Once a spike - always a spike?
Contributors to this thread:West Virginia
From: Little Bear
11-Aug-16
What's your opinion on this question?
The reason I'm asking is last year I saw a young deer spike buck with uneven antlers. One side about 4" tall the other about 8".
Yesterday I saw what I think is the same deer or at least the same genetics. One side is about 8" and the other about 12".
I'm pretty sure this is the same deer from last year but I was hoping he'd sport more points this year now that he's a year older.
From: gobbler
11-Aug-16
That has been disproved a thousand times
From: Lone Eagle
11-Aug-16
I don't think they will always be spikes. Just think of people...Some are small when young, but when an adult, they may be big or small depending on their genetic make up.
From: Jim Casto Jr
11-Aug-16
http://www.thrillon.com/kb124/boards/watch-this-spike-buck-turn-into-a-monster-boone-crockett-buck-pics?p=1
From: M.P.
11-Aug-16
It will always be a spike if j.r. has it in bow range at year one.:)
From: hoppies56
11-Aug-16
IF you have a buck with with 12 and eight 8 inch spikes. Chances are it is a 2 1/2 year old and needs to be shot, my guess it is same deer. True it has been proven a spike could grow to be a pope and young buck but this is not going to happen with every spike.
From: gobbler
11-Aug-16
It's been proven that in a wild population "culling" because of a perceived genetic flaw produces 0% statistical genetic improvement to the herd. Even in intensively managed herds on high fence ranches in TX they don't even consider culling until a buck is at least 4.5. It might be the same deer? IDK, but I have 8-12 inch 1.5 yr. old spikes on my place every year.
From: Little Bear
11-Aug-16
Yeah, I suppose it really is up to the genetics in each case. I saw a spike buck in Gilmer Co. last year that would have made a bull elk (spike) jealous. His body size alone told me it was between 3 and 4 years old. So I think it could go either way.
From: Babysaph
12-Aug-16
Lol mp. I can't let em grow long enough to find out. But a 12 inch spike is a trophy spike
From: Babysaph
12-Aug-16
So you mean all these spikes I have been killing could be trophy dee? Imma start having them mounted with a lil inscription under them that says 12 point
From: Babysaph
12-Aug-16
Btw culling is just another word for "I want to kill a deer and I need a good excuse to do it".
From: hoppies56
12-Aug-16
This is good debate, but i dont think comparing the deer herd in Texas to the deer we have here is a fair comparison. IF you have enough land to manage the herd kill the spike, and let all year half old 4 and 6 points walk.just my opinion.
From: gobbler
12-Aug-16
Why not let all 3 walk and shoot a doe. I guarantee they will all be bigger next year if u have enough land to manage the herd. The spike just may end up being the biggest of all 3 after 3-4 years. It will probably not end up being a 150+ buck but even if it reaches 130 by 4.5 years, that's a buck that's going to satisfy 99.5 % of hunters. That's not just my option but has been backed up by multiple research studies. There's so many factors that determine why a spike is a spike. Herd density, quality of habitat, amount of rain, mast conditions the previous year, is the doe mother a yearling with her first fawn. It just can't be blamed on poor genetics. The spikes that show up on your land likely wasn't born on your land, they probably came from a few miles away when their doe mother pushed them away.
From: hoppies56
12-Aug-16
Gobbler, are these research studies done in WV? Sad part is in WV a hunter can kill 3 legal bucks a spike,and 4,6 point.What are the chances of any buck in WV making it to 4.5 years of age? I will shoot a big doe over a 1.2 year old buck any day,However i dont see where shooting a spike deer in WV changes much until we reduce the overall bag limit.
From: gobbler
12-Aug-16
No, they were not done in WV. I admit 100% that with the way WV manages their deer it's a big gamble to let anything walk by, and people don't have too because they have another tag or two in their pocket.
From: Babysaph
12-Aug-16
Well in a perfect world that may be the case. But where I hunt all 3 will be dead lol
From: gobbler
13-Aug-16
I thought u bought some more land and have about 1200 acres??
U ought to be able to hold a few bucks on there. Didn't u get a caretaker too?
From: Babysaph
13-Aug-16
Yea I did. They still kill the deer when I'm not there. But they don't kill all of them.
From: Babysaph
14-Aug-16
The caretaker does help a lot. He is retired and helps me with food plots
From: pawpaw
19-Aug-16
This guy was always a spike. I killed him the next year but he was even bigger. I do not believe the once a spike always a spike theory.
From: sundaynwv
21-Aug-16
Very few spikes killed in wv are older than 1.5 years old. That is according to e wvdnr biological check station reports. They are simply young deer in most cases.
