Good post Skywalker! I hunt a piece of public land here in IL that has the 4 point regulation. As you stated, most of the hunters would just blast any deer prior to the implementation of the 4-point rule. Now, we are seeing deer actually get to the 3.5+ age group and older. I took a 5.5 year old (according to another hunter as it was never officially aged) in 2010 on that property.
Yeah you might see some with 2 heads as well...lol. I dont think I could hunt that close to a nuclear power plant. But if I had to I would look at the areas east and north west of the microwave tower. Also there are a few new counties removed from the 4 point rule this year due to CWD. Dont quote me on these... Adair, Chariton, Linn, Macon, Randolph and Sullivan counties. And they changed Muzzleloader season to Alternative Methods Season. Really looking foward to this year. http://extra.mdc.mo.gov/documents/area_brochures/7501map.pdf http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/moatlas/AreaSummaryPage.aspx?txtAreaID=7501 http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/moregs/moarearegexceptions.aspx?txtAreaID=7501
Everyone here has great points on the subject at hand. I personally would love it if IL added a similar rule/law state wide, or at least here in Southern/central IL were you have more hunters then deer it seems. Last year I kept an eye on some future potential bucks for the upcoming seasons. They were in the 110 range, not my cup of tea, but whatever. Anyways, as Shotgun season approached the neighbor who kills as many as 5 deer a year shot two of my little bucks but passed on the does that were with them. Needless to say, I was disappointed but happy they killed their deer. Luckily, after I harvested my larger buck this guy and his son in-law were coming out of the woods and we met on the road were we parked. He couldn’t believe the size of my buck and he’d rarely seen bucks that big. (I’ve seem more and bigger) I told him that i passed him up 3 times last year when he was the size of the buck he had just shot and this is how much he grew in just one year. Hopefully, he understands the importance, or at least the effect passing on smaller bucks has. Now, I don’t own the land (60acers) I hunt on, but I’ve asked the land owner and family members to please pass on the smaller bucks. Everyone has done a good job on my land at least. However, it would break my heart and test my understanding or respect of the such a law/rule if I had a 170” 6 pointer standing broadside at 20 yards with the sun at my back and the wind in my face.
our 3 and 4 pt rules for the u.p. have only hurt our genetics...lots of spikes and forks running around and every decent young eight gets shot. Most guys here aren't looking for a trophy(yeah they'd be happy to take one) but if chances are slimmer that you can take any buck then they shoot the first legal - 3 or 4pts(this does depend on tag or tags purchased) on one side that they see.
I would think that the issue of low buck counts is not due to whether they are spikes, 2x2s, 2x3s, or 3x3s. I would think it just comes down to the count itself. California DFG (soon to be DFW) attacks this problem by dividing the state into zones. That spreads out the hunter populations. Even so, they don't let spikes get hunted here. Too bad, because spike meat is pretty good, if you don't mind wasting a whole tag on a 50 lb buck. I myself prefer to let the 4x4s and 5x5s go and specifically hunt the 2x3s and up. BTW I have seen some huge 2x2s as well. So as was said by Wolven, rules that don't let you take any sized buck you want just messes up the genetics of the herd. Darwin was not kidding.
The nuclear power plant only frys your gonads a little. As long as there are no cities close by, and the river is not given to flooding, and it is not on a fault line, then nuclear power plants are not all bad. Except for a little low level gonad roasting.
If you are taking out doe's then it has to mean your environmental carrying capacity is already overpopulated by doe's. And the deer are starving each other out. Then I could see doing it. Otherwise, a doe is a buck factory.
Here in PA we have either 3 or 4 pts restriction depending upon the zone (WMU). Not a guarantee, but I think it has resulted in larger bucks. I had to let a spike go last year that had a 12" spread and antlers that were over an inch in diameter. His gray muzzle indicated that he was clearly on the down slide, but unfortunately he was illegal. When he came out of the hollow 60 yards away and I saw those big beams I was convinced he was a shooter. He actually stood under my stand at less than five yards for a short time allowing me to really look at him. A great experience but no tag filled.
Think it,s good and bad !!! It lets most of the first rack bucks get another year under there belt. But for first time hunters it takes away opportunity !!!
Most first time hunters are the youth and during their seasons here in MO they can shoot anything that walks.
Lets be clear about the science and the logic and the math. A point limitation simply reduces the buck harvest. If there is a scientific reason to reduce the buck harvest, then for conservation purposes, it may or may not be a valid regulation.
