Friday, September 19, 2008
Real hunters earn their buck
When longer seasons and liberal bag limits failed to get hunters in some counties to kill female deer to curb booming deer populations, wildlife officials took the next step.
Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor's Outdoors column and notebook appears regularly in The Roanoke Times.
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A saying goes that real hunters earn their bucks.
That adage will take on a literal meaning this fall in a number of Virginia counties when deer seasons start in about two weeks.
A new rule in those counties -- including Bedford, Franklin, Patrick and Roanoke -- will require hunters to kill an antlerless deer on private land in those counties before they may take a second buck on private land in one of the counties.
East of the Blue Ridge, a second antlerless deer is required before a third buck can be taken.
The so-called earn-a-buck rule is intended to reduce deer populations in the counties by increasing the kill of female deer. Reducing the number of females is the best way to reign in herd growth.
The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries established the rule after liberal bag limits and long seasons failed to reduce herds to tolerable levels.
The rule will likely force some hunters to change their approach to deer hunting. No longer will they be able to focus their attention on hunting only bucks early in the season while putting off doe hunts until later in the year.
In fact, says Matt Knox, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries biologist who pushed for passage of the rule, the regulation may prompt some hunters to focus first on does even though a they may shoot a buck first.
"I'm not going to put a hunter in the woods and tell him he has to shoot a doe first if there's a chance the biggest buck of his life may walk by," said Knox, who works out of the DGIF's regional office in Forest.
But even though it's not a doe-first rule, it may work out that way, Knox said.
That's because he believes many hunters will shoot the first antlerless deer they can in order to punch their ticket. In eastern counties, some may even shoot a second doe to earn their third buck, just in case.
"It's going to increase the doe kill," Knox said, matter-of-factly.
Roanoke County hunter Jim Forbes said he supports the rule.
"I admit I don't always take enough does, but I will have a new mindset this year," said Forbes, who hunts in Roanoke and Franklin counties. "I personally will try to concentrate on does early in the bow season."
Some hunters worry about the rule's enforceability because hunters are allowed to check in deer by phone or the Internet.
Troy Lamy, who lives near Martinsville and hunts in Patrick County, worries that some hunters who want to kill only bucks may cheat.
"If you're limited on hunting time," Lamy said, "you might just call [a doe] in so you can hunt a second buck."
Knox said he's heard similar concern about hunters calling in so-called phantom does so they can kill a second buck.
"Mandatory check stations would make it a lot cleaner," Knox concedes. "But earn-a-buck is not going to turn deer hunters into violators.
"If you're a violator, yeah, it's made for you."
An offshoot of the program, albeit an unintentional one, is that the it could eventually improve the hunting for mature bucks in the participating counties by reducing pressure on yearling bucks.
"If they see a big buck, they're going to shoot it and they should," Knox said. "But the worst thing you can do is shoot a small four-pointer first."
If the buck of a lifetime is the next deer to walk by, the hunter would be legally required to pass up the deer.
"I call it deer purgatory," Knox said.
Any noticeable improvement in the quality of a county's bucks would likely take several years.
Other than concerns about cheating, the other topic causing the most worry is the complexity of the rule itself.
"It's a valid criticism," Knox said. "On the surface, when you first read it, it can seem very complex."
The DGIF has included a detailed Q&A on the rule on its Web site and in the game laws digest.
Knox also encourages hunters with questions to e-mail him.
"I'm getting lots of calls and e-mails," he said.
The opening of early archery season is barely two weeks away and Knox said he is eager to see how the program works. However it works out, Knox said he is taking full responsibility.
"If you think it's a great idea, I get the credit," he said. "If you think it's idiotic, I'm the idiot."
Q: To which counties does the earn a buck (EAB) rule apply?
A: Bedford, Fairfax, Fauquier, Franklin, Loudoun, Patrick, Prince William, Roanoke.
Q: What qualifies as an antlerless deer?
A: A doe or button buck.
Q: If I shoot a buck first in a non EAB county, can I shoot a buck in an EAB county before shooting an antlerless deer in an EAB county?
A: No. You must shoot an antlerless deer in an EAB county before you may shoot a second antlered buck in any EAB county.
Q: What if I shoot two bucks in a non-EAB county, then go hunting in an EAB county east of the Blue Ridge?
A: You would need to shoot two antlerless deer in an EAB county before you could use your final either-sex “buck tag” in an EAB county.
Q: Does the rule apply to public land?
A: No.
Q: What if I have more questions?
A: Call Matt Knox at (434) 525-7522 or e-mail him.
