Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Opinion on spikes

Im curious
Why is a large rack buck "better " than a doe
or spike or smaller buck?
I've hunted places in the past where a 10 point
buck wasn't that much bigger pound wise than
some 8 pointers, so the "more meat " argument
is invalid

i had the same spike for 7 or 8 years at my place. how do i know? the right side of the neck had a fist sized white patch. his antlers grew, but no points. whether he died of natural causes or was shot by some kid, i don't know. yes, i agree with you that spikes are likely to grow up bigger antler (points) size, but i have seen that some bucks don't.

my first buck (14yo) was a spike. it was 2 3/4" on the right and 3" on left. (3" antler was or is PA game law). i shot about 3 or 4 spikes in my younger days. there was a time i decided that i would only shoot big bucks, but after my stroke (disabled hunter) my choice becomes, yeah, i'll shoot a spike after the first week rifle season, with a condition. it has to be over 170lbs (150lbs is the average deer). two years ago, i shot a very fat 4pt that weighed 171 lbs field dressed. yes, because i am disabled, i can shoot a spike thru 4 pt. i'm no longer allowed the 3pt rule (4 pt in some counties). i can also use a semi if it is compatible to 5 round magazine. i have a (Dad, RIP, gun) M1 30 Carbine and a 5 round magazine, that i happened to buy , to take out hunting. i'll have to choose my shots, but 50 yards and under is usually about the range i shoot deer.

i hunt for meat, not some trophy sized animal. i don't shoot fawns or yearlings. i shoot the average to above average deer weight. antler size is for somebody fitter than me. i'm just as happy to get a very fat spike or a 8pt or a doe.

GA, where I hunt mostly, is pretty liberal with the does. The club where I hunt requires each member to harvest four does per year (10 members) or pay a fine. The land is about 4,000 acres of farm land, cotton and some beans on occasion, about 40% wooded.

GA Regs: 10 antlerless deer and 2 antlered deer. One of the two antlered deer must have a minimum of 4 points, 1 inch or longer, on either antler or a minimum 15-inch outside antler spread to be legal.

Most land in GA is private and/or timber owned and most hunted by clubs with management plans which vary a bit. The main exception is the coastal areas that still dog hunt and it's pretty much if it's brown it's down. Can't tell you the last time I saw a spike. Club rule is 120 BC minimum and second deer must be better. Culls equal any large rack mature deer under 8 pt and racks with no brow tines.

My personal opinion youth hunters or disable led should be allowed to kill one.


Any other adult hunter……. Nope.

Put this forkhorn on the ground this morning from 176 yards.
Cat

Huh?

I know in Northern Michigan they call those spikes 11 pointers.

We do not shoot them because most are buck fawns by us, nothing wrong with them they just need to grow. We shoot does when we want just meat and need to do so in some areas.

I was surprised to see so many small spikes in Missouri muzzleloader season. Growing fast.

No spikes unless they have some age (3+) on them. If we want meat, we cull does. Ever since I discovered Axis deer, I throw rocks at other deer meat.

I might be misinterpreting here - you’re equating number of points to body weight?

Not at all
I've hunted south of San angelo on a ranch
where all they had to eat was mesquite beans
and cactus. 100-115 pounds was an average
mature deer. 8 points maybe 10 inches wide
and main beams about like your index finger.

No I was curious about if others thought a
big high and wide antlered deer was a "better "
deer than a deer with a lesser rack
I've shot some people would scoff at because
of a smaller rack, but had a good sized body.
I shot one a few years back that was barely
legal for the country regulations, but it was
so heavy I couldn't drag it but about 4 feet
and had to cut it up on the ground in place.
Many would have considered it an unsuitable
deer.