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

[PRDATR]

Bad idea that rears it's ugly head every few years.

[GJMauro12]

I've always wanted to see restrictions Since I like to hold out for the biggest deer I can find but I can see both sides of the story.

 

Last week my girlfriend was able to take her first big game animal- a 2x1 mule deer.

 

Going into the hunt she didn't think she would want to shoot a young deer and I had her hopes high that we shouldn't have a problem finding a 3x3 or small 4 eventually.

 

At the end of day 3 she was pretty wore out and discouraged thinking she would never shoot a deer. On the morning of day 4 she decided to shoot a 2x1 and she was happy as could be. She realized that hunting isn't a show up and tag one kind of deal and that you had to put some work into it and it made her appreciate that young deer I think.

[rbong15]

I am totally fine with hunters taking spikes and forky's..... lets say they change it to where it has to be a 3pt minimum. I believe you are still going to have deer killed before they reach their potential.... I say let the hunters that want to fill their tag fill their tag on spikes, forky's and 2 pts and that allows those deer that are 3pts live another year or two and become nice mature bucks.... if any of that made sense.

 

 

plus if you've never eaten a back strap off of a young coues deer u have no idea what you're missing...lol

[mattys281]

Best deer I ever ate from Arizona was a little mule deer forky from the white mountains shot at about 8500 ft. Since I'm not allowed to out anything else on the wall unless its bigger than the 4x4 thats already there, you give me the choice between a 3 point and a forky or spike, I'll be packing out the little guy.

[bonecollector]

Bad idea that rears it's ugly head every few years.

Every year!

[ready2hunt]

I think we should have a draw system here in AZ and for every year you don't draw you should get a point that counts toward your draw the next year. People should get additional points for things like putting in every year and for hunter safety. Parents should also be able to pass their tags to their kids.

 

Youths should get a tag dirt cheap too and even be able to buy an over the counter turkey tag when everyone else has to draw. Maybe something like an apprentice license for free so they can see if they like hunting without having to spend money on a full license.

 

A program to protect the points too would be nice in case someone can't hunt for some extenuating circumstance.

 

 

Clearly none of that matters when you have such high amounts of tags in units that are being shot out plus wolves wiping things out...sounds like that needs to be changed more than anything. Just my thoughts.

[AZLance]

The idiots are out....

[YoungHuntr]

I think we should have a draw system here in AZ and for every year you don't draw you should get a point that counts toward your draw the next year. People should get additional points for things like putting in every year and for hunter safety. Parents should also be able to pass their tags to their kids.

 

Youths should get a tag dirt cheap too and even be able to buy an over the counter turkey tag when everyone else has to draw. Maybe something like an apprentice license for free so they can see if they like hunting without having to spend money on a full license.

 

A program to protect the points too would be nice in case someone can't hunt for some extenuating circumstance.

 

 

Clearly none of that matters when you have such high amounts of tags in units that are being shot out plus wolves wiping things out...sounds like that needs to be changed more than anything. Just my thoughts.

 

From the 2016-2017 regs:

 

A parent, grandparent or legal guardian may allow the parent’s, grandparent’s or guardian’s minor child or minor grandchild to use the parent’s, grandparent’s or guardian’s big game permit or tag to take big game pursuant to the following requirements:

• The parent, grandparent or guardian must transfer the permit or tag to the child in a manner prescribed by the commission.

• The parent or guardian must accompany the child in the field or, if a grandparent allows a minor grandchild to use the grandparent’s permit or tag, the grandparent, the parent or the child’s guardian must accompany the child in the field.

• The child must possess a valid hunting license and, if under fourteen years of age, must satisfactorily complete the Arizona hunter education course or another comparable hunter education course that is approved by the director.

• Any big game that is taken counts toward the child’s bag limit. Once a tag is transferred at a Department office, the original permittee may no longer use it.

[ready2hunt]

 

I think we should have a draw system here in AZ and for every year you don't draw you should get a point that counts toward your draw the next year. People should get additional points for things like putting in every year and for hunter safety. Parents should also be able to pass their tags to their kids.

 

Youths should get a tag dirt cheap too and even be able to buy an over the counter turkey tag when everyone else has to draw. Maybe something like an apprentice license for free so they can see if they like hunting without having to spend money on a full license.

 

A program to protect the points too would be nice in case someone can't hunt for some extenuating circumstance.

 

 

Clearly none of that matters when you have such high amounts of tags in units that are being shot out plus wolves wiping things out...sounds like that needs to be changed more than anything. Just my thoughts.

 

From the 2016-2017 regs:

 

A parent, grandparent or legal guardian may allow the parent’s, grandparent’s or guardian’s minor child or minor grandchild to use the parent’s, grandparent’s or guardian’s big game permit or tag to take big game pursuant to the following requirements:

• The parent, grandparent or guardian must transfer the permit or tag to the child in a manner prescribed by the commission.

• The parent or guardian must accompany the child in the field or, if a grandparent allows a minor grandchild to use the grandparent’s permit or tag, the grandparent, the parent or the child’s guardian must accompany the child in the field.

• The child must possess a valid hunting license and, if under fourteen years of age, must satisfactorily complete the Arizona hunter education course or another comparable hunter education course that is approved by the director.

• Any big game that is taken counts toward the child’s bag limit. Once a tag is transferred at a Department office, the original permittee may no longer use it.

 

 

 

I was kidding about all of that since it is ALL currently available-

[Edge]

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.

I agree the point system is terrible, I lived in NM where they had a min. forked horn restriction, didn't seem to help.

 

We also raised orphaned mule deer bucks on several occasions and though they started their horn growth as spikes, they certainly grew into large bucks with great racks in several years.

 

[hoghntr]

WELL I WOULD BE SCREWED!

 

In 34 years of big game hunting I have only shot 1 deer that would meet your requirement. I think I would have tossed in the towel years ago and quit the sport if not for spikes and forkeys.

 

Ughh I might have become a tree hugger or worse a straight up vegan. 😖 what a nightmare having to buy all that pechuli oil. 😭

[PRDATR]

WELL I WOULD BE SCREWED!

 

In 34 years of big game hunting I have only shot 1 deer that would meet your requirement. I think I would have tossed in the towel years ago and quit the sport if not for spikes and forkeys.

 

Ughh I might have become a tree hugger or worse a straight up vegan. what a nightmare having to buy all that pechuli oil.

 

 

Just think of us as being in an exclusive club Mike.

[BeardownAZ]

The thing about spikes not growing into bigger deer is proven false , as has been stated on here a few times already. If the point restriction was done to help a unit or species gain more in numbers then I'd be all for it. Not because everyone should be forced to hunt trophy only. But it seems most think the restriction doesn't work. And if it doesn't, then lets not do it. Does anyone have any links to any studies done to prove this one way or another? It would be nice as one stated, to have a few trophy units other then just the Kaibab. What about shutting(certain) units down or certain areas in certain units every other year that are low in numbers and or high doe to buck ratios?? I do believe, that regardless of what anyone else says, that Game and Fish first motivation is dollars.

[hoghntr]

Edge I saw 1 of your muley fawns on news and g&f looking for you bud...

[mattys281]

WELL I WOULD BE SCREWED!

 

In 34 years of big game hunting I have only shot 1 deer that would meet your requirement. I think I would have tossed in the towel years ago and quit the sport if not for spikes and forkeys.

 

Ughh I might have become a tree hugger or worse a straight up vegan. what a nightmare having to buy all that pechuli oil.

 

 

One of the great things about hunting is that it can be tailored to almost anyone's tastes, whether a 'brown it's down' kinda guy, or '180" or nothing!' muley nut. I envy the kind of people that put in the time and effort it takes to be so selective. I know I could do it to if I had some more free time in my life, but I'm not there yet, so I'm glad that spikes & forkies are on the menu for those last day crunches.

 

I always find it amazing how many people I talk to that go year after year without tagging anything, but they're always looking for a '3 point or better'. My opinion has always been just get one and enjoy it, then later on you can hold out if you chose to. There's nothing like that first one though, whether big or small. That's a memory I wouldn't miss over an antler point.

 

And btw Hoghntr, I hope you don't take it as criticism, but you really need to lay off that vegan talk. Every wonder why 'vegan' and 'vagina' sound so much alike? In many languages they actually mean the exact same thing. Juuuuust sayin....