When Spikes are Allowed to Grow Up

[Hoji]

View attachment 20610 They grow into ugly bastards like this and reproduce more spikes. No brow tines, 5.5 years old and 135 pounds.
Shoot them as yearlings so they don't get the chance to breed.

 

[LJH]

Well not all spikes are created equal. Rex here was a spike, at 2 he was little better. At 3 he was still ugly, but he blossomed, and that was that.

 

[Younggun]

Yup, first year means nothing.

 

[Hoji]

The problem is that everyone of his offspring will be spikes. If you are looking for truly trophy quality antlers, whack the spikes early and often.
Good looking deer you bagged. I like the weird antlers

 

[Hoji]

Yup, first year means nothing.

From a herd management standpoint, that deer( and mine) are crap deer.

 

[LJH]

I like the weird antlers

Yeah me too. I wish I could find a picture of the really weird one I got a few years ago. 8 point, 6 on one side, and a massive palmated fork on the other.

From a herd management standpoint, that deer( and mine) are crap deer.

True, that's why it ended at 3 years with "and that was that"

 

[Hoji]

Yeah me too. I wish I could find a picture of the really weird one I got a few years ago. 8 point, 6 on one side, and a massive palmated fork on the other.

True, that's why it ended at 3 years with "and that was that"

What did he weigh?

 

[LJH]

What did he weigh?

about 130

 

[Hoji]

Big deer for this part of the world. Keep the rack?

 

[The Lox]

I don't understand. Are spike bucks not just 1st year bucks? Is a normal buck supposed to produce regular looking antlers the first year? I passed on the same spike about 4 times last year because I didn't want to use Buck tag during until antlerless season..

 

[LJH]

Big deer for this part of the world. Keep the rack?

Good eating too. As to keeping it, well sorta, its yard art.

I don't understand. Are spike bucks not just 1st year bucks? Is a normal buck supposed to produce regular looking antlers the first year? I passed on the same spike about 4 times last year because I didn't want to use Buck tag during until antlerless season..

Some bucks are spikes for the 1st year. Others can be spikes the second and beyond. It is a combo of nutrition, stress, population, and genetics. During times of duress ie drought or lack of food antlers wont develop well. If the spike is caused by genetics that deer should be removed from the gene pool quickly, the problem is determining the factors causing the lack of antler development. If it is environmental let it walk and you see a better deer in the future, if it is genetics let it walk and see a crappy deer in the future, and that deer will make crappy offspring. It takes lots of observation, time and study to make that call.

 

[dbgun]

Well not all spikes are created equal. Rex here was a spike, at 2 he was little better. At 3 he was still ugly, but he blossomed, and that was that. View attachment 20615

Nice buck. Do you remember the spread?

 

[Hoji]

I don't understand. Are spike bucks not just 1st year bucks? Is a normal buck supposed to produce regular looking antlers the first year? I passed on the same spike about 4 times last year because I didn't want to use Buck tag during until antlerless season..

If you have a lot of nice 1-2 year old 8 pointers with good brow tines where you hunt and you see a spike with the same body mass as the good looking youngsters, kill it. If you see a 3-4 year old deer with 4 or 5 points, kill it. You will be doing the herd a favor.