Spikes: To Shoot or Not to Shoot

[Big Horse]

I was talking to a local deer breeder the other day and he was telling me about a spike that he had last year that has produced over 150 inches this year...

[charlie 01]

All things being, there is no way to predict what a spike will end up being, period.

[Retranger]

Simple answer,,,same as mentioned before,,,,,want meat shoot it,,,want bone on the wall let it go

[Woods Walker]

If I were you...I'd be counting my blessings that you have a long beamed spike like that...we get them here and the grow into wide racked bucks....

badgie: That deer has a nice rack but, what a little body! Don't you feed those poor deer in NYS??

[Woods Walker]

But to answer the OP's question........

Are they legal? If so, then SHOOT if you want!

[thomasmgp]

I always have been told once a spike always a spike. Last December I shot a deer that was probably 2 years old, weighed 137 pounds and his antlers were so small I couldnt even make a fist around them. Better to keep your gene pool good dont want them passing on bad genes. Unless antler size isnt a trait that gets passed on to the next generation. I have studied some human genetics so I just assumed antlers, as they are bone, would be passed on in their genetic code much like a tall person would pass on traits for his kids to have a higher chance of growing longer leg bones and be tall.

[charlie 01]

First year a button buck, second year a spike, I see nothing wrong with that.

[69Viking]

Lot of good info here. I too believe that a spike Buck is just a young Buck and if you want to shoot it for meat do it. If you want it to grow into a nice racked Buck then let it grow for 2-3 more years. I've never seen a spike Buck with a thick spike indicating that it was an older Buck. They all have skinny spikes that tells me they're a young Buck that will mature if you let him walk.

[KY Jim]

Would you rather have meat in the freezer or a rack on the wall? I'd rather feed my family venison.

[Jslotter]

Not to beat the dead horse, but go with your instinct. No one's opinion should matter what deer anyone decides to kill. I know a guy who had a buck on his land with real thick long spikes for a rack. Pretty much the main beams without tines. It turned out the buck was like 6-7 years old when it was killed by a hunter that year.