I'm a Northerner, from Montana; been here for 6 years now. Up North, a spike is a young deer, not a genetic anomaly. It really took me a while to get used to looking at the spikes down here as an actual, mature deer, that just happens to have the genetics that will leave him with two single antlers growing up from his head. It still blows me away...but heck, it's one more deer I can punch on my tag, so I'm all for it! (Now if I can just get used to the special "doe dates" during the season...I'll be set)

That is all; just some random thought I had this afternoon.

95% of spikes will not be mature deer....5% will be mature with injuries causing spikes. Does generally will be does 100% of the time.

OP, did you also have young deer that weren't spikes?

I have only seen 2 spikes over 1.5 yrs old that have been killed out of 100's.

Spikes a bonus buck in antler restriction counties.
You know, the counties where they want bucks to mature.

Yes, usually they'd branch at the tops...we'd call them "two-points" (even though they'd be a four-point down here)

I see what you're getting at, and had a tough time being convinced that it was ok to shoot spikes if you wanted to "grow" bigger deer.

^ ^ ^

So then, is it ignorance?

A spike is about the only deer you can post a photo of on here besides something over 120 and not get criticized for!

Good point. Down here in South Texas, we don't usually shoot spikes. Or at least I don't.

Not sure that I would call it ignorance. There is research aplenty that shows that spikes are and will be inferior deer when they get older. Basically, they will never catch up to their peers. When you are on a management plan that calls for extensive culling of the herd, spikes will be taken simply because they are going to be on the lower end of their age class. IMO, most places that take spikes will not see a difference because so many other factors need to be in place before that level of management is going to have an impact.

Ignorance is when alot of people call a spike a 3.5yo. Most are not and never will be.



Only 100's...I figured you alone have killed close to 1k

Not sure what your saying? Most people in Texas don't think spikes are "mature" and therefore kill them. However, a lot of people are of the thought that most spikes lack good genetics and want to thin the herd of them. Thats the great debate not maturity.

Well, crap--then maybe I'll just leave that portion of my license attached. Thanks for the enlightenment--I knew something didn't smell right.

Hmmm...maybe not "most people in Texas," but rather "most people I've hunted with in Texas." That's where I got the idea.

simply comes down to inferior genetics.......whether or not you prescribe to that thought is another thing.

sounds like you've been hunting in East Texas

This is the basis for most debates and arguments...and the TPWD including the option in AR counties.

...based on bad science.

Agreed. The spike thing has been proven false. Dr. James Kroll did a very convincing study several years back that blew it away.

There was a very argumentative study done many years ago.

In the end all things been equal the study said that a spike will be via percentage of Boone and Crockett points not as high as its forked or multi tined classmates. In other words if one class mate hits 170 then the spike is said to only make 150...

Most folks don't have the resources to effectively cull, and those that do could lose a large percentage of their bucks for an age class.

Tpwd introduced the spike tag to ease pressure on younger forked or multi forked deer viewing the spike as the lessor of the evils.

The study hasn't been replicated, they took two yearling a forked and spike and line breed them to their offspring.

It's funny the multi point buck they used king Charlie was 216lbs, 15pts and 19"s wide at his death. Think about that one for a second... Sounds like a stacked deck to me

It was convincing if you wanted it to be, but it used a small sample-size that dwindled over the years and left holes in the data for un-accounted deer. It's a lot easier to make the research fit your goal when you have an agenda.

As an Aggie, I would hope that you've been around livestock long enough to know that most of the time, 'true' runts never catch the rest of the pack. Are all spikes true runts or inferior? No, I know they are not. When you have six young bucks, 2 4s, 2 6s, 1 8 and 1 spike, which one should be first in line to get lead if you need to reduce buck numbers and they are an option?

I don't know about that as a whole. I've seen research on spikes that state some button bucks with excellent genetics and are born earlier than average can attain spikes up to 3 1/2" as well as 1 1/2yo that was born exceptionally late but that they tend to catch up the flowing year. If I recall correctly those two categories cover on average something to the effect of 1/3 of all spikes

Just noticed I quoted the wrong one but you get the point

I agree most spikes are just plain 1/5 yo deer. I shot one this year I believe was not a 1.5 yo deer. He weighted over 130 lbs live and dressed over 100 lbs. Had spikes about 8 inches long clean, no bumps are flaring and comparing with other deer was not a 1.5 yo.