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2 buck limit question from WV
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<blockquote data-quote="TheLBLman" data-source="post: 5630199" data-attributes="member: 1409"><p>All good points and good questions.</p><p></p><p></p><p>While I agree with all your comments, there is one implication<em><strong> "regardless of changes in regulations"</strong></em> for which may matter much more than you implied.</p><p></p><p>This is kinda one of those <strong><em>"which came first, the chicken or the egg scenarios".</em></strong></p><p></p><p>Like you said, nothing happens in a vacuum.</p><p>When TN statewide went to a simple 2-buck limit <u>only a few years ago</u>, yes, hunters had already become much more selective. But the reasons they did wasn't simply because of their aging. Although the limit had been 3 bucks, before it was more recently reduced to 2, it had been 2 for a single year (1998), and had been 11 in 1997 and prior.</p><p></p><p><strong><u>I would argue that the single biggest impetus modifying TN's collective deer hunter behavior actually happened in 1998</u>.</strong> And it was in fact a "reg change". </p><p></p><p>You see, in 1997 and prior, TN had an 11-buck limit, and most hunters were in fact shooting every buck they could, very few bucks getting a pass. And on the other hand, most TN deer hunting had been "buck only" with relatively little hunting opportunities to kill a doe.</p><p></p><p>But in 1998, the statewide buck limit was suddenly changed to simply 2 bucks. At the same time, antlerless opportunities began expanding. At about this same time, the philosophy of "<strong>Q</strong>uality <strong>D</strong>eer <strong>M</strong>anagement" was getting press, with a fast growing number of hunters adopting this philosophy. In fact, these particular "quality" minded hunters were instrumental in causing the TN buck limit to go from 11 to 2 in 1998. The QDM folks also spread the gospel of more balanced sex deer harvest and "quality" over "quantity" deer, habitat, and hunter management.</p><p></p><p>In 1998, we TN deer hunters were a much younger group. We were not so tired of dragging out deer as we were tired of seeing so few deer over 2 1/2 years of age. Soon thereafter, Unit L was created and antlerless deer hunting opportunities expanded across the state. What most of us got tired of dragging was does, and/or "deer", but not necessarily bucks.</p><p></p><p>What I'm saying is that the 2-buck limit of 1998 greatly caused and/or accelerated hunters' behavior to be much more selective with their bucks. After it was then 3 for a few years (beginning in 1999), you are correct about how the buck age was trending higher, <em>BEFORE</em> that buck limit went back to 2 (as it's been now for a few years).</p><p></p><p>Adding to the motivation of hunters being more selective with their bucks, <strong>many of the former "bonus" bucks on WMAs now <em>COUNT "same as statewide" AGAINST</em> the hunter's 2-buck limit.</strong> Even in 1998, many avid TN deer hunters were killing 2 or 3 "bonus" bucks on WMAs in addition to their 2 bucks "statewide". So again, a reg change has contributed to hunter behavior, maybe more than the aging of those hunters?</p><p></p><p>But yes, as we get older, we do tend to appreciate even more quality over quantity.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="TheLBLman, post: 5630199, member: 1409"] All good points and good questions. While I agree with all your comments, there is one implication[I][B] "regardless of changes in regulations"[/B][/I] for which may matter much more than you implied. This is kinda one of those [B][I]"which came first, the chicken or the egg scenarios".[/I][/B] Like you said, nothing happens in a vacuum. When TN statewide went to a simple 2-buck limit [U]only a few years ago[/U], yes, hunters had already become much more selective. But the reasons they did wasn't simply because of their aging. Although the limit had been 3 bucks, before it was more recently reduced to 2, it had been 2 for a single year (1998), and had been 11 in 1997 and prior. [B][U]I would argue that the single biggest impetus modifying TN's collective deer hunter behavior actually happened in 1998[/U].[/B] And it was in fact a "reg change". You see, in 1997 and prior, TN had an 11-buck limit, and most hunters were in fact shooting every buck they could, very few bucks getting a pass. And on the other hand, most TN deer hunting had been "buck only" with relatively little hunting opportunities to kill a doe. But in 1998, the statewide buck limit was suddenly changed to simply 2 bucks. At the same time, antlerless opportunities began expanding. At about this same time, the philosophy of "[B]Q[/B]uality [B]D[/B]eer [B]M[/B]anagement" was getting press, with a fast growing number of hunters adopting this philosophy. In fact, these particular "quality" minded hunters were instrumental in causing the TN buck limit to go from 11 to 2 in 1998. The QDM folks also spread the gospel of more balanced sex deer harvest and "quality" over "quantity" deer, habitat, and hunter management. In 1998, we TN deer hunters were a much younger group. We were not so tired of dragging out deer as we were tired of seeing so few deer over 2 1/2 years of age. Soon thereafter, Unit L was created and antlerless deer hunting opportunities expanded across the state. What most of us got tired of dragging was does, and/or "deer", but not necessarily bucks. What I'm saying is that the 2-buck limit of 1998 greatly caused and/or accelerated hunters' behavior to be much more selective with their bucks. After it was then 3 for a few years (beginning in 1999), you are correct about how the buck age was trending higher, [I]BEFORE[/I] that buck limit went back to 2 (as it's been now for a few years). Adding to the motivation of hunters being more selective with their bucks, [B]many of the former "bonus" bucks on WMAs now [I]COUNT "same as statewide" AGAINST[/I] the hunter's 2-buck limit.[/B] Even in 1998, many avid TN deer hunters were killing 2 or 3 "bonus" bucks on WMAs in addition to their 2 bucks "statewide". So again, a reg change has contributed to hunter behavior, maybe more than the aging of those hunters? But yes, as we get older, we do tend to appreciate even more quality over quantity. [/QUOTE]
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