DEER HUNTING -- Why did the buck cross the road?

In Northeastern Washington, it might be for a little safety afforded by the new four-point minimum buck rule.

After many hours of hunting, Elizabeth Odell -- a few days shy of her 14th birthday --  got her four-point buck in Unit 117 last weekend (top photo), maintaining her goal of bagging at least one turkey and one deer since she was 9 (photo at left). Odell is from Spokane hunts with her father, Jim, and grandpa, Dick.

This buck, shot in Stevens County, would have been legal in any northeast unit that's open for the late whitetail buck hunt through Nov. 19.

However, bucks with fewer than four points on at least one antler are not legal for hunting this year in Units 117 and 121.

Just east of Highway 20 in Pend Oreille County, any whitetail buck is legal.