Answered October 30, 2019 Spike deer is a deer in the early stages of its life. Either all the unkilled spikes died before they reached 2 1/2 years or they grew larger racks. that's completely false. Most of them are not great. Wildlife Biologist Macy Ledbetter sits down with us at the Texas Deer Association Annual Convention in San Antonio and tells us how Spikes can grow into big 8 or 10 point bucks in a few shorts years. That is, one side looks pretty much like the other. Macy, thank you for answering these critical questions we hunters face every season. Deer research by conservation organizations and state game departments has exploded, and it’s available to the common man via the computer keyboard. Most usually grow racks in future years. Receive hunting tips and product announcements to help you have a more enjoyable and successful hunting season! Few yearling bucks with spike antlers are genetically programmed to remain spike bucks at maturity. Perhaps back then people believed “once a spike, always a spike” because they would see spikes year after year in the same area, and most of them would look pretty much the same because spike antlers often have little in the way of defining features. They can do both. “A lot of people believe that a spike will have a spike rack throughout its life, but the research says that’s simply not true. We seldom saw a buck that was any older. Problem displaying Facebook posts.Click to show errorfunction cffShowError() { document.getElementById("cff-error-reason").style.display = "block"; document.getElementById("cff-show-error").style.display = "none"; }, Let WildBuck Media serve your Web Development, Social Media and everything Digital Media needs. The answer is yes, and no. Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. access for current print subscribers. All you have to do is activate your access. "Generally, what we've seen is that [spike-antlered yearlings] stay a little behind up to the 4 1/2-year-old age class, and they pretty well close the gap at that time. As a current print subscriber, you receive 24/7 access to our website and online e-edition at no additional charge. And this is easy to justify because in dry years a a good number of yearling bucks are spikes. Receive hunting tips and product announcements to help you have a more enjoyable and successful hunting season! The caller has usually read an article that says it is genetics or nutrition or being late born that causes deer to produce spike antlers. GRANT: There’s a lot of hunting camp stories about spike antlered bucks. I get a lot of questions about what to do with spikes. Thank you for reading! spikes are usually immature 1 year old deer that haven't had enough time to grow their antlers. Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Back when a hunter’s only question was, “Does he have horns?” we filled lots of tags with spikes and 4-points, all a year and a half old. Wildlife Biologist Macy Ledbetter sits down with us at the Texas Deer Association Annual Convention in San Antonio and tells us how Spikes can grow into big 8 or 10 point bucks in a few shorts years. He writes for top outdoor magazines, and won the 2015 national “Pinnacle Award” for outdoor writing.). Throughout summer and early fall, he tended to bed with does, one of which appeared to be his mother. Again, in states where nutrition is better and more reliable, pregnant does and young bucks get more food. Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to connect an account. The result is few late-born fawns. Spike antlers have many causes. Do you enjoy our content? At 1 1/2 years old, buck Y-34 produced six points. old over 90%. Keep in mind, however, that no two antlers are ever exactly alike, although their similarities from side to side, or even from one buck to the next, are sometimes striking. We’ve all heard the stories and seen the before and after photos of bucks who started off as Spikes but grew into big 10’s. Winds light and variable. That’s when he can finally put maximum resources into antler development. Winds light and variable.. While we are patiently waiting on the buck we let walk last year, guess who walks out first – Mr. Spike. Nutrition does play a role, but those same deer may “rebound” the following year into 8 point bucks. Checking back? In fact, when we see that a deer has spikes we often look away (it’s just a spike) as if we don’t want to embarrass him by staring. If hunters would let them go, plenty of them can grow into handsome trophies once they overcome a slow start. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. I got this from a man who is a deer management expert, and has the deer … Many deer managers and hunters “glommed on” to spike bucks possessing genetics for inferior antler development and contributed heavily to the “once a spike always a spike” theory. He was a dominant buck. Today’s average hunter has access to much more knowledge. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. Once he peeled velve… You have permission to edit this article. Low 22F. It's the deer with just one forked antler that's longer than what you see on yearlings that I look for first. By STEVE SORENSEN, Special to the Olean Times Herald. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! $3.00 This poor photo dug out of my ancient archives supports the point of this column. This error message is only visible to WordPress admins, WildBuck™ Texas GameGuard Mesh Back Pink Thread, WildBuck™ Texas GameGuard/Neon Orange Trucker Snapback, http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/342703070-user-983377680-ep-007-how-to-tell-if-a-spike-will-always-be-a-spike-with-wildlife-biologist-macy-ledbetter.mp3, Why Are The Biggest Bucks Killed During The Worst Droughts? Spike bucks Weishuhn tagged and were able to follow for several years, all in time produced “acceptable” to big racks, provided they got adequate nutrition. Late-born buck fawns often get a slow start on a first set of antlers. “We divided all of the yearling bucks we captured into two categories,” Dr. Kroll continues. It is VERY rare for a spike to stay a spike beyond a 1.5 years old. What would it take for this 1.5 year old Spike to grow into a big 8 or 10? Many agree that yearling (1.5 year old deer) spikes should not be shot. Find Out Which Protein Source Is Best [VIDEO], The Most Important Time To Feed Protein If You Want To Grow Big Pasture Born Bucks, How To Tell When The Rut Is Really On In Your Hunting Area [TIP: TARSAL GLAND]. One of the biggest bodied deer I ever killed was a 5 yo buck with a 2' long spike on one side and a fork on the other. Yearling spikes will be easier to spot by their "youth" size and usually carry shorter spikes. “The overall genetics of a deer herd simply cannot change that fast.” However, the real meat of this landmark spike buck study goes well beyond the question of how many spikes and 3-pointers are in the herd. Carlos Riojas is the Creator of WildBuck and contributor and editor to various entities in the outdoor industry. The reasons are many, but one is that the doe population is in balance with the buck population so bucks are able to breed the does at their first estrus period. Spike bucks don’t always remain spikes, but when they do, they can achieve some pretty impressive sizes. He enjoys the beauty, serenity and excitement that is had in the wild waters and woods of Texas. You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill. We used to hear it said often, “Once a spike, always a spike.”. Studies and surveys over the past 20 years have proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that spikes are not genetically inferior deer that need to be taken out of the breeding pool. Same with crab claws or crawdad pincers in the antlers. by Carlos Riojas | Sep 25, 2017 | Bowhunting, How To, Hunting, Podcast, Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS. And many times, those poor decisions involve spikes. Any shot that draws blood will be considered a harvested deer, even if the deer is never found. Of course, some yearling bucks will have unbranched antlers (one side or both), but only very rarely do spike bucks actually remain spikes after their first set of antlers. All I ask guest hunters I take with me is only shoot what you will be proud to harvest and only shoot a buck that is bigger than your last. Thank you for reading! The No. Now, spikes rarely get the honor of being mounted, but if … “If poor nutrition causes spikes,” the article says, “then you shouldn’t harvest spikes.” The article may state that if a fawn is born late … Some are just late-born fawns. JJHACK,Nov 20, 2011 Low 22F. Thank you for reading! Some don't. Deer mating season leads to spikes in crashes ... Patrol said troopers typically see a spike in crashes involving deer at this time of year. Make a contribution to keep WildBuck producing quality content. A one-year-old buck with 4-inch spike antlers might turn into a record-class 10-point at age 5 or 6. It is however very common to find hunters that have shot a spike thinking incorrectly that the deer was older then 1.5. If you want to hunt bucks specifically our price is $1,500 for “inside the ear” bucks. Few yearling bucks with spike antlers are genetically programmed to remain spike bucks at maturity. Internet articles from many sources give us more than we have time to read. What causes a Spike to be a Spike? Welcome! His passions are hunting, archery, fly fishing, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and wildlife photography. The Product Owner allocates a little bit of the team’s capacity now, ahead of when the story needs to be delivered, so that when the story comes into the sprint, the team knows what to do. “Once a spike, always a spike” was a conclusion the guys at deer camp made based on nothing more than occasional observation. Everyday Hunter: Once a spike, always a spike? It said often, “ once a spike, always a spike, always a spike, a. 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