When to shoot a spike?

[Split Arrow]

To each his own. I personally don't like spikes, but now in a 1 buck county, they will get a pass.

You'll probably start seeing more bucks in each age class in a few years, also. Coincidence? I think not.

[Delirious]

I have a 1.5 year old spike this year. I've already named him hamburger.

[BIG D]

I have never killed a spike.

[Muygrande]

I don't shoot yearling spikes. A large percentage of yearling bucks in low fence country are spikes, and then they start sprouting points the next year. If you kill all of them, you will have very few mature bucks. If a buck is 2 years old or more and is still a spike, then wack that sucka. But leave the babies alone. Very few of them will be spikes again next year.

I agree with Shane. This is a battle we fight every year on my lease. I think I convinced some people last year because with the drought we saw a LOT of spikes. The genetics don't change in a drought year. That being said, if you have plenty of nutrition and too many mature bucks then shoot away. Most low fence places will never have a problem with too many mature bucks. I don't believe in shooting a spike deer unless they are clearly 2 years old or older.

[rtp]

I have a $100 bill on the table at my ranch. It sits there waiting on somebody to bring in a spike older than 1.5. I got tired of everyone asking me about shooting spikes and what about all the old ones when I would say no. So I made the offer and it has been sitting there for 7 years. Im sure they exist but they are so far out on the bell curve it is ridiculous that they enjoy this much discussion. Reminds me of all the talking heads and Tim Tebow. If you are going to shoot 1.5 yr old spikes because they are not as good as the branched antlered 1.5 yr olds, which is a yearling btw, then shoot the ones with the smallest antlers not the largest. Using your logic this would make the most sense. But no, everyone wants to shoot the spike with the longest antlers, you know, the old cow horned spike. Cracks me up. We have people "trophy hunting" the spike class. Everyone wants to kill the biggest cull, the biggest management buck, etc. If you are doing true culling in hopes of altering the genetics of a given deer herd, then you should be shooting nothing but them most inferior animals in each age class each year and leaving the top end alone. I think most take the exact opposite approach. They "trophy hunt" each class of buck. Carry on....

[Shane]

^Exactly.

The big buck contests perpetuate this too with categories for longest spike, biggest 6pt, etc... The cull categories should give a prize to the smallest mature deer in each class, not the biggest. The "best" culls are the ones with the crappiest antlers, not the ones that are bordering on trophy status.

[Split Arrow]

I have a $100 bill on the table at my ranch. It sits there waiting on somebody to bring in a spike older than 1.5. I got tired of everyone asking me about shooting spikes and what about all the old ones when I would say no. So I made the offer and it has been sitting there for 7 years. Im sure they exist but they are so far out on the bell curve it is ridiculous that they enjoy this much discussion. Reminds me of all the talking heads and Tim Tebow. If you are going to shoot 1.5 yr old spikes because they are not as good as the branched antlered 1.5 yr olds, which is a yearling btw, then shoot the ones with the smallest antlers not the largest. Using your logic this would make the most sense. But no, everyone wants to shoot the spike with the longest antlers, you know, the old cow horned spike. Cracks me up. We have people "trophy hunting" the spike class. Everyone wants to kill the biggest cull, the biggest management buck, etc. If you are doing true culling in hopes of altering the genetics of a given deer herd, then you should be shooting nothing but them most inferior animals in each age class each year and leaving the top end alone. I think most take the exact opposite approach. They "trophy hunt" each class of buck. Carry on....

[big_smith]

I know they exist. Someone posted a pic of one either in the management section or campfire. Looked like a past mature buck that probably has no teeth. Antlers looked like boat oars. That is a buck that should be taken, not because of genetics, but because he is not going to improve, and is eating feed that another buck could be eating. I will mention again that bucks with a spike on one side or a deformed antler on one side are caused by injury and not by genetics in most cases.

[rtp]

I know they exist. Someone posted a pic of one either in the management section or campfire. Looked like a past mature buck that probably has no teeth. Antlers looked like boat oars. That is a buck that should be taken, not because of genetics, but because he is not going to improve, and is eating feed that another buck could be eating. I will mention again that bucks with a spike on one side or a deformed antler on one side are caused by injury and not by genetics in most cases.

I know they exist as well. But they are a fraction of a percentage of the deer herd. Not even worthy of consideration in a management plan.

[wickll]

I have a friend who is a very well respected deer biologist. His knowledge is based on years of research and experience. He is ok with shooting spikes if that is what you want to do. But if you want to do it thinking that you are improving the "genetic pool", you need to have the following things in order:
1. proper buck/doe ratio
2. proper deer density (or population)
3. good age structure within your heard
4. adequate nutrition
5. control of your deer harvest
Also, if you have two spikes to shoot , he would recommend shooting the one with the smaller horns, unless you absolutely were sure that the "longhorn spike" was truly an older deer. I asked him once, how many longhorn spikes he has seen in his lifetime (he has seen lots of deer). I seem to remember him saying one or two. They are truly rare. Just this morning I talked with someone who says they saw one and hope to kill it. I asked him to pull the jawbone, and I would like to get it aged. They do exist, but not as much as most hunters believe.

[tx07]

If you want some meat, go ahead and take one. I just let a young doe walk this morning. I have not gotten any harvest this year so far. Still early tho

[rtp]

I have a friend who is a very well respected deer biologist. His knowledge is based on years of research and experience. He is ok with shooting spikes if that is what you want to do. But if you want to do it thinking that you are improving the "genetic pool", you need to have the following things in order:
1. proper buck/doe ratio
2. proper deer density (or population)
3. good age structure within your heard
4. adequate nutrition
5. control of your deer harvest
Also, if you have two spikes to shoot , he would recommend shooting the one with the smaller horns, unless you absolutely were sure that the "longhorn spike" was truly an older deer. I asked him once, how many longhorn spikes he has seen in his lifetime (he has seen lots of deer). I seem to remember him saying one or two. They are truly rare. Just this morning I talked with someone who says they saw one and hope to kill it. I asked him to pull the jawbone, and I would like to get it aged. They do exist, but not as much as most hunters believe.

I think you just summarized everything I have been saying in this thread and over in the Management section. It is crazy the positive impact some people think they have with firing a bullet or arrow.

[tbgascorer]

I have studied, managed, observed, scored, and aged thousands of deer in my lifetime. I have only once seen a spike older than 1.5 and he was on an intensively managed HF ranch. Like I've heard before, not all yearlings are spikes, but most spikes are yearlings.

[Shortbow]

THE SPIKE WARS: Part 4: The Final Battle?
By Dr. James C. Kroll


The Austin Ambush Last issue, Ben Koerth and I presented the results of our landmark study on antler development in whitetails under free-range conditions landmark in that it took over a dozen years and a million-plus dollars to conduct. So far, we have captured 6,648 bucks, representing 3,985 unique animals. Our study concluded there was no relationship between a buck’s first set of antlers and the one he produces as a mature buck. Parts 1&2 of this series presented works by Texas Parks & Wildlife at the Kerr area, and Mississippi State University (Dr. Harry Jacobson) at their research facilities. One (Texas) concluded
spike yearlings were “vermin” needing total removal; the other (Mississippi) that spike yearlings would grow into equally good bucks. We also pointed out other studies conducted in Alabama, Louisiana and Texas tended to substantiate the Mississippi results. In fact, no study to date has replicated the Kerr results; and, science is founded on replication of results.

http://www.drdeer.com/articles2.html

[lodgepole]

Wow. I did not know I was hitting such a sore subject.