Deer Management

 The big eight-pointer entered the field about a half hour before dark. As it slowly grazed on clover and Timothy, his hide twitched and ears and tail flicked in a vain attempt to ward off the biting flies of late July. I was observing from the air-conditioned comfort of my truck and had one thought repeating in my head: "I have seen this buck before!" 

 The last time I saw him was on a cold November day last shotgun season. That evening he entered this same field with similar timing, just before dark. He entered the field against a backdrop of pure white snow. Quartering away at 75 yards, he presented me with a very reasonable shooting opportunity. As I studied him with my binoculars I summarized his characteristics as follows. An eight-pointer with a 16-inch inside spread. Rather short-tined and average mass. He would field dress around 140 pounds. This was a good 2 1/2-year- old buck with lots of potential. I won a battle with my trigger finger and made the difficult decision to let him pass.

 This year the buck is bigger in every way. His rack is wider taller and heavy. I estimate his dressed weight to exceed 180 pounds. If you are into rack scores, he is around 130 inches. This is a shooter buck almost anywhere. What a difference a year makes!

 Quality deer management and antler restrictions are controversial topics. However they have the potential to impact the average deer hunt more than almost any conservation issue of our time. The wise use of our white-tailed resource is something every hunter should consider before pulling the trigger.

 The basic objectives of deer management techniques, such as antler restrictions, are to have a healthy deer herd with a good buck to doe ratio and a buck population containing a substantial number of mature bucks. For this discussion we will call a buck mature at 2 1/2-years-old. Bucks sporting their first set of horns, such as spikes and fork-horns, are protected while encouraging the taking of does to fill one's freezer.

 Pennsylvania made major changes to their deer management plan in 2002. They increased opportunities for doe hunting and changed their antler restrictions to a minimum of three points on one antler. In a recent article in the Pennsylvania game news by Eric Long, Chris Rosenberry and Bret Wallingford, a detailed account of their winter deer capture is given. The winter before the new regulations were implemented, only 10% of the bucks captured were adults. This past winter, two hunting seasons after the new regulations, 30% of the captured bucks were adults. Check stations are reporting the percentage of hunter killed mature bucks has risen from 15% to 50%! There is no doubt that Pennsylvania's regulations are working.

 In New York State there are no regulations on the books that protect younger bucks. That places the responsibility of determining what type of buck is appropriate to shoot up to the individual hunter. Many hunting clubs, landowners and individuals have developed their own rules to encourage the protection of younger bucks. The criteria that I advocate are six points or better and an antler spread at least to the ear tips. If both of these characteristics are used it should protect 90% of the 1 1/2-year-old deer in your hunting area.  New York gives hunters ample opportunities to obtain doe tags so there is no reason to kill a young buck to fill the freezer and to throw another small rack in your pile of horns. I can see letting a new hunter or a young person shoot any buck they get a good shot at. This is a part of learning and maturing as a hunter. After you have half a dozen or more small bucks under your belt I just don't see the reason to shoot any more. By killing these 1 1/2-year-old bucks you are impacting not only the quality of your present hunt, but also the quality of future hunts for yourself and your neighbors. So the next time you are faced with the opportunity to shoot a young buck please give serious consideration to the choice you make. I hope you choose to let him pass.