Check out the spikes on this dude

[Brazman]

Hey folks, maybe we should all walk outside and take a breath of cool, fresh air and calm down. The man posts a pic of a second year spike buck with unusually long spikes, and says that his daughter is already excited about hunting this particular deer. It would be legal to do so, and it's his place, his daughter, and their choice. Can't we be excited that there's one more child in the woods enjoying our great sport?

I for one would definately shoot it if it walked across my clearing, at any point in the next three months. Why? Because I have four tags to fill, one of those is for a spike buck, and I know several folks that would enjoy eating vinison this winter.

And for the record, if I see any scientists walking around my place gonna give me some lip about which spike I shoot, they better be light on their feet. They'll have something to post on their "Scariest moment out messing with people's business in the woods..." thread on their scientist forums...

[froghunter]

looks like a trophy spike to me, choot em!

[TX_Hoghunter]

Just to clarify I am not telling anyone what to shoot or not to shoot. I have let my children shoot spikes before and I might let my grand children shoot them in the future.

I do think discussing the studies could be fun, if everyone involved could be adult about it.

-john

[Peyton]

Since I started the "Let it walk" train, let me explain. I didn't see the second post about it being for his daughter, but I was only making a recommendation. Everyone makes their own decisions in the field.

I was only pointing out the age of the buck and the fact that in poor range conditions, there will be a lot of 1.5yr spikes that wouldn't be a spike in good range conditions. By systematically shooting spikes without considering the habitat, it is possible to wipe out the majority of an age class and reducing the number of bucks down the road. Do what you want on your own place, but don't question why your not seeing mature bucks in a few years. Again, it's just a recommendation.

[Bweger]

I will give a little background on this place. I have been hunting it for the 5 years we have owned it. The places that border us are huge places and don't allow hunting. I have been watching this herd of deer for that time. I know what the studies show and I know spikes can turn into P&Y bucks. I feed year round and have pictures of tons of deer and several of them are his age and all of them have considable more antler growth than he does. His mother is still alive and has raised some nice bucks. We are not going to kill him just to be killing something we are gonna take him out of the herd because at this point in time he is the weakest link in our herds genetics.

[Peyton]

How do you recognize his mother and her offspring?

[whiplash]

Since I started the "Let it walk" train, let me explain. I didn't see the second post about it being for his daughter, but I was only making a recommendation. Everyone makes their own decisions in the field.

I was only pointing out the age of the buck and the fact that in poor range conditions, there will be a lot of 1.5yr spikes that wouldn't be a spike in good range conditions. By systematically shooting spikes without considering the habitat, it is possible to wipe out the majority of an age class and reducing the number of bucks down the road. Do what you want on your own place, but don't question why your not seeing mature bucks in a few years. Again, it's just a recommendation.

I totally agree with Peyton... Let this deer walk a couple of years and pick something else with more age out for your daughter to shoot. If someone shot all their spikes this year, they would be wiping out a whole age class and not have any deer to shoot 3 to 4 years from now. I personally would leave him especially on a year like this one.

[ShaBow]

I will give a little background on this place. I have been hunting it for the 5 years we have owned it. The places that border us are huge places and don't allow hunting. I have been watching this herd of deer for that time. I know what the studies show and I know spikes can turn into P&Y bucks. I feed year round and have pictures of tons of deer and several of them are his age and all of them have considable more antler growth than he does. His mother is still alive and has raised some nice bucks. We are not going to kill him just to be killing something we are gonna take him out of the herd because at this point in time he is the weakest link in our herds genetics.

How old are you saying he is?

[whiplash]

Dont think of those as spikes. Think of them as future main beams that will fill with points that will come with AGE...

[Bweger]

How do you recognize his mother and her offspring?

His mother has a scar on her hindquarter. This doe's offspring hang with her until they are 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years old. I am on that place 3 to 4 days a week and I have thousands of tc pics. I get to watch these deer grow up pretty much on a daily basis.

[bigrack]

Bill Carter of Carter Country out of Humble or old Spring does not kill spikes until they get to 3.5 or 4.5. He says all those young spikes usually become something whether it be a big six or eight point. I wouldn't shoot him, and I hunt East Texas where that would probably not make it past his first sighting with most.

But gosh, I'm not trying to raise big 6 and 8 pts. I don't have enough money to feed that kind. IMO.

[Texas8point]

My longhorn spike from a couple of years back !

[BLAKJAX]

Yep. You never know, he could be a monster at 3.5, seen it happen before.

...let yearlings walk.

[TexMax]

...let yearlings walk.

It's not a yearling. By his description the deer is 2.5