tvc184

A guy I worked with went out yesterday (I don't know the exact location but it was in the Sabine system) and they stomped them. I saw the pics of nothing but a full stringer of about 40 specks.

Yes, that is the problem with the new antler restrictions. It surely isn't a perfect system but hopefully if we get the buck to doe ration correct and let the bucks grow so we can actually have dominant bucks, then maybe these basket racks will slowly be sent the way of all nature selected breeding. If the weak were allowed to thrive in a normal environment, most species would have died out by now. When there are 8 does to each buck (like on our lease about five years ago), then a year old spike will be breeding does. Why worry about dominant bucks when he can't handle all the ones he comes across. Like I said, it is not the perfect system but I think it is better than killing yearlings every year. If hunters give it a chance, I think in a couple of years people are going to be happy with the results. Of course, if we could end most of the poaching, we would be even happier with the results.

Unless the game of the year is a game that actually means something.

I don't think so. Letting the natural deer in the area grow another year isn't going to all of a sudden make a bunch of trophy ranches in east Texas. Ours goes up almost every year but its been doing that for a while. I'm not 100% against this. I have mixed feelings. I welcome more mature deer. This is the way I think about it. Let's say you take one or two bucks a year. All you ever see and kill is 4 and 6 pointers. It's just my opinion but the reason that you only see 4 and 6 pointers is because the majority of them are being killed at that age. If for example, you have 8 hunters on a 1,000 acre lease and you average 1.5 bucks per hunter, then 12 bucks are being taken off of a fairly small area. Let those bucks grow for one or two years and you will start killing 8 and 10 pointers of decent size. You will still be killing the same amount of bucks a year (and maybe more), they will just be larger. I know that on our lease, we had a rule that a deer had to be 6 points. I have no clue as to why because if you are going to kill a buck that you aren't going to hang the horns on the wall, what does it matter on how many horns you aren't getting mounted? Anyway, that is almost all that we saw. On rare occasion someone would get a glimpse of a decent deer on a game cam and someone may see one jump across the road. We just didn't have any big deer. About 5 years ago a hunter on our lease killed that looked like a great deer and it came out to 110 inches. Then we started our management program which was just to kill lots of does and let the bucks grow to at least 3.5 years old. Last year our biggest buck taken was 138 inches. This year we have lots of pictures of several bucks that are bigger. One pic at a game cam shows at least 3 that are good looking deer with two having trophy (135" or larger) racks. We used to not see that in an entire year on the entire lease. Now we are getting that all over. We are seeing much larger bucks than we have ever seen and seeing a lot more of them. The deal is, once you let the herd get some age on it, you can still take our your deer each year but instead of killing that 1.5 year old, you are killing a mature deer. Even for a meat hunter, isn't it better to take a 150 pound buck than one weighing about 105 pounds? And kill lot of does. I am surprised at how many people have leases that are overrun with does and they don't anyone to kill them.

I don't think so. Letting the natural deer in the area grow another year isn't going to all of a sudden make a bunch of trophy ranches in east Texas.

That is what I tried to say. I could care less if someone is a meat hunter and wants to kill small deer on his lease or his own land. But I have to wonder, if it is just for meat, why not kill the overcrowded does? There aren't many areas of the state and surely not in our area that does aren't overrunning the entire area. I kill a couple of does every year for meat and to take them out of the herd. Again, no problem with killing any deer but most people hunt for horns and unless you can make sure that all deer stay on your property, you are also depriving your neighbor of mature deer that just happens to run on his property also. I don't look down on people that kill immature deer but sometimes I wonder at the wisdom of it. Let him grow one more year and that same 6 pointer will likely be an 8 or more next year and maybe significantly heavier. Fish have size limits to let them grow up, why not deer?

I understand meat hunting and that goes right in line with the east Texas, kill it if it moves. When it was legal, there was no questions but due to that practice of killing yearling deer, the state is moving in to remedy it. That is why the new law with the state wanting the herd to grow up. It also doesn't make sense to do a meat hunt in south Texas when it is going to cost you $500 for Bambi when you are on a trophy ranch. If these ethical hunters knew how and would kill mature deer, then there would be no need for a 13" spread restriction and it could go to a 3.5 year old deer no matter the spread. As far as the can of worms, if someone is on their own lease and they want to kill nothing but spikes and four pointers, then go for it. It is there land. Of course with the new antler restrictions, that may no longer be legal.

Ain't that the truth. ;D I may be dogging out us east Texas hunters but I believe a lot of it is the mentality in this part of the state. The "If it's brown, it's down" (mis)management style doesn't leave much to be judged. Maybe some of these antler restrictions will help with the education but I have my doubts. I do believe that even though it isn't perfect, in the long run it will help. Of course if it is a private lease, someone can always get into the MLD program and not have to worry about those rules including up to hunting with guns during the archery only season.

Looks about 16" to me. Does the deal in east texas require 13" inside? yeah, it's 13". Looks closer that 16". Ears are almost in alert position in that photo. That's where there should be a certain age at where you can shoot a deer that's not over 13" spread. I've seen some big racks (pt wise) out of small spreads. Unfortunately, most hunters can't age a deer on the hoof. I'm sure a few older, inferior deer will get a free pass, but I still like the restriction over all. Yes, an age restriction would be much better than antler restrictions. The problem is the people judging on the hoof. I was in south Texas last year on a bowhunting ranch where the restriction is a three and a half year old or pay a $500 fine. One guy last year killed a year and a half old 6 point basket rack that weighed about 105 pounds and he swore it was three years old. He paid the $500 fine though.

We might be able to get something done. We've already had the first setxsports bass tournament this last spring.

You're right. It's the nature of this board to somehow find the worst in most unfortunate situations. ....................... No, it is the nature of the public in general. This board reflects the rest of the community. Do you think that the things being said on this board aren't being repeated and a lot worse on other forums or face to face?

You are comparing examples that differ from each other. I believe that those cases of the claimed gun and camping tool happened out of state. Texas laws differ from those of other states and what may be legal somewhere else may not be legal here. If I remember correctly, the Silsbee players case went in front of the grand jury meaning that they were adults. There is a huge difference in Texas laws relating to the releasing of names of juveniles and adults.

If there are no rumors, speculations or assumptions, what would there be to talk about?

The announcer kept giving the holder of having great awareness. He had no awareness and didn't know what happened until the coach was waving at him and telling him to run. He had no clue and only picked up the ball in disgust. I think the great awareness was the refs who didn't blow the ball dead when it would have been easy to do so.

Go to your main page on photobucket. Put your cursor over a picture and a drop down menu should come up. The bottom option should say "IMG Code". Highlight that with your cursor. It "should" automatically copy the code. Paste that code in this (or any other online) box. All it does it put an [ img] in front of the picture and an [ /img] at the end. That will show the image just like a will show bold.

The day lease rules were 3.5 years old with no penalty. He was obvious that but I figured he could grow up. Then after I let him walk away, I got to thinking... this is a day lease. It is not like I am going to see him again and the rules are 3.5. I had the "my lease" thinking going on and was going to let him grow up.

I let this one walk last year and am still kicking myself. I was about 12 yards away from him when I took this picture.

Was 20 yards the shot distance or how far she ran.

Always great to get that first kill. My first bow kill was a doe and then a javelina. The 25 yard shot on the javi was a lot harder.

I thought the article was going to say that the answer was knee deep mud.

But if your criteria is that "all' students have to benefit from something, then they might as not build anything. When they build a new science lab, are all students going to use it? The obvious answer is "no". That shouldn't stop it from being built. Being from Nederland and not caring one way or the other what BISD does, I think this is one of their good moves. Sure you can build it about three miles closer to the city but then it will have the problem of many high school stadiums of being in the middle of the city. They generally have no parking and patrons end up in neighborhood streets and walking for half a mile or more to get to the stadium. For the extra three minute drive it will take to get there on IH-10, more time than that will be saved just on parking spaces close to the stadium. I don't care if it is used for playoffs or just the BISD teams, it will be a great facility that the citizens of Beaumnt and the students and faculty of BISD can be proud of.

LCM breaks a long run but is tackled at the Nederland 25 to end the game. 36-14

LCM just recovered a fumble. 1:10 to go in the game.

Although the game still isn't over.

End of the 3rd. Nederland's ball and up 30-14.