Huntlease Blog Three-Point Rule: A Path to Better Deer

Over 20 states have mandatory antler restrictions of some form or another with nearly half having instituting their rules statewide. One specific implementation is the Three-point rule, a common topic of conversation among Arkansas hunters. First adopted by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in 1998, the regulation says hunters can't kill a buck deer unless it has three or more points on one side of its antlers. Other states have variations of three and four-point rules often in restricted areas throughout each state. Not all hunters agree on the topic, however indications are that the three-point rule is finding favor with many Arkansas hunters once they understand what the rule means and how it works. First the regulation creates a protected slot limit for young bucks. You can't kill a spike or a forkhom (two points on one side) buck. At no time can you kill one of these. They don't fall into the category of antlerless deer, which includes does as well as button bucks, ones with fewer than 2 inches of antler showing. They don't fall into the category of legal bucks, so you can't kill a spike or forkhorn, period. Every hunter dreams of a trophy buck more so than a doe so it is no surprise that the buck-doe ratio in some areas can get far out of balance without any harvest management being adopted. The three-point rule aims to restore that balance with the goal of achieving better deer overall. Three-point deer hunting rules have two thrusts. First, to let the young bucks grow up and get bigger, and second, take more does out of the herd by forcing hunters that want meat to either tag a big guy or a doe. Does are usually moe common hence more does get taken for that purpose. Many hunters believe that taking does is a better management tool than restricting bucks. In fact, many wildlife bioligists feel even more urgency on their part for killing more does, rather than in protecting young bucks. So, will the three-point rule give hunters more trophy bucks all over the state? No, it won't according to most biologists. What the three-point rule will do, biologists tell us, is make more decent bucks, meaning six-pointers and eight-pointers (counting points on both sides). It won't necessarily mean big-racked six and eight-pointers but the odds are increased. Harvest data shows the rule has accomplished its goal to some degree. Deer herd management tools such as the three-point rule are used to keep the buck-doe ratio somewhat balanced which is essential to better deer. Case histories from deer clubs which have used three-point or even four-point minimum rules for some years show it works. It doesn't necessarily give them more deer, but it gives them better deer. Most of these clubs with a three-point rule do kill more does. To illustrate the effectiveness of the three-point rule, lets take a closer look. Assume we have an area that will support 100 deer, and we are at that level with a balanced buck-doe ratio. We have 50 bucks and 50 does. During deer season club members kill 20 of the bucks and don't shoot any of the does. Since the habitat will only support 100 deer, we will successfully produce only 20 fawns in the spring to replace the bucks killed. But of those 20 fawns, 10 will be bucks and 10 will be does. Therefore, after one year our deer population went from 50 bucks and 50 does to 40 bucks and 60 does. If we follow this same pattern for five years, we will have 17 bucks and 83 does. Hunters should to strive to hunt both sexes equally, Therefore, we need to both reduce the pressure on bucks while increasing pressure on does.The three-point rule is one path to get there. So is the increased hunting of does. Combine them, and hunters should start seeing an improved deer herd in just a couple of seasons. Resources: Arkansas Deer Hunting Regulations:http://www.agfc.com/hunting/pages/huntingregulationsdeer.aspx QDMA Map of Antler Restrictions Across North America:http://www.qdma.com/articles/qdmas-position-on-mandatory-antler-restrictions