who would be interested in a 1 buck limit

[MUP]

or possibly keep the 2 buck limit and adding earn a buck? maybe we could grow some quality bucks? of course this wouldnt apply to CWD zones.

2 is a good balance. We have better deer in this state than ever. Looking at Facebook this week we have some real hogs out there. I think 2 is just fine. Makes folks a bit more selective while allowing you to hunt a bigger part of the season.


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Or less, depending on how fortunate you are early on. Two good bucks early? You're down to 1 doe left in my county. Oh, and I have only killed 3 bucks 1 time that I can recall during a single season, and one was a "mistaken" button buck during archery as a 3rd buck, technically an antlerless deer. I just like to have the choice, and not be made to conform I guess.

 

[TheLBLman]

IMO, there is ZERO chance of a 1-buck limit coming to Tennessee within the next few years.

CWD is not going away, and will likely spread to many more counties.
TWRA has already set the precedent of INCREASING buck limits in CWD counties.

The ONLY reason I can see (years down the road, and possibly in some urban areas)
that a 1-buck limit might occur in TN would be due to deer over-population,
and the avid hunters routinely NOT killing enough female deer (which is how the ongoing population is controlled).

In most counties, over-population seems not a problem,
although it may be (or soon become) in some urban areas,
if too few female deer are killed annually.

 

[AlabamaSwamper]

Every taxidermist I know says business is the best it's ever been.

 

[megalomaniac]

Every taxidermist I know says business is the best it's ever been.

No doubt TN is killing the biggest deer it has ever, and keeps getting better year after year. The question is whether the 2 buck limit is the reason or whether it would have happened just the same under the 3 buck limit.

My personal opinion is that it would have continued to improve no matter the limit, but just at a much slower rate of improvement. Most people who hunt are knowledgable enough at this point to realize the benefit to overall herd health in passing up young bucks.

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[WTM]

haha. they moved the thread. anyhoo, just made this thread so we can all settle down from some other threads. politics and religion arguments can ruin some good fellowships so i thought, since AT hiker me tioned it, i would spark some debate.

ive read through all the posts and really enjoyed them. good points with no arguing or bitterness.

i agree with most that 2 bucks is a good number since most folks dont kill over 2 anyway and something like 10 percent only kill 3. i remember my first deer hunts with my step dad and grandfather in 1980. in benton county, there were lots of does, some bucks and on occasion a really good buck but in chester county i dont remember a whole lot of big deer herds. back then the limit on bucks was a high number, something like 12 by the mid 80's. back then it wasnt the age of a deer or the size of the rack, it was how many bucks you could kill in a season.

fast forward to today, and there are some great bucks killed every year and more and more off of public land.

anyway you guys have a great season and stay safe.

 

[catman529]

Every taxidermist I know says business is the best it's ever been.

No doubt TN is killing the biggest deer it has ever, and keeps getting better year after year. The question is whether the 2 buck limit is the reason or whether it would have happened just the same under the 3 buck limit.

My personal opinion is that it would have continued to improve no matter the limit, but just at a much slower rate of improvement. Most people who hunt are knowledgable enough at this point to realize the benefit to overall herd health in passing up young bucks.

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I agree there wouldn't be much difference if the limit was still 3. There might be a slight difference, and certain people would be crazy about a very small difference arguing that it makes a big difference. But in the big picture I think people are being more selective or something, also social media groups grow every year so naturally there are more big bucks to see that would otherwise only be known to locals.


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[Bone Collector]

no. I don't think the reduction from 3 to 2 made a huge difference. People are being more selective by themselves. We don't have to regulate everything to death IMO.

 

[spinal tap]

Every taxidermist I know says business is the best it's ever been.

No doubt TN is killing the biggest deer it has ever, and keeps getting better year after year. The question is whether the 2 buck limit is the reason or whether it would have happened just the same under the 3 buck limit.

My personal opinion is that it would have continued to improve no matter the limit, but just at a much slower rate of improvement. Most people who hunt are knowledgable enough at this point to realize the benefit to overall herd health in passing up young bucks.

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I agree there wouldn't be much difference if the limit was still 3. There might be a slight difference, and certain people would be crazy about a very small difference arguing that it makes a big difference. But in the big picture I think people are being more selective or something, also social media groups grow every year so naturally there are more big bucks to see that would otherwise only be known to locals.


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I absolutely agree with Catman on this. During the 2014-15 season, only 1% of hunters tagged 3 bucks. Thus, I cannot fathom how the herd has been affected by the limit reduction. In my opinion, hunters are simply becoming more selective.

 

[Mike Belt]

I agree to a point. I think the 2 buck limit has aided in this selection process by default simply because the perception of killing 1 less buck (from the previous limit of 3) is there, and this is true whether the hunter would have actually killed 3 beforehand or not.

 

[catman529]

I agree to a point. I think the 2 buck limit has aided in this selection process by default simply because the perception of killing 1 less buck (from the previous limit of 3) is there, and this is true whether the hunter would have actually killed 3 beforehand or not.

yes it got me back in 2017. Had killed a nice 2 year old 9 point and then had to watch an even nicer 2 year old 8 point stand quartering away at 20 yards because I wanted the last tag for a mature private land buck that I never got a shot at.


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[JCDEERMAN]

I agree to a point. I think the 2 buck limit has aided in this selection process by default simply because the perception of killing 1 less buck (from the previous limit of 3) is there, and this is true whether the hunter would have actually killed 3 beforehand or not.

yes it got me back in 2017. Had killed a nice 2 year old 9 point and then had to watch an even nicer 2 year old 8 point stand quartering away at 20 yards because I wanted the last tag for a mature private land buck that I never got a shot at.


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Same here. In 2016, I shot a 3.5 during bow and filled my second tag on a 7.5 yo on 11/10 - season was over. I told myself I did not want to end my season that early ever again. In 2017, I shot a 3.5 yo on 11/10, and within the next couple days, I had opportunities at 3 other bucks between 3.5 - 4.5 I would have otherwise shot, but didn't want my season to end before rifle started. Never filled that second tag.

 

[megalomaniac]

It's ok to let an older deer with good genetics go and save a tag. Because of my self imposed 1 buck limit, I passed the largest buck I've ever voluntarily passed during the velvet hunt. A 4.5 yo 10 that would score just under 140. If one of my friends kill him, I'm happy for them. If my neighbor kills him, I'm happy for them. If he survives and makes it another year, I'm happy for him. It's a win all the way around. I no longer feel the need to be greedy and try to take every nice buck for myself.

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[MUP]

I really don't think it's being greedy mega, especially to kill a mature, nice buck. It works for you and that's fine, but other folks may like killing one more buck, and that's fine too. This is just opinion based on a healthy resource tho, but like all opinions, each has their own.

 

[Jcalder]

My guess is trail cameras have saved more deer than the buck limit going to 2


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[megalomaniac]

MUP, I'm not saying you are greedy. I'm saying I was greedy in wanting to kill all the big bucks myself in the past. I no longer feel the need to kill the state limit even if they meet my personal standards. I'm happy picking out one particular buck and hunting just him. I dont know if that change in mindset would have happened without going to a 1 buck limit several years ago, however.

But I'm not saying my mindset is correct either. It makes ME a happier hunter, makes for happier friends who have more available bucks to shoot, and makes for happier neighbors who have better hunting as well.

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[MUP]

MUP, I'm not saying you are greedy. I'm saying I was greedy in wanting to kill all the big bucks myself in the past. I no longer feel the need to kill the state limit even if they meet my personal standards. I'm happy picking out one particular buck and hunting just him. I dont know if that change in mindset would have happened without going to a 1 buck limit several years ago, however.

But I'm not saying my mindset is correct either. It makes ME a happier hunter, makes for happier friends who have more available bucks to shoot, and makes for happier neighbors who have better hunting as well.

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I know mega, I totally understand your POV, as I'm basically there as well. I'm, for the most part and most seasons, out to take the best buck that my property will yield, but I have taken "lesser" bucks, just b/c I wanted to. But, for the most part, I'm out for a mature buck right off the bat, for my first buck, and then I'm still out there tho, for a better one. That rarely happens tho, and, IIRC, never has. Once I kill one it seems that there are no other ones that season that are equal to or better than the one I already have. Not a self imposed 1 buck limit, per se, but it usually works out that way it seems.

 

[Winchester]

Hunter mindset seemed to start changing many yrs ago in TN. When our limits took the huge drop from 11 to 2 then to 3, I think Hunters starting self regulating on shooting every yearling they saw. TN started improving greatly at this point and continued to do so EVERY year under the 3 buck limit! There was NO sound Biological data for the 2 buck limit, it was put in 100% due to a small group of vocal hunters who attended the meetings. The exact same thing happened when the Kids got screwed out of the first wknd in Nov, and that hunt changed (in many cases) to Halloween wknd, which is hilarious. Again no Biological reason for this, just simply the right people complaining to the right people. Politics comes to mind here for some reason. All this said TN hunting is GREAT right now (mature bucks included) and has been for some time now, well before we had a 2 buck limit. I also agree CWD is going to be the Wildcard and much is soon to change. Unfortunately I have already heard numerous wknd hunters say they will not be hunting until CWD has been taken care of?? Things are definitely going to continue to change for the near future at least.

 

[AlabamaSwamper]

My guess is trail cameras have saved more deer than the buck limit going to 2


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Good point and probably very true

If I see two mountable bucks on my first two bow hunts and can kill them , I'll gladly sleep in all winter.

 

[Headhunter]

All for it.

 

[bowhunt25]

I would be for reducing the does before I would reduce the buck limit again. Of course I would really be in favor of reduced cost of sportsman license


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YOU said it....Reduce the cost of Sportsman license...…...Someone please tell me why its so dadgum high......But I need a good answer, not one that says it goes to taking care of my interests....