Thinking of letting my son shoot his first deer this year. Right now I have a couple of spikes that need to go, but this 6 point just started showing himself. I'm not a deer aging wiz, but I'm guessing this guy is 2.5 or 3 years old.

Question is, would you cull it?

Lack of brow tines would get him on the list for sure. Let your sone take him and build from there.

Agree. Good one to cull.

Would.

Thanks, glad to know I was being rational. The lack of brow tines is what got me thinking in the first place.

How old's your son? 'Trying to get a consensus on when to really get serious about getting my grandson out there with a deer rifle. Thanks.

That's a great cull for him, by the way.

That deer is a prime example of what spikes turn into.

He just turned 7 on Saturday. I'm gonna let him shoot the crossbow. We will work on the rifle hunting for next season.

be hard to tell unless you saw him grow up

Sons first buck, go for it! But that is a 2 year old all day. If your growing trophies then pass, for the memory then take him!

Really? (sarcasm)

No trophies out here. This is literally 250 yards off my back porch.

Let your kid shoot it and have fun. Isn't that why we all got into this sport?

Let him shoot it and then run back to house to wake momma up to come look. Make one happy kid. Mine (also 7) will be going on his first hunt this year. Best of luck to your little man.

This is not necessarily what spikes turn into....it has been proven without question spikes are not inferior deer....just young bucks. If you take out all spikes you are missing out on some great future bucks. I don't cull bucks until they are at least four years old..then you can tell what they are...however, I too would take out a young buck without brow tines. On my lease spikes are off limits.

But chances are he was a spike.

good looking cull as a first buck - good luck to you guys this season!

Yes..all bucks are spikes at one time ...but if ya referring to this deer being a spike at i 1/2 year old the chances are low that he was a spike. He is two now ....my guess he was a four point at i i/2 year old. So ....no he was not a spike at one year old is my guess.

Good one for your boy, good luck to y'all

Huh? I've got a pasture full of yearling bucks with 8 points or more. When were they spikes?

Agree with fouzman, many hard horned 1st year that are branched.