Lets talk Catskills, NY bowhunting: Antler Restriction

[LittleBen]

I'm looking to hear all of your opinions and also experiences with the antler restriction program in place in the Catskills region of NY.

I personally was happy to see it in place, and was even more excited when they expanded it last year or the year before to include some of zone 4.

I haven't yet seen a difference in the bucks i'm seeing, we tend to see mainly does on the land I hunt and maybe once a year a mature buck (usually 8 pointers)

For those not familiar the antler restriction requires 3 points, at least 1" long on one side for a legal buck.

[Sean B]

IVe been hunting Delaware Co for close to 35 years now.  Up until about 10 or 15 years ago, You'd be lucky to see a buck.  I counted 85 deer one day while driving from Andes to Margretteville, and only 1 that I saw was a buck.  If you got a 2 1/2 year old buck, he was old!!  The last few years I've been seeing more and more bucks. And of them, more and more racked bucks.  Not sure why, maybe guys have been letting them pass during gun season, and Spotlighting may be down.  I think that this has come at a perfect time. Its going to take a few years before you really notice the difference.

Zones in Ulster Co have been doing it for a few years now, and you can really see the difference.  Just my observations.

[fmscan]

Wish we had a state wide restriction on antler size. Might hurt for a few years but will make the quality of the hunt so much better after that. Tired of seeing spikes and forkies!

[Knawbone]

I wouldn't mind seeing a state wide restriction. Exempt from the restriction would be those under 18 yrs. and those over 65 yrs. I believe, at least this applies in my area, the state needs to curtail the number of Doe tags issued. Back in the 1990's there were too many deer in the finger lakes region. Now the numbers are way down generally. Still a lot of deer near the cities, but that won't change as long as there's tree hugger's inhabitating them.

[ron w]

State wide....I hope not.........After 41 years I may get a chance and then I can't shoot because the deer is a spike or a fork, that would be very bad for my morale. I will say, as much as I'm opposed to AR state wide, it is the only way it will be 100% successful. There, I said it, just my $.02!!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I have seen the benefit of AR in the Mid Hudson areas and have been hearing of better deer seen in some of the Catskills. I am all for it as long as they implement things to improve the overall quality of the herd also.

[widow sax]

Pa put a antler restriction into affect many years ago but juniors are still allowed to shoot them. I am strongly opposed to this I watch a small buck which is a trophy to me go buy down to a junior and he shoots it so he got the enjoyment but I am not allowed. I think if you are going to have restrictions they should be for everyone. As far as it improving the bucks it has some on private ground but on public not so much just a little. I would like to go back to the old ways I pay my money I should be able to make the choice I am not a trophy hunter any deer with my bow is a trophy to me I would rather shoot a spike every year rather then a 18 inch buck once every 10 to 15 years. I have not seen any monster bucks yet and it is not for lack of trying I spent 35 or more days hunting deer last year and got a doe and saw 2 six points 3 four points and 2 spikes and did not count the does about 15 or so. I do not think that is good for that many days hunting.      Widow

[Wapiti Chaser]

NY could improve the quality of bucks by changing the limit to one buck . With that being said we can choose what buck we harvest. I choose to take eight point or better some don't.

[Stone Knife]

I want to shoot what I choose and so should everyone. I don't feel it's up to the state or anyone else to tell another hunter what to take. Some years I want to hold out for a bigger buck but other times I take what the Lord gives me at that point in time. I'm fed up with all the rules all I want to do is hunt, I have my own land pay taxes on it so I want to take what I want.

[ron w]

I'm glad I'm not alone.........          Thanks, Wapiti and Stone!

[J.Williams]

I live and hunt in the pilot AR area and can understand folks not liking being told what they can take but I have seen some benefits to it.A lot of guys who were opposed to it in the beginning,for the same reasons some of you guys are, have changed their opinion of it now that they're taking better bucks.I was in in favor of it from the start and have taken my 2 best bucks ever since AR's began and,since AR's are a form of QDM,it insures more mature bucks are doing some of the breeding which is good for the herd.And it might just be me,but I swear I just see more bucks in general now.

[Izzy]

Im happy with meat in the freezer more than antlers on the wall these day. A doe makes my my season. Still love big racks but am happy without.

[Bob Macioch]

Sorry I don't need the state to tell me what to shoot . If you want to start improving the herd limit it to 1 buck per year.

[Izzy]

Big bucks live wherever small bucks live. Ill bet that there is at least one 120" buck living within a mile or two of most every NY resident, at the most 10 miles. If you gotta have one put in more time and do more hunting homework, you'll get on them.

[Knawbone]

The state is listening to what their resident hunters want. They haven't started a statewide restr. because most hunters don't want one. I understand that everyone should be able to harvest what THEY choose. On the other hand I would like to be able to hunt bucks with something besides peach fuzz. The only way to promote that is to let them grow and some will spread their genes. I'm proud of every deer I harvest, and a trophy is in no way determined by rack size. It sure even makes it just that much more special when you do kill one with a decent rack of 6 or 8 or 10 pts. I'd just like to be able to do that a little more often.  But here again, what I want or would like to see, is only relevant to the deer situation where I live and hunt.

[Stone Knife]

Originally posted by Izzy:
Big bucks live wherever small bucks live. Ill bet that there is at least one 120" buck living within a mile or two of most every NY resident, at the most 10 miles. If you gotta have one put in more time and do more hunting homework, you'll get on them.

Exactly right Izzy, but the problem lies in the fact that most people would rather it be easier to shoot a large buck rather than put in time that way they can pound their chest more often at everyone's  expense.  I think too much of the hunting shows on tv have polluted the sport of hunting. Some years a person is fortunate to get one good shot at a deer why should they be deprived of a chance to fill the freezer? Some will say well just shoot a doe but what if your only chance is at a small buck. This whole discussion ticks me off because how are the bucks better managed for genetics if you can shoot a 1.5 year old buck that my be an 8 point yet you pass on a spike? if it were done properly it would be age not points. I say that a person should manage their own land for what they want or manage public land, but stay out of the private land owners business.

[adkmountainken]

i take whatever i have a tag for and in my area i am FORTUNATE to SEE a buck most of the season....

[L82HUNT]

In a lot of missouri they have to have at least 4 pts on one side.  We have had this law for 8 years or so and I can say with 100% that it has helped.    We have larger bucks for sure. Kids in the youth season still can shoot what they want which I agree with.   If you want to shoot a deer there are more does anyway.   I realize people don't like to be told what they can and can't shoot    But a lot of laws are put in effect to help.  
  But from the way you guys are talking you don't see a lot of deer so I guess I could see the point of that.  If you on ly have one shot at a deer all year and can't shoot it.

[Biggamefish]

I agree with Izzy and I have pics to prove it.    
 
What I don't understand is if all these people are for antler restrictions why do we have to have a law for it?  They should just pick and choose and you will have the same thing but won't be limiting that guy who only saw a spike and needed the meat for his table.
  We don't like people telling us what kinda car we have to drive or what kinda food we have to eat so we shouldn't be told what we can or can't shoot.  JMO
  I also agree with stone knife people want things handed to them instead of working hard and putting the time in.  People are just getting more and more lazy.

[modr]

Here in New Jersey we have some zones with AR, and I have seen improvement in the deer. That being said, I agree with Stone Knife and Izzy, it should be your choice what you shoot..As Izzy said I've seen 120/130 class bucks on public land without AR, if you want big bucks, hunt hard you'll find them