can get into the bigger bucks have a few more to choose from...it's that 10% of hunters that take big bucks that love APR's

I do know that forkies are hitting the dirt and being left in these GMU's and I can't wrap my head around the benefits of having them in the first place

Only thing I can really think of is those forkies are stupid and too many of them get killed hanging out with does, having a 3pt min in place allows them time to get into bachelor herds and less likely to get shot.

[Okanagan]

I like the rule and i wish they would follow Oregon and make the whole west coast 2 pt minimum. The only issue is people getting itchy on the trigger. I have watched a few buck just to see that they are leagal to late to get a shot. I would like to see more youth permits for any buck on the east side but if they took the point restriction away it would only take a year and you wouldnt being seeing bucks at all.

Hmmm... consider the long term consequences of protecting spikes and killing off young bucks with the genetics to produce multiple points their first antler year. My experience makes me think that it diminishes antler size in the whole deer population.

 I used to live and hunt in California, where a fork horn or better rule has been in place for 50 (70?) years or more. (Don't know if it still is or not). I have never seen so many mature bodied spikes and old fork horn bucks  anywhere else. LOTS of spikes.  The long term consequence of the fork horn or better rule appears to give advantage to bucks with the genetics to be a spike rather than a fork their first year and never grow much for antlers.  Some will never be more than a big spike, and some, like one huge ancient buck I killed, will max out as a fork.  A fork horn or better rule appears to diminish antler size in the entire deer population.

[npaull]

A fork horn or better rule appears to diminish antler size in the entire deer population.

Doesn't just *appear* to. It ABSOLUTELY HAS to. The only question is how fast evolution will work in this scenario to produce the change. But given enough time (and it increasingly appears that it requires surprisingly little time to notice the effects) this absolutely, 100% of the time WILL happen.

[baldopepper]

The debate on APRs has raged since it's inception in various states years ago. Even among biologist's there is no total agreement.  Point is, it's the law and while we may argue for or against it, as ethical hunters we need to abide by it.  Not liking it is no excuse for whacking illegal deer. Every Hunter saftey course stives to make sure you know your target before pulling the trigger, I don't how that doesn't apply to deer that don't meet APR restrictions. 

[bobcat]

Personally I don't believe the 3 point minimum restriction is a good management strategy, but if we are to have an unlimited number of over the counter deer tags in this state, it's impossible to do away with it. To go to an any mule deer buck hunting season would require some sort of limitation on the number of mule deer hunters in each GMU, in order to limit harvest to a sustainable level.

[KFhunter]

theres the elephant, been lurking here all along in this room


too many hunters, not enough deer > enter restrictions (while maintaining OTC tag sales)

[dvolmer]

KFhunter and Bobcat you both hit the nail right on the head!!!!  3 point restriction comes with its issues for sure but, in a state that has to many hunters and not enough animals its about the only thing to do without going to a draw only per unit.  I'm old enough to remember back in the 80's hunting for any deer with a visible antler and the hunting was much harder than it is now.  Two years after the 3 point buck rule came into affect we were shooting way more deer and way bigger deer.

[fishngamereaper]

Every third year it should be two point only for mule deer. 

Keep whackin the big ones you end up with a bunch of small ones..simple math.

[RockChuck]

maybe some 2pt or better youth/senior permits for certain areas?

[boneaddict]

Keep wackin the little ones and they never grow up to be big ones, nor do they grow up at all. 

[fishngamereaper]

Keep wackin the little ones and they never grow up to be big ones, nor do they grow up at all. 

Totally agree, but at some point you need to take the lifetime two points out of the equation. 

[bobcat]

maybe some 2pt or better youth/senior permits for certain areas?

They do have some youth "any deer" permits in some units.

[Karl Blanchard]

Personally I don't believe the 3 point minimum restriction is a good management strategy, but if we are to have an unlimited number of over the counter deer tags in this state, it's impossible to do away with it. To go to an any mule deer buck hunting season would require some sort of limitation on the number of mule deer hunters in each GMU, in order to limit harvest to a sustainable level.

  This!  We can piss and moan all we want about this or that but at the end of the day this fact ends the argument.

I'm also thinking some dont know how genetics work 

[Jonathan_S]

There are many people who are concerned about this 3 pt rule (in place now for decades) enabling the mature 2 pt boogeyman.  Yes I'm aware this has been identified in certain areas, mainly the agricultural areas around Lind/Ritzville and the farther to the SE.

I've said it multiple times that of all the "giant two points" I hear about and/or see, I can only recall one or two that was older than 1.5-2.5

Better find out a way to measure the genetic traits which a doe will pass on to buck fawns 

[RockChuck]

maybe some 2pt or better youth/senior permits for certain areas?

They do have some youth "any deer" permits in some units.

ahh yes I have seen those  are they in place/areas  to help with this "problem"

I cant say that I have ever seen a very mature or old 2 pt but from reading seems others are so I'm just weighing in with no expertise here