Bowhunting Anyone?

[wtmoody8]

Anybody harvested a bow kill this year? I'm excited about Thanksgiving break and the chance to stick a deer....

[Mamp;Rs Dad]

I killed 2 opening day. I also had a couple within range but couldnt shoot because of the new antler resrictions.

[tvc184]

I killed 2 opening day. I also had a couple within range but couldnt shoot because of the new antler resrictions.

I wish they would go statewide on those antler restrictions so the guy on the next lease won't kill them. If they would go statewide, in a couple of years we would all be seeing good deer with a spread outside of the ears. We have been doing that on my lease anyway but I see people kill some of the deer we let go after they cross the property line.

[Mamp;Rs Dad]

Yep. If everyone will go by it, it would work.

[bronco1]

It will be state wide soon. It works and even people that originally opposed it in their county 2 or 3 years ago, see the results now.

[tvc184]

It is simply a matter of letting them grow up. There are plenty of deer but when you hunt an area where they go by the credo, "If it's brown-it's down", nothing will ever get past 1.5 years old. Once a deer reaches 3.5 years, he starts to get into at least the quality deer range and at 4.5 into the trophy range (I am probably preaching to the choir in here).

You could get a couple of thousand acres, surround it with a deer proof fence and then fill it with fawns and in three years, you are going to be killing big deer and it will stay that way each year after that if no one will kill anything under 3.5 years old.

[tvc184]

Well, that and killing off the does also. We kill lots of does on our lease and still have plenty of them.

[gringo]

It is simply a matter of letting them grow up. There are plenty of deer but when you hunt an area where they go by the credo' date=' "If it's brown-it's down", nothing will ever get past 1.5 years old. Once a deer reaches 3.5 years, he starts to get into at least the quality deer range and at 4.5 into the trophy range (I am probably preaching to the choir in here).

You could get a couple of thousand acres, surround it with a deer proof fence and then fill it with fawns and in three years, you are going to be killing big deer and it will stay that way each year after that if no one will kill anything under 3.5 years old.[/quote']

Well said! Let them get 5.5 and see what happens.

[Mamp;Rs Dad]

I shot mine on National Forest this year. I can only imagine what goes on there in gun season. I am SURE everyone follows those restrictions.

[wtmoody8]

I totally agree with yall on the antler restrictions, its ridiculous to see what bucks alot of people kill around here, killin 3 points just doesnt do anything for me. It would be great to see East Texas at its full potential in deer herds.

[Captain Malasno]

you know, I have always thought the same as exactly what you guys are saying. I generally either shoot doe or the occasional cull buck, or sometimes lucky enough to get the trophy I am waiting on. I watch lots of basket-rack 6 and 8 pointers each year.

But, this thanksgiving I got a different look at it. I hunted with my girlfriend's grandad who is old school to say the least. he deer hunts more than anyone I know and never fails to get his limit each year. He loves deer meat and deer hunting so much. eats the stuff like crazy year round. He is not a trophy hunter, when he steps in the woods, his sport is different than ours. He's hunting for the joy of harvesting meat. He will shoot a doe or a small 4 point, whatever he sees first. All though I wouldn't like him shooting those deer on my land where I try to manage, I respect the fact that he has always done it that way and he will continue. And when he takes me hunting with him, he tells me to shoot the first thing I see for the meat. He told me he'd be mad with me if I passed up a 4 point, not if I shot it. ha ha. anyways, it was a different view to see.

[tvc184]

Yeah but while he is killing a 90 pound 4 point, he could be killing a 150 pound 8 point. You can't eat the horns, that is for sure. I still don't see the point in shooting small deer for the sake of meat when you could get more meat from letting them grow.

Obviously he can kill whatever he wants for whatever reason he wants. Throw the horns away if you wish and just keep the meat. More and bigger deer seems to be a better option for meat than to kill Bambi the first time he pokes his head out of the woods. If he and others like him would let them grow, they would be seeing the benefit fairly quickly.

Therein lies the reason that in southeast Texas, many people or forced to shoot the first thing they see since it will be the only thing they see.