Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Opinion on spikes

Can’t kill an old buck if you shoot all the young bucks

SKane, We are about 20 miles West of the Encino Division, of the King Ranch, and receive all the info on Wildlife that Texas A&M & Klieghburg Wildlife Foundation produce.
We tried doing some selective breeding about 15 yrs ago, We built 3 10 acre high fence pens, 1 on the Main Ranch ! on the North Ranch ! on the West Ranch, because of the different habitat, We captured 20 Does, and a Trophy Buck for each pen, each pen had a good fresh water supply and a large protein feeder, and very heavy cover AKA brush, we put the deer in the last of November, and tried not to disturb them except to fill the feeder and check water.
We kept them penned until May 1st, then opened the gates shut off the water and protein, and let them leave to have their fawns on their own, we did this for 5 years,, We did not pen raise any Deer, we tried to keep them wild and born free range. it's expensive and time consuming, and after 5 years we felt it wasn't worth the effort. we haven't seen a noticeable change in our deer. Mother Nature Controls Wildlife here we don't, except we try to let our Bucks grow up before we take them off. shoot baby deer and all you will have is baby deer. Rio7

Me and son saw a spike a few yrs ago nothing but beams 16-17 inch wide no points we still ask each other why we didn’t shoot it

Let'em walk, not much bigger than a spotted fawn unless you want to pat your your own back.

Same here.

Spikes aren’t totally protected in PA. Kids can shoot them. Under 3” can be shot and tagged as a doe. You can hit them with a car or truck.

We call them 11 points.

I had a client that raised whitetail.

He had one that developed antlers so massive at a young age it’s skull separated and the buck died.

Him and his cohorts kept extensive doe records.

According to him antler development is predictably a heritable trait,

This is not a normal thing, but I had one here a few years back that never had anything but spikes his whole life. They turned into nice main beams without any points on them, even brow tines. I had several chances to shoot Him, but not legal except for kids under sixteen years of age. I tried to put kids on Him several times with no success. They all killed deer but never the one that I wanted dead. After about five years He dissappeared. miles

This...definitely seen young spikes mature into nice racks...not a 10 point yet but I haven't owned the property long enough.

This is my 6pt from last year[2021].
Almost positive that he was a hoop antlered spike in 2020, I sat in my truck and and observed him at about 50' one morning heading to work.
As a spike he had maybe a 15" inside spread and plenty of mass[for a spike].

As long as it's legal I take it, you can't eat the antlers and I've gotten my trophy whitetail years ago. I'm hunting for venison not size of rack.

Does eat well too.
And it removes the need for telling folks you took a "meat buck".

I don't shoot spikes or button bucks.

We call all small racked bucks “Tink”, and he always gets a pass.

The problem with the “ just shoot does” argument.

Some states are pretty stingy with doe permits.

That's true - particularly in the west and NE.
Midwest ag areas, not so much.

In my opinion, the 1.5 y/o bucks with a heavy main and small fork will end up being big bucks. You can already see g1's starting. You typically see them in the high country and around areas where you more consistently find big bucks. Thin spikes and thin forks end up those middl'n bucks that you shoot for meat but don't put on the wall.

I have shot some very young 4x4 bucks. Kinda a regret once you get up to them and see a young body and a small framed rack, but already a 4x4. My guess is that those are the mashers when they hit prime.

Just my guesses.

The biggest reason to not shoot a spike is the very small meat yield. 25-40lbs at best. A mature buck will have much more meat for your tag. I hate butchering the small bucks too. Seems like your meat to work ratio is all out of whack.

I agree with this. I'm not a trophy hunter, I'm a opportunity hunter and when the opportunity presents itself I take the shot. I know people that will shot a spike elk but won't shoot a spike deer. I don't see a difference between the two other then the amount of meat.

It's cause that is the only tag I can get in the unit I wanna hunt sometimes, and my God, has there ever been a spike elk that has tasted badly

I'd dare say a spike elk is the finest meat on the mountain.

Try 1.5 year old dry cows! Yummy!

The thing that is so weird

They say the bull to cow ratio is tilted to 2 many cows!

Then spike tags are sold OTC!

Aaaargh

P.S. I think mountain goat is best in table fare!