Please appeal FWC looking to make rule of 3 point or better for Bucks in 2013-2014

[Tridentrider]

I'm pretty new to the site and just wanted my fellow outdoorsman to be aware that: I received a survey and proposal from FWC stating they are looking at making a new rule for deer season 2013-2014 for what they call "deer management". They are wanting the bucks to have 3 points or more, at least one antler.
I am a "Damn Yankee" who has been enjoying putting venison in my freezer down here since 2003 and I have to admit I ate a lot of spikes (cowhorns) and four pointers (2 points per antler) that where adult deer. Not every spike will become a trophy and I think and hope my fellow sportsman will keep FWC at bay and not allow this propsal/ agenda to go through.
FWC needs to know "deer management" is NOT "antler management", and those who desire to hunt antlers can join a hunt club as my hunting time is limited and I prefer to put venison in my freezer. Brown on the ground!
If they really care about "deer managemnet" they could allow some doe tags to be issued out to take some more does out of Blackwater durring the riffle season.

 

[M.O.A.]

Personally I think their new proposal is a good idea. Can't tell you how many young 5" spikes I have seen come out of escambia WMA this year. I will agree that more does need to go but the 3 point rule is spot on in my opinion if for no other reason than it will give the deer herd a break for a couple of years.

 

[helo_hunter]

From what I have seen, the buck to doe ratio is off in FL with too many does. Having this new restriction witll help but also agree that more does need to be taken.

 

[FrankT]

I have to agree with FWC on this one. We are a 6 pt club, will not accept if its brown it is down members. There is doe week and a doe tag for each member and we encourage the meat killers to avail themselves that opportunity. I also think we should go to a 2 buck rule per season w tags statewide, this would make hunters THINK before they pull the trigger.

 

[M.O.A.]

I have to agree with FWC on this one. We are a 6 pt club, will not accept if its brown it is down members. There is doe week and a doe tag for each member and we encourage the meat killers to avail themselves that opportunity. I also think we should go to a 2 buck rule per season w tags statewide, this would make hunters THINK before they pull the trigger.

Well said Frank. 2 tags per hunter would be a great idea. We may actually develop a respectable herd in 4-5 years.

 

[FrankT]

We did take out 4 cull deer, 3-4yrs old with spike and crumbling antlers, one member passed a nice 8pt to take out an 8 pt cull and we took several does this year. I would have liked more does taken but ours are gentlemen/fair weather hunters with only 2-3 of them what I call avid hunters 4+ days a week hunting. The antlers are not eaten but a sign of a healthy mature breeding buck population. We have a $250 fine set up for taking deer not legal at our club but it is not enforced as it is in some clubs.

 

[Famine]

We have a 7 Pt minimum and 3 buck limit per member and guest kills count against the members total. We filled all our doe tags and add more during both the early Bow and the week in Dec. Agree with MOA and FrankT completely.

 

[Capt]

I think there point regs suck!I think the law should go back to 1/2" above the hair line!I don't tell others what to shoot,why should others decide for me?If you are a horn hunter,go where they have pt. regs,such as a lot of WMAs and clubs already have.This is over regulation at its finest,more FWC BS!

 

[StorMay05]

I think it's a good idea, I did the whitetail hunt on st. Vincent island this past January where they have implemented a 3 point rule for a few years now, and the biologist doing the study said that the quality of the deer herd is really improving.

A better quality of deer would be real nice.

 

[FrankT]

That is the point, thank you StorMay, it improves the entire deer herd, it is really nothing to to with antlers!

 

[Welldoya]

I agree with Frank completely.

 

[Richard J.]

Some years ago Pennsylvania put a 3 point rule on most of the state and a 4 point on the west side of Pa. Then they decided to bring the doe population under control. All kind of big bucks now and plenty of them. Most of the state is state forest or state game lands. Millions of acres. Worked for them. Other states are also going to it.

 

[itsazonik]

Hunting up in northern Florida and again down here in central Florida I have to agree with the fwc as well. We will need to do so much more if were ever going to get deer large enough to be worth hunting. Everywhere I went it was nothing but doe everywhere we looked. Too many people were coming home day after day with 2 tiny buck's. They shoot their limit just for the same of shooting them.

 

[Emcm2]

I have to agree with FWC on this one. We are a 6 pt club, will not accept if its brown it is down members. There is doe week and a doe tag for each member and we encourage the meat killers to avail themselves that opportunity. I also think we should go to a 2 buck rule per season w tags statewide, this would make hunters THINK before they pull the trigger.

100% agree with you frank I believe if Florida stepped up to the plate we might one day hunt nice deer again I'm a true believer in deer Management I think that Elgin should do the same thing one day.

 

[Telum Pisces]

Another double standard by most folks. Most of you don't want to be told what to do in most any thing else. But if it fits the way you hunt, you are all for it. I and my family personally do not eat any beef at all. We eat all venison. It takes between 5-7 deer depending on whether they are does or bucks to feed just me and my family of 5. We eat a lot of deer. And we eat it ALL. I hunt to eat the dang things. Not put them on the wall. If you want to hunt horns, join a club that is managed. There are plenty of managed places out there. And those of you saying to limit the number of deer as well, well I have something else nasty to say about that as well. FL does not have 225 lb deer everywhere to get a decent amount of meat. And no antler restriction out there will get the deer body size big enough for us to last the year on 2-3 deer.

This is not a trophy state. Yes, the deer can get bigger antlers with restrictions. I've seen it. But not everyone wants it. But because it suits the wants of some, they push it on others. It's a double standard with any regulation. It's dumb and I will call everyone a hypocrite that supports this type of regulation. IF it was the tree huggers pushing to limit things and restrict hunting in another fashion, I bet a bunch of people would sing a different tune. What works for you does not work for everyone. As long as the deer herd numbers are good, (which they are), I don't think there should be any change. Just because you hunt the public land and don't see bucks does not mean that they are not there. There are plenty of nice bucks in BW and other WMA lands. But they don't get big by being dumb.

 

[Telum Pisces]

100% agree with you frank I believe if Florida stepped up to the plate we might one day hunt nice deer again I'm a true believer in deer Management I think that Elgin should do the same thing one day.

Umm, a big chunk of Eglin is three point on one side. Been that way for a while. And yes some bigger deer do come out of there. But again, not everyone hunts to put antlers on the wall.

 

[Capt]

First,take a minute to think,do you really want more regs?There is already more than enough rules and regs.Also,most of you will not see any benafeit because you already have pt. regs where your club is 6 or 7 pt. or better.Even WMAs already have 3 on one side in a lot of places,go hunt there for your horns.People who hunt BW will not see improvement!Only thing I see helping is less pressure.1800 quotas is way to many people,and they can bring a guest!Really!!?What worked in Pa.(They have a week long season if I remember right)is apple to oranges.I remember when you didn't need a salt water fishing licence and no size or bag limits,too.Way over regulated!Snapper comes to mind.I think this is just FWC doing what they do.

 

[FrankT]

Different strokes for different folks, I guess. For a better and healthier herd we need a 2-3 Buck limit and more does taken, again it is not about antlers but health of the herd and no brown and down hunters. I know change is hard when there are few regs then going to more regs but that is why the FL herd is laughed at all over the country and we have tiny deer.. This is not the wild west any longer, there are grocery stores now in modern America.

It is like the old guys who come and try to poach on our lease land after we have had it for 15 years, they do not respect the rules and think of the old days when they could hunt any land they wanted. Times and rules change, sometimes for the good like this and sometimes for the bad like obama.

 

[M.O.A.]

Different strokes for different folks, I guess. For a better and healthier herd we need a 2-3 Buck limit and more does taken, again it is not about antlers but health of the herd and no brown and down hunters. I know change is hard when there are few regs then going to more regs but that is why the FL herd is laughed at all over the country and we have tiny deer.. This is not the wild west any longer, there are grocery stores now in modern America.

It is like the old guys who come and try to poach on our lease land after we have had it for 15 years, they do not respect the rules and think of the old days when they could hunt any land they wanted. Times and rules change, sometimes for the good like this and sometimes for the bad like obama.

Grocery stores ?? You're killing me Frank.

 

[Famine]

Rather than fight the rule allowing bucks to mature - why not extend the antlerless seasons...and allow more does to be harvested. I don't hunt for horn either - not one dust collector on a wall but I do want to do what is best, based on good wildlife management to improve deer hunting across the board. Between the first bow and does season I and my wife put 3 does and 1 buck in the freezer.