Spikes, is it just me.
Contributors to this thread:Pennsylvania
From: hawkeye in PA
01-Nov-15
I am seeing a extraordinary amount of spikes the year. I live in a high pressure hunting area. Hunted Friday and Saturday. Seen seven while in the woods three different areas. Four more while driving between areas and two dead on the road. Doesn't look good for breeding stock.
From: bowkevin
01-Nov-15
I had an 8 pt at 30 yards at 4:30 Friday evening and then right before dark I see another dark deer coming from the bottom and sure enough it was a spike. Didnt see a single deer yesterday
From: bowkevin
01-Nov-15
I had an 8 pt at 30 yards at 4:30 Friday evening and then right before dark I see another dark deer coming from the bottom and sure enough it was a spike. Didnt see a single deer yesterday
From: bowkevin
01-Nov-15
I had an 8 pt at 30 yards at 4:30 Friday evening and then right before dark I see another dark deer coming from the bottom and sure enough it was a spike. Didnt see a single deer yesterday
From: RC
01-Nov-15
Been seeing a spike here too.
From: Brad Gehman
01-Nov-15
The first rack a deer has is not a general predictor of what it will eventually have, nor is it a sign of "bad" genes.
Perhaps the spike was actually born to a barely developed herself, one year old doe, which means it was late born the year before and slightly stunted growth in it's first year.
So many reasons for spikes, but nutrition of both the mother and fawn is one, as well as age of the mother, and birth date.
From: Banjo
01-Nov-15
I've been seeing two spikes, a 3pt and a 4pt. Nothing legal yet and I've only missed four days of the season so far.
From: hawkeye in PA
01-Nov-15
A couple of the spikes have been on really nice deer. One is still in velvet. A few are close ten inches high. The only legal bucks I'm seeing are on the ride to work, mostly close or near town.
From: Treerat
01-Nov-15
Like Brad said just because a buck is a spike does not mean he has bad genetics or that he will pass on bad generics. I get lots of pictures of spikes and 3, 4, 5, 6 point bucks in Ohio just like I do in PA, do you think Ohio has bad genetics? Besides the genetics of the mother are 50% of the genetics her offspring will have, does everyone you know look like their dad? I mean com'on man make sense.
Mike
From: horsethief51
01-Nov-15
Been seeing small rack bucks all season. they could all be 8 and 10 points next year. They are not too bright this year. Hope they hang around. The next 2 weeks will tell. Hang in there.
From: hawkeye in PA
01-Nov-15
I have read and somewhat understand the genetics' thing with spikes. I'm not quite that ignorant. Then on the other hand you'll read about how these big breeder bucks are the cats meow for tomorrow's herd.
Just simply stating I'm seeing double the spikes from last year. And a lot of these spikes will not survive 2B's doe season.
From: Banjo
01-Nov-15
That's the problem where I hunt in 2A Jeff, alot of the smaller bucks won't make it through the gun season. Seen it to many times.
From: meatus
02-Nov-15
Spikes aren't always a spike, that myst sailed a long time ago.
From: hightine
02-Nov-15
Spikes. Saw 4 on Saturday.
From: Jeff Durnell
02-Nov-15
I haven't seen a spike in 10 years or so. But that was right about the time my eyesight took a turn for the worse, so who's to say what I'm missin' out there :^)
From: Brad Gehman
03-Nov-15
What most guys seem to forget is the doe contributes 50% of the genes to her fawns.
Also, pretty much all bucks participate in breeding. Gary Alt was wrong about the biggest and best do all the breeding, imagine that.
In fact, 25% of all twin fawns have DIFFERENT fathers! Those immoral does!!!!!! LOL
Changing the genetics of a wild, uncontrolled herd, is impossible.
From: Bowhunting 5C
04-Nov-15
Gary Alt was right about the number of doe that need breeding and the window they need to be bred in. However, I am not sure he was steadfast on that point. What he was correct on was the sheer number of doe that needed to be killed 25 years before he got after it. The PGC begged hunters to kill more doe, they refused and you get what you got now. low numbers of deer but better quality. However, a spike is not always a spike.
From: Gonzo
06-Nov-15
Just posted on another thread about seeing alot of spikes!
Pat
From: RC
06-Nov-15
Every spike I ever seen was still a spike..
From: hawkeye in PA
07-Nov-15
Seen three more spikes today. Two of them I probably shouldn't be called spikes. One was a old gray face square snout buck with a two point rack. (one point per side, 12+ inches long and curved). The other spike was at least 10 inches wide and flat. Is a two point (one per side) still a spike??
From: horsethief51
08-Nov-15
Is it possible all those spikes are just well fed button bucks? I do not think I have noticed any button bucks this year.
From: hawkeye in PA
08-Nov-15
Maybe the 3 and 4 inch ones, but a lot of them I consider full size deer. I've talked to other hunter's in my area that are seeing the same thing. Doesn't seem like food should have been a problem with all the rain this spring.
