Here is one that will generate some debate.

[nyantler]

How about instead of AR's to help with buck age class structure.... we do a doe only for 3 years with no hunters being allowed to take a buck during that time? 3 years later we'd would have a huge age structure of 1.5 to 4.5 year old bucks and help balance the buck doe ratio at the same time. How many of the "meat hunters" would go for that? I could do it standing on my head... I'm guessing  many hunters would go balistic over that one.

[Bleitten04]

I'm a meat hunter but would love to take a buck if it came by.  You know they have meat to !!!!  I'm fine with just does but if that became the law and with my luck the biggest buck in the world would walk by me. LOL!!!

[nyantler]

imagine the types of bucks you'd have to hunt in 3 years though...and the amount of them.

[Bleitten04]

Yes I understand that it was meant to be a joke LOL!!!

[nyantler]

I think I'd have to bring a camera just to photgraph a buck each year.. that would be my buck hunting for the 3 years... might be fun

[sweet old bill]

I just wish they would make it back to one buck a year per hunter and make it must have 3 on each side. But this would not be required for youth hunters and or seniors...

[Doc]

I suspect that an overwhelming majority or AR supporters would not go along with this idea. I think that for most of them, the antlers are the sole reason for hunting, and there's no way they would want to be told that they were restricted to does for 3 years.

So what would you do at the end of 3 years, or would that one 3-year stretch be the extent of the whole program?

[WNYBuckHunter]

Id be fine with it, though I doubt it would fix anything for long. Id be happier with a 1 buck per year deal. That would be a good start rather than go off the deep end with temporary extremes.

[biggamefish]

  It is an idea that is for sure.  I think you would blow the deer ratio wayout though.  I saw huge deer this weekend on state land with no ar's and I don't live out west.

[nyantler]

I just threw this out there because it accomplishes what AR is suppose to accomplish in much less time. but I'm not niave enough to believe that there are many hunters that really care about the deer enough to give up buck hunting. What about after the 3 yrs? Good question.. I know the answer.. but I wonder how hunters out there do. This would be a good way to find out who really supports AR for management reasons and who just want see bigger bucks. And, who really knows what deer management IS and why its needed!

[nyantler]

I just wish they would make it back to one buck a year per hunter and make it must have 3 on each side. But this would not be required for youth hunters and or seniors...

Although that might be great for keeping some smaller bucks from being killed .. it does nothing for the overall management process. Except maybe the one buck only part

[biggamefish]

I agree with you NY hunter.  Those for ar's and are serious would love it but I bet it would be voted down I would vote it down.  I think the trophy tv hunting everybody wants is ridicioulis(spelling wow).

[nyantler]

Guys.. we aren't talking about doing this to grow bigger bucks... read my intro question... and I still don't understand why people against AR use the trophy hunting thing as their argument against management... EVERY hunter wants to kill a trophy buck.. if you say you don't you are lying.. with the choice of a spike and a huge 10 point both standing broadside you will pick the 10-pointer every time. So, lets get off the trophy hunting point and talk about what we would do from a management standpoint.

[nyantler]

Oh and by the way.. I am sure it would be voted down

[SteveB]

As well it should.

[adk3006]

Guys.. we aren't talking about doing this to grow bigger bucks... read my intro question... and I still don't understand why people against AR use the trophy hunting thing as their argument against management... EVERY hunter wants to kill a trophy buck.. if you say you don't you are lying.. with the choice of a spike and a huge 10 point both standing broadside you will pick the 10-pointer every time. So, lets get off the trophy hunting point and talk about what we would do from a management standpoint.

No AR's where I hunt in the NZ, we have a very lengthy gun season aswell and I've managed to take some trophies.  So trophy bucks are for the taking regardless of AR's, one just has to put some time in to get them, which makes the even more of a trophy.  If 10 pointer sightings were common, how special would it really be to shoot one?

[Mr VJP]

I think this has to be the call of the professional wildlife managers.  If we let politics get involved, it will screw everything up, just like it always does.

I will go along with whatever the biologists say is best for the deer herd.  I'm also thankful they always explain why they propose something without covering the reason with political double speak.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

How about instead of AR's to help with buck age class structure.... we do a doe only for 3 years with no hunters being allowed to take a buck during that time? 3 years later we'd would have a huge age structure of 1.5 to 4.5 year old bucks and help balance the buck doe ratio at the same time. How many of the "meat hunters" would go for that? I could do it standing on my head... I'm guessing  many hunters would go balistic over that one.

I could be wrong but....I think even with the hunters and the herd health aside they wouldn't pass it for fear of losing license revenue during that 3 year period. I would still hunt but I think that some wouldn't bother. I do agree NY...this would seperate teh horn hunters from the ones that believe in the QDM process.

[Bleitten04]

I agree with you NY hunter.  Those for ar's and are serious would love it but I bet it would be voted down I would vote it down.  I think the trophy tv hunting everybody wants is ridicioulis(spelling wow).

Trophy tv hunting IMO is not rediculious.  The deer on ranches and farms are harvested in a way that will generate big deer.  If they didn't shoot big deer they would not have a show.  Key words here are ranches and farms.  You could go to a big game farm that has QDM, AR's or whatever and see big deer.  Then you could go a couple miles down the road and not even see a buck.  The people that run the farms are all on the same page and have one goal of bigger deer with a strucured age group so year after year there will be big bucks.  Getting a whole state to do this is non sense.  It will never happen because everyone has different opinions.  I'm against AR's because a mature deer with bad genes that is only going to be a 4 or 6 forever will not get shot and will pass on his poor genes.  I'm all for QDM however even though from what I have seen this year there is a pretty good age group where I hunt.  I have seen spikes, 4, 6,7, 8, and 10 or maybe 12 point bucks.  I'm yet to kill one though : .   

[bushnell]

I would think that if you didn't shoot bucks for 3 years you would probably see a couple of nice ones walking around. But how long would that really last? I would say maybe 6-7 yrs max. Then you would be right back to where you are now.

IMO I think one of the best starts that NY could have towards their management goals would be to reduce the number of bucks that you can harvest. 1 BUCK PER YEAR PER HUNTER.

[Bleitten04]

I agree one buck per year per hunter is a good idea.  But how many people really fill both of those buck tags?  The people that do take two a year might make up for the people who don't end up taking any?

[Doc]

I think the one buck rule is a good one. No one is being told what kind of buck they must take. There are no ridiculous point counting or spread measurment estimations. You get your one buck and no more. How the heck many bucks does anyone need. If a hunter is all hung up on trophyism, just let the smaller ones walk until something comes along that will fit your needs...... your choice. Having to make your one tag count, will promote hunters being a bit more picky on what they shoot and perhaps turn a contentious restriction (AR) into a self disciplined choice of harvest. Sure there are probably only a few hunters that actually take two or more bucks, but I have heard a lot of guys who say they will take the first buck that comes along and then reserve their second tag for a trophy. Well, if everyone only had one buck tag, that thought wouldn't work anymore. If you want a trophy or even a possibility of a trophy, it would have to be the one and only buck that you take. (no "warm-up" bucks).

Doc

[nyantler]

guys you still are missing the point.. I keep trying to tell you this is not about producing bick bucks .. its to establish age structure among the bucks and help balance the buck doe ratio... why is everyone stuck on the big buck thing???

[nyantler]

One of the things that we have to consider when talking about deer hunting is that each year the deer lose more and more habitat to man.... hence the reason for deer management at all... if everywhere was like the Adirondacks.. we wouldn't be having this discussion

[Karpteach]

Sounds like a good idea. Count me in. I think, the only problem is we would see a great deal of poaching.