Yes. Spikes are generally yearlings. As I have stated they turn into asymmetrical deer in the vast majority of cases. That is one of the reasons Texas has a spike and doe season after the regular season ends. It is to clean up the gene pool. A lot of times, especially if nutrition is good during a deer 's pregnancy, and during the fawn's first six months, they will grow spikes. These are nicknamed "super spikes" the antlers are generally 3"-4" long but they are growing from a six month old deer. Nutrition can make a difference in antler growth as well, but not in genetics. Yes, some farm raised spikes will grow into big atypical bucks, but they will not be allowed to breed. Why? Because they are genetically inferior, and will pass the spike genes into the herd. An eight point yearling is going to be an eight point 5-1/2 year old. A spike in the wild might grow into a six point with no brow tines, but they tend to have less dense antlers and less symmetry.Well I don't have your experience in wildlife biology for sure but I do know that I've had several spikes on my lease grow into rather nice deer and they weren't mutants....I also know a guy that raised a buck from a 2 day old fawn and the first year he grew spikes and in his second year he grew a perfect typical 8 pt rack. Gladiator Sunset was one of the biggest whitetails ever raised and at 2.5 he was a spike. Very few hunters that I know of will shoot a spike anymore unless they are sure he is over 2.5 years old and thats VERY rare. While I will give you credit that you must have a lot more education on the subject than myself I am a member of a hunting site with thousands of members and almost all will say that they won't cull young spikes anymore bc they often turn into very normal and productive bucks....surely you've noticed in your studies that finding a spike over 2.5 yrs old is highly rare?
Deer are judged on their antlers, and their antlers alone when it comes to herd management. You want good antlers, kill spikes and kill the spikes that grow into 4 and 5 pointers the next year. That and kill a lot of does to take away the breeding possibility for those spikes that do mature.