What do you think about having a 3 point minimum for Mule Deer?

[Gunit]

I just hunted in a unit with lots of tags and while I was on my hunt and saw lots of deer, easily 70-80 per day including several small bucks each day. I was hunting for meat but I refuse to shoot a baby.

 

I did finally find a buck that was another year older and tagged him on day three, he was a 18" 3x3 with eye guards. I saw several other hunters with deer and all of them had shot a yearling that was either a spike or a very small fork. I do not condemn in any way these hunters who elected to shoot a buck that is legal under the current rules as I am sure there are many here who would not have killed the buck I harvested. Each person make their own choice on the animal they want to take.

 

For what it's worth, in the unit where I was hunting the herd appears very healthy as almost every doe had a fawn with her including many with twins and my deer was fat as could be.

 

Do you think we would benefit from a 3 point minimum like they have in other states? I am all for opportunity but it would be nice to see a slightly older age class bucks in the general population.

It seems to me that it would only be one year with a reduced harvest then the take would return to normal but with nicer bucks for everyone.

 

I know there are big bucks out there and it takes effort to find them but as is the majority of the harvest in regular hunts consists of under age bucks.

 

What does this group think?

[gotcoues]

I used to believe in antler restrictions, then I came to my senses. Hunting is a totally different experience for everyone, why should we as hunters care how someone chooses to fill their tag. It would nice to see older animals more often, but that would make the experience more enjoyable for me and you, not necessarily the next guy, gal, youngster or someone's grandfather trying to get his "last deer". Plenty of units you can put in for and wait for a tag for a chance at a bigger deer, you should perhaps try one of those units.

[G_E_E]

I'm fine with the way it is. Some people just wanna fill their tag and freezer. As we all know hunting can be expensive (licence, tag, gas, food and gear). It's nice to be able to have that easier opportunity(in some cases) to tag out if your just hunting for meat.

[creed]

Point restrictions were tried and dropped.

[Redman]

what other states have a 3pt minimum

[mattys281]

I just hunted Colorados otc 2nd season elk hunt with a 4 pt restriction. Talk about the orange army! Ive never seen so many hunters in the field at one time.

 

If az g&f did this it would only be to lower success rates so they could sell more tags and make more money at the expense of hunt quality.

[AZ8]

Would be alot of dead deer left in the field to rot after the shooter realizes he/she misjudged the point count.

[idgaf]

We don't need government for that. I have a self imposed size restrictions.

[Tac]

Everyone is different in what their description of a quality animal.

Azgfd has done a great job in my opinion of animal management to accommodate all hunters.

If they impose a point minimum what impact would the numbers have on that unit?

Total buck deer would rise and may use up all the resources and actually cause a decline of animals in that unit do to starvation, predation, and possibly other problems of health.

We seem from my experience to have great opportunity to hunt in this state. It may take a few years or 20 to get a coveted tag but it seems to me that if you want to hunt every year you can take a lesser tag and have a opportunity.

[Snapshot]

I think game managers have proven that antler point restrictions for deer doesn't work. They use it for elk in colorado because the otc units get absolutely hammered by hunters.

[roninflag]

antler restrictions are a TERRIBLE way to manage mule deer. if you protect spikes they do not get shot. they will never develop into a big antlered buck. if you want more big bucks; harvest the spikes over a long period. require a ALL bucks harvested be a spike. if are you saying a 3 point minimum. then the big bucks get harvested only. you will not have big bucks. only genetically inferior ones.

[trphyhntr]

shooting a nice mule deer south of the kaibab seems to be pretty hard. I see a dozen pics of good Coues before seeing one good mule deer. A dude posted a pretty interesting article about Rocky Mountain mule deer antler growth, that pretty much all mule deer will grow to 170-180 minimum if they live that long.

[Guest akaspecials]

I don't think point restrictions will work because AZGFD would likely increase tag numbers and flood the field with more hunters going after fewer legal deer. I'd like to see more "trophy units" with limited tags south of the ditch though.

[yotebuster]

antler restrictions are a TERRIBLE way to manage mule deer. if you protect spikes they do not get shot. they will never develop into a big antlered buck. if you want more big bucks; harvest the spikes over a long period. require a ALL bucks harvested be a spike. if are you saying a 3 point minimum. then the big bucks get harvested only. you will not have big bucks. only genetically inferior ones.

The spike thing has been proven false over and over. Especially in desert muleys that don't rut till January and don't fawn until August. Those yearlings are hardly a year old and are lucky to get any antlers let alone spikes. Spikes have absolutely no bearing on genetics or antler size down the road. My dad and I used to raise eastern whitetais and one of our best bucks (229") was a spike his first year. He was born late (July) and had a tough time catching up to the other animals of his age class that first year. He grew spikes his first year and then blew up after that.

[trphyhntr]

antler restrictions are a TERRIBLE way to manage mule deer. if you protect spikes they do not get shot. they will never develop into a big antlered buck. if you want more big bucks; harvest the spikes over a long period. require a ALL bucks harvested be a spike. if are you saying a 3 point minimum. then the big bucks get harvested only. you will not have big bucks. only genetically inferior ones.

spikes dont grow into big antlered bucks?