3 Point Restriction

[Gobble Gobble]

I could have taken a doe that ran up to within 50 feet of me and the truck if I had known how to identify from the front the difference between a white tail and mulie. I know now the difference and next year I won't be eating tag.

[Curly]

I would have shot a two point with eye guards if it wasn't for the 3-point rule........the eye guards were likely long enough to make it a legal buck but I didn't want to chance it.  I ended up shooting a very nice 4X4 with eye guards.....nice mature buck.

[jackelope]

i could have shot more than a couple 2 points this year, both whitetails and mule deer, but i would not have shot even if i could have...i didn't see that option on the poll, and i didn't see any big 2 points either...which i guess i may have killed if it was big enough and mature and not going to be anything better next year aside from maybe a bigger 2 point.

[woodswalker]

last 2 years I have seen only 2 3pt mulies....but have seen over 50 spikes or forks....both 3pts were on private lands that were posted.  I was good....one was 30 feet from the fence.

[huntnphool]

A poll on here won't prove anything. I'll just keep on believing what the wildlife biologists have to say on this subject.

Agreed, it won't prove anything but to this point there have been 63 people post and 40 more bucks would have been harvested without the restriction, what impact would that have put on 2009?

[Buckshot Bill]

Woulda got a nice big 2pt last year but tag soup for me.  I kept hearing from locals around the winthrop area that there seems to be quite a few nice 2pts running around year after year and they think they are the same and won't be anything else but 2pt and that they are breading 2 pts.  Don't know how true that holds that genetics get stuck like that but if it is true then maybe the WDFW needs to think about letting some get harvested.

[Pathfinder101]

My son and I both filled this year, his was a 3X5 (counting eyeguards) on opening day, and mine a 5x5 (also counting eyeguards)on Wednesday, but we saw numerous spikes and 2x2s before we harvested.  I probably saw 20 sub-legal bucks before I tagged mine.  As a few people on this thread have said, there are some STUD 2x2 mulies out there...

[GoldTip]

A poll on here won't prove anything. I'll just keep on believing what the wildlife biologists have to say on this subject.

Agreed, it won't prove anything but to this point there have been 63 people post and 40 more bucks would have been harvested without the restriction, what impact would that have put on 2009?

True, but I think you would also have to agree that most of the Mulies that are harvested in this state (not necessarily by this site) are 2 1/2 year old small 3's and fours?  Those  bucks had genetics to be something.  And how many of those guys walked by 4,5,6 heck even 8 year old big old Forky's that they would have killed and never would have kept looking for the "just legal" 3 point that might have actually grown into something.

[mossback91]

A poll on here won't prove anything. I'll just keep on believing what the wildlife biologists have to say on this subject.

Agreed, it won't prove anything but to this point there have been 63 people post and 40 more bucks would have been harvested without the restriction, what impact would that have put on 2009?

True, but I think you would also have to agree that most of the Mulies that are harvested in this state (not necessarily by this site) are 2 1/2 year old small 3's and fours?  Those  bucks had genetics to be something.  And how many of those guys walked by 4,5,6 heck even 8 year old big old Forky's that they would have killed and never would have kept looking for the "just legal" 3 point that might have actually grown into something.

I agree........that would have happened this year when i took my roommate out on his first deer hunt......we jumped a very mature 2 point that was over 20 wide and just as tall with a very grey face and big body but instead of him being able to shoot that big mature buck we had to keep on going down the canyon and he shot a small young 3 point that was probably only 2 1/2 years old.......but how would you regulate a hunting season by telling everyone to kill a deer over 4 years of age??

[GoldTip]

A poll on here won't prove anything. I'll just keep on believing what the wildlife biologists have to say on this subject.

Agreed, it won't prove anything but to this point there have been 63 people post and 40 more bucks would have been harvested without the restriction, what impact would that have put on 2009?

True, but I think you would also have to agree that most of the Mulies that are harvested in this state (not necessarily by this site) are 2 1/2 year old small 3's and fours?  Those  bucks had genetics to be something.  And how many of those guys walked by 4,5,6 heck even 8 year old big old Forky's that they would have killed and never would have kept looking for the "just legal" 3 point that might have actually grown into something.

I agree........that would have happened this year when i took my roommate out on his first deer hunt......we jumped a very mature 2 point that was over 20 wide and just as tall with a very grey face and big body but instead of him being able to shoot that big mature buck we had to keep on going down the canyon and he shot a small young 3 point that was probably only 2 1/2 years old.......but how would you regulate a hunting season by telling everyone to kill a deer over 4 years of age??

Well to be honest I think things may get worse before they get better.  But if you look at the way they managed the elk herd by only killing the younger animals in this state, look what the Blues have turned into.  3 guys on this site with 370 or better bulls with a bow, and I have heard that there was a 3 bulls killed in WA this year that scored over 400".  Make the mule deer season, 2 points or less on one side for 5 years and see what happens.  Heck it can't be any worse than it is now.

[huntnphool]

most of the Mulies that are harvested in this state (not necessarily by this site) are 2 1/2 year old small 3's and fours?

No argument here Goldtip. Its a fact that since the point restriction was implemented there are a lot of those mature 2 points running around, that is more than likely the reason F&W are going to have a permit to target them the next few seasons. My point was that the buck/doe ratio is higher with the restriction and just because they lift the restriction doesn't mean that only two points with inferior genes are going to be the two points harvested, two points with the 4 point genome will be harvested as well but in the long run MORE bucks will be harvested overall, leaving the buck/doe ratio lower than optimum.

[huntnphool]

look what the Blues have turned into.

That is a direct result of limiting the number of mature bulls that can be harvested, not because of a spike restriction. If you limited the Entiat, Swakane etc to only a few permits and eliminated branch antler bucks from being harvested during general or late you would have the same results in a few years. How many branched tags are given out in those Blues units each year? try giving the exact same amount for bucks in the "Dream Units" and see what happens in 10 years.

[whacker1]

I didn't hunt deer in Washington this year, but normally do.  I would like to see this debate continue, because I am learning alot.  I am no biologist, but I know that the WDFW will have implements some new ideas to counter the increasing presence of Wolves in WA, which I am sure will do nothing but continue to grow.  I have a feeling that at some point in my lifetime we will see a primarily permit only operation for Mule Deer based on the population of hunters interested in pursuing Mule Deer. 

[huntnphool]

I would like to see this debate continue,

Lets not forget that this IS just a debate and nothing more. I am simply posting my point of view and respect all the opinions everyone else decides to post up here. I understand my views are different from everyone elses, I post my points according to what I see personally, knowing I am out there more than probably 90% of the hunters on here. My points should be treated like a buffet, take what you want and leave what you dont, either way, like everyone else, I am entitled to post my views

[mossback91]

My points should be treated like a buffet, take what you want and leave what you dont,

I like that comment hahah