No, I didn’t shoot this little spike buck. But the thrill of having him pass by my blind at just 3 yards was enough to send my adrenaline into ultra-high gear. In fact, "shooting" this photo brought the same excitement as I’ve felt after putting an arrow through a fully mature whitetail deer.
Indeed, any whitetail buck is a good buck to get you primed, stoked, jacked, excited — call it what you will — to keep heading back to the tree stand or ground blind day after day. It doesn’t have to be the biggest deer. It only has to be a deer.
And that’s what it is all about, isn’t it?
Ty,
Thanks for your thoughts. I hunt a very small tract of river bottom surrounded by Agricultural fields. Corn, Beans and Alfafa make up the majority of the menu for the deer. We have been shooting several does each year and letting most bucks walk. 2 years ago I shot what I thought was a mature doe. In spite of weighing 120 lbs after field dressing this actually was a button buck, Don’t know if this was the biggest fawn ever or a year and half old buck that didn’t grow a set of anlters. I am afraid I may have killed what truly could have been a giant. I will place some mineral licks out after season this year to see if that helps. My understanding is that they would be illegal here in Nebraska during the open season.
Tom
Harvestlessons.blogspot.com
Tom,
Seeing numerous spikes doesn’t always mean bad genetics, I’d say more often than not that is a mistake many hunters make. More often it can be linked to a couple things, late birthing causes the young bucks body to direct it’s nutrients into growth of the bone structure and body of the deer more than it’s first set of antlers. Also another common factor is mineral and nutrient consumption. It could be that a little spikes dad was a 5 year old 175 inch buck, but the little guy simply hasn’t recieved the rich nutrients/minerals needed to support a decent first year rack.
This is why we’ve started focusing our efforts to keep two mineral licks going on our small property as to hopefully assist the quicker development of stronger deer and bigger racks. We’ve already seen a small shift from 1st year spikes to 1st year fours and small sixes…could be dumb luck but the fact the shift correlates with our amped up mineral lick tactics I don’t believe are dumb luck.
I have allowed three youngs bucks walk in this young season already. Heart was pounding each time. One of these was a decent but very young 7 point. Another was a spike. I do have a question. I am seeing more and more spikes each year. Does this signal a genetic problem with inferior bucks that need to be taken out. Will they ever grow up to be decent bucks?
Why not let people make their own decisions and not castigate them for making a decision you wouldn’t have? That’s what makes this country great, within the framework of the law, choice is by each individual.
Why not have the memory of letting him pass and enjoying that experience? His dad or uncle may not be far away.
Yes I will know what he will become: Sausage, steaks, roasts and chops. He will also become a memory of a great hunt that got me excited. And that is defanatly what it is all about.
If you shoot him now you’ll never find out what he could become.
i agree with this article. just last weekend i had a doe and three fawns come out in front of me and run around playfully…nothing’s better IMO!