I'm getting in this conversation a little late, so let me paste in a document that I have prepared for situations like this. I emphasize the part about the compromise. To me, this is one of the key points that we need to understand. We are all hunters and we have the anti-hunters looking at us and loving the fact that we are fighting amongst each other. They see this as an opportunity to drive us apart. Let's not let them dammit! Let's meet in the middle and get along for cripes sake!
What are Antler Point Restrictions?
An Antler Point Restriction (APR) is a restriction (either mandated or voluntary) that says that a buck needs to have a certain number of points to harvest. Typically, this restriction is a minimum number of points on one side of a buck’s antlers. The APR is one method in which one of the cornerstones of Quality Deer Management can be achieved. This cornerstone is the protection of yearling bucks. While a voluntary program may focus more of it’s restriction on restricting the harvest of bucks to a minimum age (e.g. 3 years old or better), an APR that is mandated by a regulation is typically aimed at protecting 50 – 75% of yearling bucks. This is done in order to not be too restrictive and not allow the harvest of 2 ½ year old bucks. Currently 23 states, including Minnesota, now have some form of APR in some portion of their state. The APR in SE Minnesota is currently set by the DNR at a minimum of 4 points on one side.
What will APR achieve?
APR has both short and long term effects. The short-term effect (2 years or less) results in a much higher number of 2 ½ year old bucks in the herd. The first year, very few bucks will be taken and it will seem like a negative thing to some. The second year, you will immediately see a big spike in the number of 2 year old bucks. This 2 year old buck is a very nice buck, and to many, this is a bigger deer than they have ever shot. This means that there will be some immediate gratification to those who are quite happy shooting a 2 year old buck. In the second year, you should see some of those 2 year olds make it to one more year and at the age of 3, you start getting into that classification of a buck that is nearing maturity and sports a pretty nice rack. It is the long-term effect what has most people excited. In the third year and beyond, some of those younger bucks that were passed as yearlings start to make it through to 4 years old and beyond. This can make for an exciting hunt, as outlined in the Biology Behind APR article. Again, for those perfectly happy with shooting a 2 year old buck can do so and with this restriction, there will certainly be an ample amount of bucks in the population to shoot.
So it does take a little sacrifice the first year or two, but after that, even those not interested in the rack will really not see a decline in opportunities. In fact, this is what most people believe the voluntary part of APR comes in. Now, if you want to, you may further pass on these 2 year old bucks. This is a nice compromise and is described below.
What are the criticisms of APR?
APR often gets criticized for being a trophy regulation and while it certainly can produce big bucks and many of it’s biggest supporters are hunters who seek a large antlered buck, APR by itself is most definitely not a trophy regulation. In fact, if all everyone ever did was shoot every legal buck they saw, all APR would achieve is the harvest of a bunch of 2 year old bucks scoring around something like 70 – 100. This is far from what most would consider a trophy. What APR does, is allows anyone who wants to pass on the smaller bucks and manage for larger deer, to “jump start” their program. Simply protecting yearling bucks allows them to see deer regularly get to 3+ years of age so long as they don’t shoot them when they are 2 years old. Again, if you have no interest in managing for larger buck, then by all means, go ahead and shoot the 2 year old. You will have plenty of opportunities over the long term as APR has a chance to work. Heck, you may even get lucky and stumble across one of those deer that many of your neighbors may have “managed” to the age of 4+.
One other criticisms about APR is that by harvesting only the largest yearling bucks, you are killing the best genetics. Truth is, this simply is not the case. While the theory is understandable, there is evidence provided by some studies that indicates yearlings with spikes and forks actually have more potential as far as rack size as they mature than their larger yearling counterparts. While there is not conclusive evidence on this, the simple take away here is that we should never judge a buck by its first rack.
Why should you be told what to shoot?
Another criticism of APR is that the opponents say that they don’t feel they should be restricted by someone else as to what they harvest. They don’t want anyone to tell them what to shoot. Try to take a look at it from the other point of view. From the standpoint of the APR supporters, they might say the opposite. They may say that someone who shoots every buck that walks by is actually dictating what they can shoot. By shooting yearling bucks, those wanting to see bigger bucks can never shoot the deer they want. In fact, if they had it their way, a regulation that limits people to shoot bucks under the age of 4 or a certain antler score would be implemented. If everyone thought like these latter individuals, we could certainly make the restriction this strict, however, it is obvious that this is not fair and instead, we find a compromise. This is one of the first things we learn as children. That is to find a solution somewhere in the middle that we can all stand to live with. No, it’s not easy at first for those against APR to pass on most yearling bucks. No, those for APR will probably not shoot a 2 year old or big yearling. But……this APR regulation is something we can hopefully learn to agree on and it is some sort of compromise where we meet in the middle.
In the end, everyone WILL shoot a bigger buck whether it is a 2 year old basket rack 8 pointer, or a 5 year old giant. Nobody can say they don’t enjoy shooting a big racked buck. It’s what drives many to go deer hunting and even if you are a “meat hunter”, you probably at some point, dreamed about the one day you shot the “big one”. So often, hunting for horns gets criticized. It is OK to go out there looking for a big rack! Many people talk about it like it is a bad thing. Sure there are some instances where trophy hunting has been associated with unethical behavior, however this is an instance where it is an exception and not the rule. There are plenty of individuals that who shoot every small buck they see and exhibit unethical (and illegal) behavior as well. Nobody should ever have to apologize for wanting a big racked buck. Those wanting a bigger buck likely respect deer and the outdoors as much as the next. In fact, they are typically the ones most passionate about the sport they love and see being in the outdoors as a very rewarding experience whether or not they ever even tag a deer. So whose to say who is right. We all have a right to be outdoors and make our minds up about why we are there. This compromise allows everyone to win.
What will APR do to deer populations over time?
Generally, APR will put more pressure on antlerless deer, however, not likely as much as in the intensive harvest zones that have been in place in years past. What you will likely see is a more stable population over time without some of the big fluctuations from year to year. You will see a more balance buck to doe ratio and a more balanced buck age structure.
Is APR supported by hunters?
Through numerous surveys, the DNR has determined that well over 50% of all hunters in Minnesota (the exact amount varies by region) favor a regulation that allows for more mature bucks. In fact, the last survey in SE Minnesota showed less than 30% opposition to a regulation that favors mature bucks. When deciding which regulation to choose in order to accomplish this, the hunters had a hard time making a choice, however, APR received the most support, especially among those who wanted to see more mature bucks. We have learned through the experience in other states and our experience in our state parks, that acceptance increases over time once hunters have had a chance to see it in action. Some people need to simply see something before they believe and this certainly seems to be the case with APR. In this case, the results speak for themselves, however, it is likely that those on the fence start to understand how easy it is to make this decision in the field. If we can learn to identify ducks and pheasants as they fly, we can learn to understand which bucks are legal. It actually becomes instinctive and a bonus, it actually leads to a safer hunt because we need to be more sure of our target.
As you can see, APR is a good idea. It is supported by a majority of Minnesota hunters, and it has proven to be quite successful in other states. Please read the other document about the Biology of APR for more information on why Minnesota needs APR. You will see that Minnesota is simply way behind the other states in the management of its deer. We have been doing essentially the same thing for over 30 years and it’s time for a change.
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Topic: Switiching sides on APR (Read 59162 times)
