j_beste

I keep hearing people posting about culling spikes. I thought this myth has been proven wrong? On game farms some spikes turn into book deer. The hunter has to make sure the buck is not last years fawn because he may be "culling" his next trophy.

RDHunter

Personaly ... I wouldn't take a shot at a spike , not even a four pointer or a young six .
My theory is "let'em go and let'em grow" , sure it has caused me to eat tag soup some times but thats my personal opinion.

tlutterba

I agree with not shootin a spike. Sometimes spike bucks are truly bigger deer, possibly the rack got damage in the "growing" period. I also think that in order to shoot a trophy buck, you have to sit and let some bucks that are possible shooters go for next years crop.

atlasman

I don't think there is any way to know for sure. I have a spike buck in my yard that is almost 7 years old (that I know of). All he did was get bigger spikes every year until it looked like he was wearing a halo (2 curled main beams about 18 inches long with no points). He would be a vote for a spike is always gonna be a spike. Deer farms have examples of spikes that have sprouted into monsters but that is in a controlled environment and under supplemental feeding so who knows what that means in the wild.

I don't think there is a definite answer either way but if he is 2 1/2 (and especially 3 1/2) and he is still a spike then I would say he won't ever be anything but.

GMMAT

I trust the wildlife biologist...Dr. Kroll. He says we don't know a deer's full antler potential until after his 3rd rack.

By that time.....he may still be a spike.....but a deer that old is also a trophy.

kevin1

Spikes all have one thing in common, they go down great with a nice gravy.

AR Bowhunter

It would have to be something wrong with it before I would take a shot at one. I can say I have never saw a mature spike.

BowHunter46

Cant argue with that!

popeandyoungchaser

There are spikes with good genetics and bad genetics. An example of a deer with good genetics that is still a spike at 1 1/2 years old could have been born from a1 1/2 year old doe (the previous year)that did nothave her first estrous cycle in November(northern). If this were to happen she would then come into estrous inDecember, possibly earlyJanuary. Thus putting the fawns birth back a month maybe two. If this were to happen the fawn may not get thenutrition or the time to produce a quality rack. Another scenario is that the buck-to-doe ratio is way out of wack, this means that there are not enough mature breeder bucks to breed all the estrous does (otheryoung bucks may attempt to breed but are often unsuccessful due to inexpirience). If this happens the does that are not bred will come back into estous something like 28 days later, postponing the fawns birth causing the afore mentioned affects. But in the case that a spike has been a spike for 3 1/2 years that is a deer that most likely needs to be culled.

Hope that helps a bit!

gamehunter1269

the best way that this has been shown was in a 2003 issue of i think north american hunter magazine they had caught by a net a spike and tagged the ear of the deer and then let him go. The spikes were almost 6" long and the next year the deer was captured again and that deer was sporting a main frame 8 point rack with a 12" spread. So it was proven right there.