These Stupid Regs

[Caustic Burno]

Seen the 19th buck of the season this morning. This boy was a monster in size, never could get him to look my way
to see if he was wide enough. He definitely had the height that no mistaking he was the man of the woods.

Seen some fine deer this year ended up with a sorry spike so far.
Anyone that says he can tell the difference in a 12.5 inch and 13 inch spread in this thicket
has never hunted the thicket or a liar.
Only a politician could think something like this up.

 

[M5farm]

CB the solution is to shoot them in the head and then no one knows how wide the are

 

[tater74]

They did a similar thing with spike elk in Idaho around 20 years ago. If I remember correctly, the branch couldn't be more than an inch long. Tough to judge at 200 yards, even with a scope.

 

[Caustic Burno]

CB the solution is to shoot them in the head and then no one knows how wide the are

I have thought about that seriously.
There are a couple when blackpowder opens up I am willing to gamble on.
One thing to have the GW take a 2 or 3 hundred dollar smoke pole another
if it is a 12 to 15 hundred dollar gun.

 

[M5farm]

CB the solution is to shoot them in the head and then no one knows how wide the are

I have thought about that seriously.
There are a couple when blackpowder opens up I am willing to gamble on.
One thing to have the GW take a 2 or 3 hundred dollar smoke pole another
if it is a 12 to 15 hundred dollar gun.

how can they take anything when The horns are there and the only shot you had was between the eyes. If you shoot it clean you can order the fake skulls to attach horns to them.

 

[dun]

I tried a texas heart shot on a running mulie and hit him square in the back of his head. The spread went from his shoulders to almost the width of the bed in my truck.

 

[Kingfisher]

Yea I got one or two like that around here. Sure makes something marginal spectacular with that enhancement! nothing cooler than popping em in the head!

 

[dun]

Yea I got one or two like that around here. Sure makes something marginal spectacular with that enhancement! nothing cooler than popping em in the head!

When I mounted the horns I got them as close as I could, but they may be an inch or 2 wider then they actaully were.

 

[kenny thomas]

CB, How do you judge which is legal and which is not. Thats a pain in the butt. I cant tell within 3 inches what the spread is at 100 yards.

 

[SmokinM]

Just don't see where they think you can tell. Most importantly if you hunt your own farm why worry about it. Never had them look at a deer they weren't called about. So keep your mouth shut,your pot full and shoot what you want. I pretty well bet if the thicket is as tight as you say it is they aren't stomping thru with a ruler running towards every shot fired. Can't be that many GW's so let em rip.

 

[slick4591]

My brother hunts in the western part of Texas and says that you have to compare the rack with the ears. If it is wider than the ears it will be legal.

 

[Brute 23]

It's easy to tell. When the deer looks at you with their ears out you should see space between the tip of their ears and the inside curve of the main beam. The deers' ears tip to tip are aprox 13". If you see an inch between the inside of the main beam and tip of the ear it's 15" wide, 2" is 17", ect.

It's like fishing or any thing else. If you try to push the limit and split hairs you might get hung. If you make sure they are clearly legal you won't have a problem.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

What if the deer don't look at you?? Those kind of Reg's are worthless.

 

[lavacarancher]

Yea, my county is one of those that has that stupid rule. I asked a game warden about the 13" spread and was told that I can use the tick marks in the scope to judge the distance between the tines. Well my scope doesn't have the tick marks so I take what I need and butcher at home.

 

[Brute 23]

What if the deer don't look at you?? Those kind of Reg's are worthless.

If it doesn't look at you then you have to pass on it. The point is to slow hunters down and maybe they will consider the age, size, ect. We don't want people seeing any little bit of horn through the brush and start blasting.

The ear deal is very accurate and easy to do for people who want to try. For people who don't want to... nothing will work.

 

[Caustic Burno]

It's easy to tell. When the deer looks at you with their ears out you should see space between the tip of their ears and the inside curve of the main beam. The deers' ears tip to tip are aprox 13". If you see an inch between the inside of the main beam and tip of the ear it's 15" wide, 2" is 17", ect.

It's like fishing or any thing else. If you try to push the limit and split hairs you might get hung. If you make sure they are clearly legal you won't have a problem.

I will kill a nice one in Central Texas next weekend on the MLD place.
What these biologist don't understand or want to is you don't get to look
at these deer here in East Texas but seconds. After opening weekend
these deer are through with any open spots and are staying under cover.
Seen eight yesterday all young or does.
I keep food plots and protein feeders going year around on my place and get to see a lot of deer.
I think the program is failing IMO the first couple of years I was seeing better deer on the cameras and thought this was a good idea.
I have since changed my mind had only one shooter on camera before season
and some of the most messed up racks I have ever seen. These deer need to be culled and the law is protecting them. I don't see this getting better in what we are leaving for breeding stock.

 

[Caustic Burno]

What if the deer don't look at you?? Those kind of Reg's are worthless.

And even more worthless in the Big Thicket.
Talking with the local taxidermist the other day said looks like he will be going out of business.
Said he had never had a year since he started with so few to mount.

To top that off the rule is not state wide.
It is about money to jack up lease prices.

 

[Brute 23]

We have talked about this many times. I agree regulations should be county by county with a co-op.

The rule works and has been great for the majority of people. It's not changing.

I read some where that some counties were giving permits for old deer who don't make 13". Might ask your local co-op or biologist. Most counties also give does permits and you can shoot spikes if a person is just looking for meat.

 

[Caustic Burno]

We have talked about this many times. I agree regulations should be county by county with a co-op.

The rule works and has been great for the majority of people. It's not changing.

I read some where that some counties were giving permits for old deer who don't make 13". Might ask your local co-op or biologist. Most counties also give does permits and you can shoot spikes if a person is just looking for meat.

Want to bet as I know legislation is already drawn up to do away with it as it violates the Texas Constitution.
Or it will have to be imposed statewide, same thing for tracking dogs.
As several others the TPWD has imposed. The state legislature has to approve all TPWD regulations.

It violates these articles.
Sec. 3. EQUAL RIGHTS. All free men, when they form a social compact, have equal rights, and no man, or set of men, is entitled to exclusive separate public emoluments, or privileges, but in consideration of public services.

Sec. 3a. EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW. Equality under the law shall not be denied or abridged because of sex, race, color, creed, or national origin. This amendment is self-operative.

They can't fine me and not you.

 

[greybeard]

It's easy to tell. When the deer looks at you with their ears out you should see space between the tip of their ears and the inside curve of the main beam. The deers' ears tip to tip are aprox 13". If you see an inch between the inside of the main beam and tip of the ear it's 15" wide, 2" is 17", ect.

It's like fishing or any thing else. If you try to push the limit and split hairs you might get hung. If you make sure they are clearly legal you won't have a problem.

I will kill a nice one in Central Texas next weekend on the MLD place.
What these biologist don't understand or want to is you don't get to look
at these deer here in East Texas but seconds. After opening weekend
these deer are through with any open spots and are staying under cover.
Seen eight yesterday all young or does.
I keep food plots and protein feeders going year around on my place and get to see a lot of deer.
I think the program is failing IMO the first couple of years I was seeing better deer on the cameras and thought this was a good idea.
I have since changed my mind had only one shooter on camera before season
and some of the most messed up racks I have ever seen. These deer need to be culled and the law is protecting them. I don't see this getting better in what we are leaving for breeding stock.

They're skittish here for sure, and even if I catch one in open pasture, they're running from cover to cover. Only thing you will get a good look at are the young bucks and does--everything more mature is smart enough to know if they can't see you, then you can't see them. Out in the forest, it's even harder to "measure". I personally don't hunt, I do have my property leased for hog, deer, and dove hunting to a friend of mine, but I like observing them anyway.