Within the last two decades, many hunters and hunting groups have imposed antler restrictions upon themselves, and some state wildlife agencies have mandated antler restrictions in one form or another. Whether you agree or disagree with this approach, I would argue that most hunters will eventually want and demand some kind of antler restrictions simply to enjoy better deer hunting.

This is a guide the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department used to educate hunters on identifying legal and illegal bucks.

Granted, many hunters, especially those new to the game, are happy shooting young bucks, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, many hunters these days want more out of their hunting experience, and as a deer biologist, I have learned this simple fact: Dead deer don't grow! In short, antler restrictions are the key to taking bigger bucks and opening up a truly incredible hunting experience.

The Plan
Wildlife biologist Bob Carroll from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) knew it would be an uphill battle in trying to convince the majority of hunters and landowners on all the benefits of antler-restriction rules during a three-year experimental study for six counties in the Post Oak Savannah region of Texas.

Carroll and his fellow biologists met this challenge with hard work, countless seminars, and numerous Wildlife Management Association meetings. Their goals were relatively simple -- increase the age structure of bucks without reducing hunter opportunity, and encourage landowners and hunters to become more involved in habitat management.

The first step in achieving these goals was to ask, "What bucks should be protected, and what criteria should be used to determine the size of legal bucks?" Data collected at check stations over the years suggested that a 13-inch inside antler spread restriction would protect about 25 percent of 3½-year-old bucks, 80 percent of 2½-year-old bucks, and all yearling bucks.

The next challenge was to get hunters and landowners on board. To help in doing that, Carroll and his biologists cited Dooley County, Georgia, as an example. The first to implement an antler restriction on a county-wide basis, Dooley County adopted a 15-inch outside spread antler restriction, a move that dramatically improved hunting. The regulation still exists today.

However, Dooley County did learn one lesson -- it needed to loosen the antler restriction for junior hunters. Recognizing this, Carroll pushed for regulations that, in addition to the 13-inch minimum inside antler spread, allowed the taking of bucks with at least one spike antler. After considerable debate, a legal buck was defined as one with: 1) at least a 13-inch inside spread (in that part of Texas, that's roughly the distance between a buck's ear tips in the alert position); 2) at least one spike antler; 3) six or more points on one antler. In the end, hunters and landowners passed the proposed plan with a 70-percent acceptance level.

The Results
As Carroll and his biologists predicted, within one year, the total number of bucks harvested was the same as it was prior to antler restrictions.

Interestingly, after three years, the total number of spike bucks harvested dropped from roughly 42 percent to 19 percent. Since the original six counties in the study had one-buck limits, it was believed hunters were passing on spikes in hopes of taking mature bucks. The previous 10 years of antler data in these six counties showed that 1½ and 2½-year-old bucks comprised 80 percent of the buck harvest. After three years of the new rules, only 29 percent of bucks harvested were younger than 3½ years.