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A little help with the definition of a buck

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  • thescoutranch

    TN Transplant - We love living in TX
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Mar 5, 2020
    2,009
    96
    Georgetown
    Maybe I’m being a little dense but I’m having trouble understanding what Texas defines as a legal buck.

    From: https://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/land/wildlife_management/deer/antler_restrictions/

    • A legal buck deer is defined as having a hardened antler protruding through the skin AND:
      • At least one unbranched antler; OR
      • An inside spread measurement between main beams of 13 inches or greater; OR
      • Six points or more on one antler.

    What is a unbranched antler? That sounds like a spike buck to me.

    The rules that I was used to in Tennessee were very simple (but those days are in my past), the last thing I want to do is make mistake hunting in Texas. Lol

    I’ve read some of that Texas wants to keep the middle aged box at a healthy population, so I’m assuming this lets you harvest young bucks and old bucks?

    I have no interest in trophy deer, just the meat, but I will not pass on a legal buck.

    Any help from you experienced hunters would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks
    Epp
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    leVieux

    TSRA/NRA Life Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Maybe I’m being a little dense but I’m having trouble understanding what Texas defines as a legal buck.

    From: https://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/land/wildlife_management/deer/antler_restrictions/

    • A legal buck deer is defined as having a hardened antler protruding through the skin AND:
      • At least one unbranched antler; OR
      • An inside spread measurement between main beams of 13 inches or greater; OR
      • Six points or more on one antler.

    What is a unbranched antler? That sounds like a spike buck to me.

    The rules that I was used to in Tennessee were very simple (but those days are in my past), the last thing I want to do is make mistake hunting in Texas. Lol

    I’ve read some of that Texas wants to keep the middle aged box at a healthy population, so I’m assuming this lets you harvest young bucks and old bucks?

    I have no interest in trophy deer, just the meat, but I will not pass on a legal buck.

    Any help from you experienced hunters would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks
    Epp
    The feral hogs are much better eating !
     

    thescoutranch

    TN Transplant - We love living in TX
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Mar 5, 2020
    2,009
    96
    Georgetown
    Try just to your West, around Burnet & surrounding “Hill Country” towns.
    Most leases are out of my price range, and unfortunately I don’t know anybody out that direction with property to hunt on.

    I am very fortunate that a friend of my brothers let’s me harvest deer on his property down in Victoria.
     

    Eastexasrick

    Isn't it pretty to think so.
    Lifetime Member
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Jul 2, 2022
    3,501
    96
    Naples TX.
    Spike is anything with an unbranched antler. Buck is any male deer with antlers.

    Antler width restrictions vary by county.
    They are not using the Spike as a term in the regs, that would make too much sense, it Buck or Antlerless. Below right from TPWD

    Definition of Buck Deer​

    A deer with an antler point protruding through the skin, or with antler growth in velvet greater than one inch. For tagging purposes, all other deer are antlerless deer, regardless of sex.

    Buck Deer

    • Determining Inside Spread​

      To determine if a buck has an inside spread measurement of at least 13 inches, look at the distance from ear-tip to ear-tip on a buck with ears in the "alert" position.
      legal buck deer has at least one unbranched antler or minimum inside spread of 13 inches
     
    Last edited:

    Hoji

    Bowling-Pin Commando
    Rating - 100%
    36   0   0
    May 28, 2008
    17,700
    96
    Mustang Ridge
    Boy, Girl you can shoot several girls depending on county. Don't worry about the cull crap just shoot the one you want as long as it's legal. They are pretty strict with the 13" deal for some stupid reason.
    That 13” rule is retarded. That rule would have let this deer die of old age and spread his defectiveness all through the gene pool. Thankfully he was not in an antler restriction County.
    882BE1F8-70B2-4DFE-B476-4614C0C9A4CD.jpeg
     
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