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Florida makes Buck Changes
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<blockquote data-quote="TheLBLman" data-source="post: 3923672" data-attributes="member: 1409"><p><u>Generally speaking</u>, "Yes", the largest yearling bucks get killed at a higher rate than the smaller ones, no matter what regulations are in place.</p><p></p><p>Antler restrictions such as "3 on a side, 4 on a side, 8 points, etc." will cause the largest antlered yearlings to be killed at a <em>MUCH</em> higher rate than no antler restrictions at all.</p><p></p><p><em>SPREAD</em> antler restrictions, such as 15" wide, are less problematic than "point" restrictions, but can still cause more antler high-grading than compared to no antler restrictions.</p><p></p><p>Should add, the "9-point" restriction may protect most top-end yearling antlers, but then may cause an extra-heavy antler high-grading the next year of the highest-scoring 2 1/2-yr-old bucks. Bottom line, <u>commonly used antler restrictions may do more harm than good</u>, <u><em><strong>IF</strong></em> the end goal is more above-average antlered mature bucks</u>.</p><p></p><p>The only practical way to produce more larger-antlered mature bucks (on a statewide basis) is simply to have lower buck limits and a shorter gun season. In that context, the State of Kentucky may be the national model for statewide regulations that produce the least amount of antler high-grading. And again, no, I don't want TN to go to the KY regulatory model, but could appreciate something in between what we currently have and what KY has, i.e. TN going to a simple 2-buck limit, and ending all gun hunting on December 31st of each year.</p><p></p><p>While such implementation is not practical on a statewide basis, the only way to eliminate most antler high-grading of the largest antlered young bucks is to simply kill no bucks before they reach maturity (at least the age of 4 1/2). Age based criteria can be a workable option on some hunt clubs and some WMA's, and is certainly an option at the individual hunter level, as an individual hunter should never kill either a top-end antlered yearling or 2 1/2-yr-old if his personal criteria is to focus on bucks that appear to be 4 1/2 or older. A "mistake" would be in killing a 3 1/2-yr-old.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="TheLBLman, post: 3923672, member: 1409"] [u]Generally speaking[/u], "Yes", the largest yearling bucks get killed at a higher rate than the smaller ones, no matter what regulations are in place. Antler restrictions such as "3 on a side, 4 on a side, 8 points, etc." will cause the largest antlered yearlings to be killed at a [i]MUCH[/i] higher rate than no antler restrictions at all. [i]SPREAD[/i] antler restrictions, such as 15" wide, are less problematic than "point" restrictions, but can still cause more antler high-grading than compared to no antler restrictions. Should add, the "9-point" restriction may protect most top-end yearling antlers, but then may cause an extra-heavy antler high-grading the next year of the highest-scoring 2 1/2-yr-old bucks. Bottom line, [u]commonly used antler restrictions may do more harm than good[/u], [u][i][b]IF[/b][/i] the end goal is more above-average antlered mature bucks[/u]. The only practical way to produce more larger-antlered mature bucks (on a statewide basis) is simply to have lower buck limits and a shorter gun season. In that context, the State of Kentucky may be the national model for statewide regulations that produce the least amount of antler high-grading. And again, no, I don't want TN to go to the KY regulatory model, but could appreciate something in between what we currently have and what KY has, i.e. TN going to a simple 2-buck limit, and ending all gun hunting on December 31st of each year. While such implementation is not practical on a statewide basis, the only way to eliminate most antler high-grading of the largest antlered young bucks is to simply kill no bucks before they reach maturity (at least the age of 4 1/2). Age based criteria can be a workable option on some hunt clubs and some WMA's, and is certainly an option at the individual hunter level, as an individual hunter should never kill either a top-end antlered yearling or 2 1/2-yr-old if his personal criteria is to focus on bucks that appear to be 4 1/2 or older. A "mistake" would be in killing a 3 1/2-yr-old. [/QUOTE]
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