Spikes? Who has a ton of them this year?

[JBJTX81]

Have seen 1 1x2 since cameras started running in may. Hundred + dif bucks on camera. Most 1.5 ate 4 or 6. We have 1 1.5 that is a 9!!!!

[TexasTK]

Not seeing any more than normal. Do have a big crop of 1.5 yr olds this year though so seems like alot of spikes due to all the yearlings out there.

[gonehuntin68]

Compared to the two previous years we are seeing less spikes this year. I expect next year to be even less with all the flooding we had this year as our fawn crop this year was poor.

[Winman]

When we first got the present lease,14 years ago,we were covered up in spikes and other junky horned bucks. After heavily culling,we are seeing much better horns now,8 and 10s instead of 5s and. 7s.

[BDR]

We are seeing a LARGE number of spikes this year compared to previous years.

Anyone else seeing more than normal by percentage?

How was your fawn crop last year?

I'm in far north west Jim Wells county and we are experiencing the same thing. Our 2014 fawn crop was high for us at about 70%. We killed high numbers because of it. Out of that fawn crop we once again had a unusually high number and that was the amount of buck fawns, and that ran about 60%. Don't have a solid number but I would venture to say out of those prob 50% are spikes this year. In our management plan we haven't killed a spike in 8 years. We started that practice to truly get our buck numbers up and our sex ratio more balanced and it has worked well for us. We don't "cull" any deer until 4.5 unless it is a extreme and obvious case, and we do have those. We are still very cautious at 4.5.

[AndyMane]

None on our ranch!

[dustoffer]

A lot less spikes this year for us. We had record rainfalls since 2014 and most of what would have been spikes are forks and six points and even some small 8's. Seems they are making a comeback from the drought of 2011.

this is what I've noticed in Guadalupe Cty (Seguin) but have seen way more in Hays Cty (Wimberley) area.

[Pullersboy]

Saw alot last year on our place in Llano Co. Haven't seen a Si gle one on our new place in Hamilton. I did see a dead one on th side of the road last weekend about 2 miles from our place.

[bgleaton]

So do the majority of you think spikes should be left alone? I know that this opens up a whole new can of worms, but I'm curious what some of you guys on this thread do with spikes especially after a wet year.

[RMW]

So do the majority of you think spikes should be left alone? I know that this opens up a whole new can of worms, but I'm curious what some of you guys on this thread do with spikes especially after a wet year.

We just sit and watch them eat corn

[bgleaton]

Going hunting this weekend and just wondering if you guys that have been managing for a long time suggest that we shoot a spike if we see one. Again, I have always given them time to grow (around 4.5+ years).

[Jared.King]

At our place in Eden we have a ton of spikes as well

[icetrauma]

They are all over Langtry.

[TP3]

I have seen a fair amount.
I killed one, although he only had one horn.
So now I am seeing him when I open the freezer.
Win win.

[unclefish]

Have only seen one true spike all year on camera. Normally see many many more.