redblood said:
We will have a 2 buck limit eventually. It is just a matter of time.
I believe likewise.
And it most probably will not be due to a shortage of bucks, but rather a demand by the general public for TWRA to reduce the deer population. When buck limits are decreased, doe harvests are increased (assuming female deer legal game). Some areas have already gone to 1-buck limits and "earn-a-buck" rules mainly just to increase the doe harvest. Why? Because most hunters would rather kill 3 bucks than 3 does.
Beekeeper said:
megalomaniac said:
yes, you're revisiting a worn out topic,
but yes, the hunting in TN would improve for quality, opportunity, and success for everyone I believe.
Just an opinion with nothing to support it.
Beekeeper, you have anything to support your opinion that increasing the buck limit improves quality, opportunity, and success for everyone?
I've seen volumes of data that show reduced buck limits (provided all hunting is "either-sex")
improve both herd quality and hunter success (especially if hunter success is measured by how many hunters kill 1 or more deer instead of multiple deer).
Hypothetically and realistically, just imagine if the hunter who posted the above 3 pics had been under a 1-buck limit. He would have taken one buck, still would have been happy, still would have "limited out". Additionally, might have had more motivation to take a doe or more doe to help balance the sex ratios. He also would have left 2 bucks still walking, increasing the opportunity for other hunters, increasing the opportunity that more bucks would carry over to the next hunting year (thus also increasing the opportunity for both himself and other hunters to take a yet older buck next year).
It's not just about me and this year's opportunity.
It's also about everyone's opportunity and next year's opportunity as well.
But I'm glad we don't have a 1-buck limit, as simply believe a 2-buck limit is most ideal and fair to everyone.