"Over the last 45 years I have visited countless tagging stations, meat packers and neighborhood deer processors as part of my job as an outdoor writer, and the one constant that stands out is that most of the deer being shot by hunters are does, yearlings, spike bucks or relatively small branch-antlered bucks."
-- Stephen D. Carpenteri
The Pocket Deer Hunting Guide, 2010

Ho ly crap. I never in my life wouldve thought
1. So many people had such strong opinions on spikes and button bucks
2. So many people would post on this thread
3. Anyone ever wrote a song called if its brown its down

I am glad to get so many different opinions. I do try to be respectful of the other lease mates and im glad to know now how everyone feels about it. We will solve it over a few cold beverages next weekend.

Baby killer = Democrats

Shoot, this is nuthin'. Ask us about ARs or HFs.

12 pages

Good thing it wasn't a button buck with an ear tag in a HF in an AR county.

Some times you get the big one and sometimes you get the little one.

I don't allow any shooting of spikes or button bucks (with the exception for Mrs. B's first buck) but accidents happen. Whether you want to take one or not here's a little advice that works well. This time of year the does are pushing the little bucks away so look for single yearlings or the one that stays away from the bigger does. I've had three shot in the last 15 years and all fell into this situation. Yearling does tend to hang with their momma's. All 3 of the buttons came in by themselves and were mistaken for does which I'd told them they could take. It's going to happen when your taking a few does off.

more born then shot

this was a hunting forum last i checked,conservation is part of hunting take what you need legally conserve the rest,ho tree huggers please

So how do you feel about people keeping the largemouth bass that they catch?

on no you didnt...

I feel a little upset when they don't invite me to the fish fry

Has the removing of spikes from the heard to improve genetics theory changed? I don't deer hunt much but 10 years ago I was on a MLD lease and the TPW biologist would issue us all the buck tags needed to remove any and all spikes. He even said that drought years were the best years to do it becuase they show their true colors. From what I'm reading, this buck was most likely a 1.5 year old spike by Texas standards and therefore most biologists would want him removed (assumming the same policy on spike removal).

Years ago a fish biologist told me that an acre of water will produce X amount of pounds of fish. Could be 100 pounds. That would be 10 -10 # bass or 100- 1# bass or 200-half pound bass. Deer are the same way so you really did the herd a favor by shooting the spike.

Nothing wrong with what you did as it was perfectly legal. That being said, I can understand why the other guys at camp may have been upset with you.

I find it funny that everyone says we need to shoot more does and yet meat hunters, those that supposedly care little about horns, would rather shoot a young buck instead.

Nope. You're fos. I'm 57 and have met and taken thousands of hunters hunting. There are hunters who'll lie and say that, but they will all shoot the 160 buck first. Quit lying to yourself and us.

Thanks "therancher" your right, without a doubt!!

You put a spike Axis and a 160" Whitetail standing side by side and I will take the Axis every time. So I beg to differ and I am not FOS.

Uh huh. I do it all the time too. When it's my deer that I'm marketing. The assumption is that it's joe lease hunter.

Argue if you want. But it doesn't make your argument any more believable.

On 98% of places you would be doing more of a favor by shooting a doe because very few places have anywhere near a balanced buck/doe ratio. A killed doe has a 50% chance of being replaced by a buck if your land is at CC. Lots of words spilled over management but for most places just shooting more does is the best thing to be done.

It truly is amazing that you know every hunter in this world and what his motives are. You are one of a kind.

I agree ,more being born than shot, and I do not believe that killing one button will make a large impact on your herd. I personally would not want to shoot a button, or have any the guys on our lease shoot one, but mistakes happen. On the other hand I might give the guy a hard time, (all in fun) but when it comes down to it, his tag his choice.

I'm confused. If this was a six month old buck, then that's pretty lame. If it was an 18 month old buck, then it's a good thing he's out of the gene pool.

Give it a rest !!