I just want everyones opinion on this topic.

[ScootD]

This will only be my second year "in a row" hunting, but I have been watching hunting shows and have been hunting with my late father since I was about 9 or 10 and love seeing any kind of deer in the field. But the topic that really has my interest is the state of michigan putting a limit on the number of points a buck needs to have in order for a hunter to harvest. Now personally I would love for the DNR to make it that a buck must have at least 4-6 points before it can be taken in the field, but what would be even better would be deer taken by age. Now I am not saying that a deer has to be 5.5 to 6.5 yrs. old or anything but at least 3.5 yrs. old. From watching those hunting shows for all these years I have noticed that the older bucks are harder to hunt and that if you let the young ones grow then they have the potential of being record book bucks. So if anyone else out there is with me on this then great but also if anyone out there is against me on this topic I am not going to hold judgement or get mad because everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I guess what I am trying to say is that hunters can only do so much to try and make it so other hunters let the little ones walk so they have a potential to become BIG ones. I feel that if the DNR stepped in and made this law then that would weed out the wanna be hunters and leave more deer for the rest of us real and dedicated hunters. Please feel free to respond and don't worry if it is negative against what I have wrote I can handle it I'm a big boy. Anyway thank you all for listening to me ramble on and I would love for some feedback on this topic.
 
 
 
Good luck and safe hunting in this up and coming deer season.
ScootD

[EatDeer]

Sounds like a great idea to me, but its kinda hard for new hunters to tell the age of bucks by sight. I think that is one of the reasons why the DNR doesnt go with a age rule. The problem with a point rule is that older bucks with lower quality racks get passed, then the poor quality bucks go on to spread thier genes in the herd.  When you said "4-6 points" I'm assuming you meant total points from the entire rack. Bucks that are 4.5 years of age and older are the hardest buck age group to hunt, because unlike the 2.5 - 3.5 year old bucks they don't tend to travel more during the rut, unless they lose a fight. Mostly here in my area of IL.,  I consider mainly 3.5 year old bucks to be harvest worthy, and a 4.5 or older buck is a true trophy in my opinion, regardless of antler size. Something you have to consider when thinking about allowing AR's , is that a young 2.5 year old buck with the right genes could possiably score 110- 135 P&Y points. That means your AR rule, just costed you a buck that could have been a B&C record book buck at 3.5 years old.  I don't know how many bucks your allowed to harvest in your state, but in IL, hunters are limited to 2 bucks per hunter each year. It may not be a popular choice but, I'd love to see a 1 buck limit imposed, instead of a AR if the issue is considered here. The fact is too many hunters tag any young buck that walks by ,which greatly affects the quality of the bucks in the herd.  Those young bucks that do get tagged also reduce the number of doe's that are harvested each year.   P.S. The manuer spreader is headed towards this thread![:D] 

[DeerCamp]

I dont see the age one working out here. Lot of hunters dont know how to age a deer... I would love to see them have it so you couldnt shoot anything under a 6.  But I just dont see thing happening. They really want the deer numbers droped here. But I agree make it so you gotta earn a buck and then nothing smaller than a 6.

[vipermann7]

I think an age restriction on bucks would be the best way to go for restricting buck harvest, but as already said, it is hard to judge the age of a deer on the hoof, and even many very experienced hunters cant do it very well. It would just be too hard to impose that kind of restriction, though I do think it would give the best results for quality deer management.

Here in wisconsin the DNR is focusing on the doe populations, at least in my neck of the woods, and we have to shoot a doe just to get our buck sticker allowing us to harvest a buck at all. That helps the deer herd in general, but wont have any profound effects on the quality of bucks. Having bigger bucks, for the time being anyway, I think will primarily fall on land owners and hunters. It's a slow process, but even in the last few years I have seen a big jump in my area of people getting on the QDM wagon. The hunting shows help promote it, and having hunters and land owners getting together, talking about it, hanging out their signs, all that stuff, really helps. Obviously the most direct and immediate effects are seen when you make something a state wide law or regulation, but for growing bigger bucks, it's a hard regulation to make.

Not only that, I don't really want the DNR telling me I can only shoot a certain age or size buck. We all hunt for different reasons and making us pass on bucks because they are not "trophy bucks" isn't fair, especially to kids. I dont want to have to tell my kids their first year or several years of hunting they wont get to shoot a buck because we rarely see large bucks on our property. now that I'm an adult and can access different areas and have more experience hunting, I am fine with passing on small bucks. but thats a choice i think we should all get to make ourselves in the woods. yeah, it sure sucks to pass on a nice 2.5 year old just to see him riding home in the neighbors truck, but that's hunting, thats what its all about. I'm all about doing whatever I can to help our area see bigger, more mature bucks, but hunting is about more than that, and if we start making too many regulations just in the name of bigger bucks, hunting will just become about shooting big bucks, and that would be a shame.

[burris]

I agree with vipermann 7. I live in the U.P. where we have the point restrictions, but you also have a choice to purchase the one tag and take a smaller buck which is great for the first time hunter, and the seniors, or anybody else that would like to take a smaller buck. I try to follow qdm rules but dont expect everybody to do it just becouse I do, a trophy buck is in the eye of the beholder, qdm is not all about big bucks, but the quillity of the deer herd.

[mag30079]

Being that Michigan is the hardest hunted state in the USA, with hunter numbers close to 1 million a year. The less restrictions the better. It should be left to the hunter to decide what a trophy is. That being said I like your idea, and respect your opinion. Whens the last time you watched a hunting show that showed hunting in Michigan, that wasn't on a pay to hunt inclosed ranch.

[mag30079]

One more thing. If you want to learn more about michigan deer hunting, pick up a book or two by John Eberhart. He as wrote some of the best books on deer hunting.