Good debate question: Antlerless buck still a buck, or "antlerless"

Guy in another state killed a buck with no antlers ... they already had dropped.

In Alabama, antlers must be broken through the hairline (skin) for a deer to qualify as a buck. If not - if there are antlers, but they're not broken through (like a nubbin yearing) - then it's classified as an antlerless deer and doesn't count toward your buck total.

Right?

Now, the question might be "If you saw the pedicle 'holes' in the deer's head then it should be logical that it's a buck." But by the letter of the regulation, it wouldn't qualify as such and would be one of your antlerless deer for the day.

What say ye?

Ok what if you shoot a ten point only to find out its a doe. Should this count against buck tally ?

If its got balls, its a buck. End of Debate.

Nope, not end of debate according to the regulation.

Don't shoot the first one out or the small ones. Then you don't have to worry about it,

I say if it has no horns it is an antlerless deer... if it has balls it is a buck... there is a three buck limit... you may kill two deer a day (one of which may be an antlered deer)... if a doe has antlers, she will be killed and sent to a taxidermist to be mounted and hung on a wall and LIED about for years to come...but she is a doe.... It's all too confusing. Usually when you get politicians involved in ANYTHING, it has a tendency to get confusing.... I say we get rid of all politicians and cow horn spikes.... Only kill big deer and cull the rest.

It's not confusing.

The regulation says if there is not an antler broken through the hairline then it's an antlerless deer. Period.

It doesn't say chit about does with balls, who says what is a buck, period. Doesn't say anything about "unless it's a doe with a tootie, teaties and antlers, and then it becomes a buck."

I agree.... a deer without antlers is an antlerless deer.

First step is to read the rule:



Second step is to leave it blank and use any loophole you can find to avoid this worthless piece of self-serving bureaucratic legislation.

I know what it says.

What I asked is, if a buck's antlers have fallen off then would it be classified as an antlerless deer?

By that rule, it would be and would not count toward the 3-buck limit.

hair splitting , i would not want to argue it in court .

i never seen this happen here ,

lol and that don't always work

If it doesn't have antlers then it is a unantlered deer. Doe or buck.

An deer with no antlers is an anterless deer, doesn't matter if it has balls or not, doesn't matter if they fell off or forgot to grow. It is anterless

Clem,



Really!! But do you know what it means?

-Does "shall publish" mean "if you want to"?
-Does "salt" mean everything but "white or Trophy Rock"?
-Does "sunset" mean "dark-thirty"?
-Does "semi-annually" mean "three"?
-Does "openly" mean "hidden from public view"?

Rules should be interpreted at least as liberally as the law.

My comment above was in response to those who questioned whether the rule was applicable to an antlered doe or a buck with shed antlers. A conservative interpretation would rule out both. Who knows what a liberal interpretation would mean. That's up to the imagination of the man with the pencil and ticket book I suppose.

Liberal interpretation of our state Constitution and current law is the only reason such a rule exists.

Do you know how to think like a liberal??

Is the pedicle considered part of the antler? If so, it has broken through the skin.

Put it on your record 'til you get him home, then destroy that record and start a new one. Problem solved, no rules broken as long as you interpret the laws and rules liberally.

Just don't put more than 3 on the same record.

Bare ANTLER visible ABOVE natural hairline.

Is antlered.

Anything less is UN-antlered

There really is no need to worry about bucks shedding their antlers during hunting season in Alabama any longer. Let me explain:

Early shedding of antlers has generally been attributed to "stress" in the buck population. Dr. Warren Strickland proposed a rule to address the psychological stress in whitetail bucks in our state. In his remarks at the CAB meeting in 2007 just before he made his motion, Dr. Strickland put it this way:

May, 2007 CAB Meeting


So, you see, thru a liberal interpretation of the law, a rule was adopted to address the psychological health of male deer in our state. You shouldn't see any buck shedding antlers early here.

This topic is moot.

Ah, that's much better. It's like hitting the mute button.

This issue is quit common in the north/ midwest with there late season" antlerless" season. Note they don't have doe seasons its antlerless season, there is a difference. How about this. Illinois defines antlerless as a deer without anglers or a deer having anglers less than three inches long. So to IL a two inch spike is antlerless. In response I would say that a buck who had shed anglers is an antlerless deer even in AL by definition.

This issue is quit common in the north/ midwest with there late season" antlerless" season. Note they don't have doe seasons its antlerless season, there is a difference. How about this. Illinois defines antlerless as a deer without antlers or a deer having antlers less than three inches long. So to IL a two inch spike is antlerless. In response I would say that a buck who had shed antlers is an antlerless deer even in AL by definition.

Yep.

Glad you corrected.. I was about to think that they had fishermen on their head..

There are several states where an antlerless deer is defined as a deer with antlers less than 3 inches long. When the CAB copied other states in their attempts to be popular, they forgot about that one.

if it has no antlers it is considered antlerless whether it has balls or not. If it has antlers it is a buck. Their should be no gray area!!!!!

Not true. If a doe has antlers it is not a buck, and would not fall within the definition of "antlered" in the rule.

The gray area lies in deciding whether some of the remaining antler is visible above the natural hairline. You might see it one way and the game warden might see it another.

To avoid this gray area, put it on your little qdm sheet anyhow. Then, if you don't agree with liberal appointees writing whatever rules they want to regardless of what the law says, destroy the record when you get the deer home or deliver it to a processor: