Lot's of spikes this year.

Seeing 3-4 spikes a year is not uncommon on my place but I've seen over a dozen this year and seeing the same on the big ranch. Buddy has a place nth of town and he's reporting the same thing. We've had a mild green summer with plenty of rain.

I was getting pics of 4 different spikes but they are not on camera any more. It's unusual to even have one spike here.....

Maybe the survival rate from last year was higher. I've noticed a few more this year too.

We had a bunch last year with the same range conditions. They were yearlings born late that otherwise would be nubbing bucks.

Always thought nubbin bucks were this years fawns.

Seven years ago we where in a drought, we now have a very healthy 4 and 5 year old doe herd. Older healthy does (mild winters and decent summer rains) means more twins more fawn recruitment

Does that suggest that the weaker fawns that normally don't survive are spikes and since we have such favorable conditions is the reason they are alive?

Did any of you look at the story about spike to bruiser that was in a thread a couple days ago?

That article is about a decade old and has been posted on here about that many times.....

But the point is still valid.

That point is 1 deer, it is no more valid than one spike staying a spike forever. And unless that deer is ear taged or marked it is questionable weather its the same deer or not anyway.

We've had lots of spikes in the past 10 years, but we killed every one we saw. This year I've only seen two.

Lots of young deer. Heavy dispersal this year. Lots of fawns last year.

I have seen more spikes than ever. Normally might see one. Think more deer in past years is why which is good. All doe have a set of twins. Course we need some rain now. Been months now since a good one.

bright future!

Only one ive seen was a fawn.

I like the article spike to freezer. Spikes make good bow hunt for me.

Could, But I wouldn’t over think it or even try to hypothesis that’s the case with unknow variables. Weak antler growth could be a production of the environment 18 months after they are born. Define favorable conditions? Mild but very dry winter? Is that March Rain? Aug rain?

Population spikes all start with healthy doe crop that’s mature, and in premium shape at conception. It’s the First thing it takes for a a high fawn recruitment year.

Simplest and most confirmable anwser, more fawn recruitment

I have only seen one on the two places I hunt regularly...

Point is it’s possible either way, so may be you should wait until the reach age that’s better prediction of thier potential

I’ve seen a bunch this year, but doe numbers are extremely high