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Tennessee Hunting Forums
Quality Deer Management
Field-judging buck age examples
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<blockquote data-quote="TheLBLman" data-source="post: 595632" data-attributes="member: 1409"><p>I both agree and disagree, "depending" on just what you're trying to accomplish.</p><p></p><p>If your goal is simply to produce more 2 1/2-yr-old bucks, then of course, antler restrictions such as "4 points on one side, 8 points, 9 points, etc." will certainly do a great job in accomplishing this goal.</p><p></p><p>But many hunters state they have a personal goal of killing a large antlered buck, something that generally cannot even begin to happen prior to a buck reaching 3 1/2 years or older. And for any buck to even approach his antlers' genetic potential, he must reach the age of 4 1/2. But then again, how one defines "large" antlers comes into play.</p><p></p><p>My thinking is that most "practical" antler restrictions (those in use by most WMA's that use antler restrictions) actually increase the harvest of the genetically best antlered 2 1/2-yr-old and younger bucks. My thinking is that WITHOUT antler restrictions, many of these same areas would in fact have MORE genetically superior (large) antlered older bucks, albeit they would have fewer older bucks.</p><p></p><p><em>BECAUSE</em> of antler restrictions, the best antlered yearlings are killed at a higher rate on the Catoosa WMA than they would be killed if there were no antler restrictions at all. BECAUSE of antler restrictions, the best antlered 2 1/2-yr-old bucks are killed at a higher rate on President's Island WMA than they would be killed if there were no antler restrictions at all.</p><p></p><p>And even those places where the majority of yearling bucks are fork-horns or smaller, if they use antler restrictions, <em>BECAUSE</em> of those antler restrictions, the best antlered younger bucks will be killed at a higher rate --- leaving fewer of the best to reach the older age classes.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="TheLBLman, post: 595632, member: 1409"] I both agree and disagree, "depending" on just what you're trying to accomplish. If your goal is simply to produce more 2 1/2-yr-old bucks, then of course, antler restrictions such as "4 points on one side, 8 points, 9 points, etc." will certainly do a great job in accomplishing this goal. But many hunters state they have a personal goal of killing a large antlered buck, something that generally cannot even begin to happen prior to a buck reaching 3 1/2 years or older. And for any buck to even approach his antlers' genetic potential, he must reach the age of 4 1/2. But then again, how one defines "large" antlers comes into play. My thinking is that most "practical" antler restrictions (those in use by most WMA's that use antler restrictions) actually increase the harvest of the genetically best antlered 2 1/2-yr-old and younger bucks. My thinking is that WITHOUT antler restrictions, many of these same areas would in fact have MORE genetically superior (large) antlered older bucks, albeit they would have fewer older bucks. [i]BECAUSE[/i] of antler restrictions, the best antlered yearlings are killed at a higher rate on the Catoosa WMA than they would be killed if there were no antler restrictions at all. BECAUSE of antler restrictions, the best antlered 2 1/2-yr-old bucks are killed at a higher rate on President's Island WMA than they would be killed if there were no antler restrictions at all. And even those places where the majority of yearling bucks are fork-horns or smaller, if they use antler restrictions, [i]BECAUSE[/i] of those antler restrictions, the best antlered younger bucks will be killed at a higher rate --- leaving fewer of the best to reach the older age classes. [/QUOTE]
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