Well today I received a form from the NJ fish and wildlife.Being that I buy multiple bow permits they are asking me to fill out a form and support a 3 point antler restriction in my southern zones that I hunt bow in.I havnt seen a six point in about 3yrs.Does anyone think that supporting this will help? We have an uncontrolled and out of hand coyote problem that has cut our deer herd by at least 2/3.IMO The coyote seems to be the problem why we have no big racks.Any suggestions would be appreciated.Thanks  

Start hunting yotes in your area.....it has helped a lot on the farm I lease in Pa.

Best
Bob

Tim,  I believe the point restriction is a good thing because it eliminates some of the younger deer being killed.  I'm all for the point restriction.  I know what you mean about the coyotes.  They have really hurt the game animal population in my area of WV.  I would also address the coyote problem with the DNR and tell them that unless the coyotes are thinned the point restriction isn't going to make a big difference in the deer herd.

In PA. we have a 4 point antler restriction !!

Shoot the yotes. I think the 3pt system is good too. When you have to pass up the spikes, you can be confident the next guy will too. Next yr it may be an eight.
Do they mean 3pt total, or 3pt on one side? I'd support the 3pt on one side. I'm not against people shooting small deer, but that kind of rule would help get bigger racks.

It's three to a side,And the coyote hunting is a little hard due to the area having a lot of residential properties.I'm not really against it but I do feel that are NJDFG does not have enough wardens in the southern area to enforce it.Been down the road of disappointment with the wardens and lack of interest in poaching and lack of prosecution due to no manpower.

We have a two point on one side restriction here in Vt,and in everyone's opinion it was one of the best things the state ever did to better the deer herd.The difference with letting just the spikehorns go is amazing.You definately want them to do that.

I hope they will up it to 3 on one side.    

I'd love to do my own antler limit and not have the state tell me what to shoot,but I'd rather not let a 4pt or a 6pt go just to have my neighbor shoot it.  

That's a very personal decision. If you want to shoot a 3 point by all means do it, but if you want to have bigger bucks shooting the yearlings won't get you there. If I were you I would definitely support it. 3 point isn't much of a restriction if you ask me though. Visit the neighbors and set up a 6 or 8 point restriction. You'll be amazed at what you will have in a few years.

Sounds like you guys need to start whacking some yotes anyway. Lets not forget we don't need the state DNR's telling us what to do either, be proactive. Take a year off deer hunting and stack up all the yotes you can. Set traps if you can. You are the manager of your land, you know what needs to be done don't wait for some bureaucrat to tell you. Wildlife management is so much more than just letting immature deer pass.

QuoteOriginally posted by KentuckyTJ:
That's a very personal decision. If you want to shoot a 3 point by all means do it, but if you want to have bigger bucks shooting the yearlings won't get you there. If I were you I would definitely support it. 3 point isn't much of a restriction if you ask me though. Visit the neighbors and set up a 6 or 8 point restriction. You'll be amazed at what you will have in a few years.

Sounds like you guys need to start whacking some yotes anyway. Lets not forget we don't need the state DNR's telling us what to do either, be proactive. Take a year off deer hunting and stack up all the yotes you can. Set traps if you can. You are the manager of your land, you know what needs to be done don't wait for some bureaucrat to tell you. Wildlife management is so much more than just letting immature deer pass.

Very well said!  

Being a Canuck I have little idea what the situation is like down South, but I would actually be against a 3 point or more restriction in Alberta. I usually kill small immature Deer by choice since I always figured the bigger Bucks n Does are the best breeders and stand the best chance making it through our Alberta winters. Coyotes and especially Wolves are becoming a problem on the land I usually hunt and the kills I find most often are also younger Deer, so I might as well get to the small ones before they do. I would find the idea of 3 point and under only season interesting. I say this because I have noticed a far higher number of mature animals in the areas I hunt since the wife and I began killing forkies and yearlings. I actually had to work a bit to find a fork horn last year.

I really don't want anybody telling me what I can and can not shoot,as a hunter its my choice not the state or some joker behind a desk!

In my opinion, I say thin out the coyote population as best as you can.Here in Pa. we have the point restriction. It is ok if you want a big rack. Personally, I do not like the taste of antlers.

I would support that if it ever came up in Oklahoma.  I truly believe that passing smaller bucks leads to bigger bucks overall in the future.  It has definately worked on my place.

Brian

We have a self imposed 4 pt restriction and things are awesome now.The increase in mature bucks has been astounding.

I haven't seen a situation where an antler restriction is not a good thing to do.  It always results in more live male deer entering Spring.  And I have never seen a situation where it is a good thing to intentionally kill yearling bucks.

If the coyotes kill them AND the hunters kill them then the chances of having a huntable population in the future significantly decreases...compared to the alternative.

"I really don't want anybody telling me what I can and can not shoot,as a hunter its my choice not the state or some joker behind a desk!"

I think "as a hunter" it is a priviledge to be in a state with a huntable population.  It is also your priviledge to be able to pursue the said huntable population by use of sound management practices.  
Just like in every other business, those management practices should be determined by the professionals that know what they are doing, not by someone behind a desk that was appointed by the state governor or the "hunter".

We have a self-imposed antler restriction for about 10 years or so on the land that I hunt with a couple other hunters.  The results with the quality of bucks is huge.  Very good management practice.

The land that the wife and I hunt is private but not "managed" as many folks do. I am by no means an expert on Deer management but what we are seeing after four years of shooting "little Deer" is higher numbers of fawns and larger amounts of Deer in general. We got the idea from an article in TBM by David Peterson which explained the various virtues of killing more juvenille animals which would likely fall to the various threats that Deer face daily. The short version of the theory was that with more mature Deer doing the breeding and the mothering that there would be a higher number of succesful births and a lower infant mortality due to the generally higher experience of the Does. And so far it appears to be working as we see far more sets of twins, and triplets are not an uncommon sight. The Bucks are larger in general and in greater numbers. Maybe its just a regional thing?
We also shoot little Bucks because both the wife and I find smaller antlers more appealing. The forkies where we are from seem to grow some awful goofy sets.

I am all for any kind of restrictions someone wants to put on themselves or private land.

I am against any restrictions the State wants to put on everyone however.I just don't think they should be in the antler growing bussiness.Controling deer numbers through tags should be the limit of there authority. jmho

I hunt 2 states every season. NY & PA. PA has a 3pt one side rule where I hunt & NY 1 spike 3" long for a legal buck. I see way more big bucks in PA which I enjoy but I don't see the point of the govt telling me what is good or right. I choose not to shoot small bucks in NY but my first deer was a small 3pt many years ago. My younger brother has never shot a deer so why can't he shoot a small one to start out? We hunt public land and that spike may be the only deer he sees the entire season. Just my two cents.

The bottom line with point restrictions is to try and increase the number of bucks in a deer herd. Too many bucks being killed before maturity is why hunters don`t see many/any mature bucks.

A healthy deer herd consists of good numbers of  deer from all age groups.

That being said, I have heard a biologist(s) tell a room full of deer hunters that coyotes DO NOT make a big impact on deer numbers. WE ALL KNOW this is NOT TRUE. Declare war on coyotes.
Not just for the sake of your young bucks.