Bigger Bucks?

[imhntn]

Do you guys think the two buck limit is helping the size of bucks that are killed? I seem to be seeing more bigger bucks the last couple years and I am letting little ones walk because I don't want to burn a tag on a small buck and have to let a big one walk later. I was just wondering if you all are thinking that way and think the limit is helping buck size state wide.

 

[logo10]

i agree, i've seen alot of smaller bucks, but alot more bigger deer. I'd rather not waste a tag on a smaller buck.

 

[Hog Shooter]

I think alot of people are letting the little guys walk, and I think that helps most of all. I hunt in an area where we only shoot if the have 4 on at least one side, or they are nasty racks. In the early eighties we have an average weight of 90lbs now this same area is producing an average 114lbs with the large bucks going into the mid 140lb. The racks are getting better too with the best score so far being 158 inches. This is very good for the Ramona Ok. area.

 

[dennishoddy]

The Governor of Pa almost got lynched by a mob when he signed a bill 5 years ago making it a 1 buck limit with antler restrictions. He lost the next election.
If you think deer hunting is popular in Ok, you should get around Pa.. More deer are road killed in Pa than are taken by deer hunters in Okla.
Prior to the Governor signing the bill, a fork horn was a pretty much what everybody harvested. A basket racked 8 point would make the TV news.
Now, they are getting bucks in the 120 class, and the opinions and attitudes of the hunting community has changed. Now there is widespread support of the antler restrictions. I remember when they changed Okla's regulations. The uproar was tremendous, and the wildlife dept caught hell for doing it, but the attitudes here are changing as well, as bigger bucks are coming on the scene.

 

[30BulletHoles]

Some of the bigger bucks harvested is probably due to the fact that a lot more hunters have to pay for a lease, in order to hunt. If you have to pay for it then you're more likely to shoot quality deer, rather than just going out and shooting a dink to fill a tag.

 

[deernducks42]

Yes the two buck limit is starting to show a little bit of promise as far as the quality of our deer herds and the size of the bucks we are seeing. If we really want to see the bucks that dreams are made of then we have to convince Oklahoma hunters that we need to go to a one buck limit like the big boy states have eg. Kansas, Iowa, Illinois etc. Ive got game pictures of a 180 inch deer here recently and I have never seen an animal even remotely this big before so it looks like we have our management practices in this state pointed in the right direction.

 

[30BulletHoles]

Yes the two buck limit is starting to show a little bit of promise as far as the quality of our deer herds and the size of the bucks we are seeing. If we really want to see the bucks that dreams are made of then we have to convince Oklahoma hunters that we need to go to a one buck limit like the big boy states have eg. Kansas, Iowa, Illinois etc. Ive got game pictures of a 180 inch deer here recently and I have never seen an animal even remotely this big before so it looks like we have our management practices in this state pointed in the right direction.

I totally disagree. We have bow, black powder, and rifle seasons and one should be able to shoot two bucks within three means of taking.

 

[deernducks42]

Yea well everybody is entitled to their own opinions but coming from a management standpoint Oklahoma is far behind the times with our bag limits for bucks but even more in the sense of when we have our firearms seasons. We should model our seasons exactly as Kansas has done. An early and late muzzleloader with a late rifle season, and cut out this business of having our rifle season in the midst of the rut and let our mature bucks have a better chance to pass around their genes

 

[30BulletHoles]

Recent studys by the Department of Wildlife show that 2 to 3 year old bucks will breed more does than older bucks. I completely respect your opinion but there are plenty of mature deer in Oklahoma to shoot. This state isn't a trophy managment ranch and the Wildlife Department wants to sell tags rather than have people go out of state to kill that second buck.

 

[Shadowrider]

Yea well everybody is entitled to their own opinions but coming from a management standpoint Oklahoma is far behind the times with our bag limits for bucks but even more in the sense of when we have our firearms seasons. We should model our seasons exactly as Kansas has done. An early and late muzzleloader with a late rifle season, and cut out this business of having our rifle season in the midst of the rut and let our mature bucks have a better chance to pass around their genes

I would have to agree with this. I think we need a one buck limit with antler restrictions along with an expansion of the doe limit. And an option to take a buck with an obvious genetic flaw (bad rack) or injury such as the one in the other thread with the messed up mouth could be used in place of a doe. We need to be taking more does and culling the inferior bucks.