ORIGINAL: rybohunter
If the soil is poor or if the nutrition level is low, which can cause bad genetics,then you probably will see more spikes.
Poor soil cannot cause bad genetics. Only bad genetics can cause bad genetics.
A deer herd living in habitat that is so poor that bucks remain spikes past thier first year needs a lot of help.
How do you KNOW they were 2.5 year old spikes? Were they teeth aged by a biologist?
And what do you think caused the bad genetics that caused the bad genetics? Obviously something in the environment. I think anyone can distinguish a 1 1/2 yr. old buck from an older one. One in my area is going to be small, around 110 to 120 pounds, so it is very easy to tell if the buck is over 1 1/2 yrs. old. You don't have to age the teeth to know the deer is 2 1/2 or older. If you have hunted long enough, which most of us have, it should not be difficult to tell the difference in a 1 1/2 yr. old and a 2 1/2 yr. old or older. Just look at the body features.Now, telling the difference in a 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 yr. old will be a little more difficult. So when I shoot an older spike, I know it's not a 1 1/2 yr. old. The area of course has a lot to do with it. A northern 1 1/2 yr. old is going to be larger than one down here, but if you hunt up there regularily, you should be able to tell. I do not believe in the once a spike always a spike theory, but if a 2 1/2 yr. old buck is a spike, at least where I hunt, then he probably will never be a good buck. He may not always be a spike, but he will probably never have a nice rack, therefore, I will probably take him. I can take three bucks down here, so It's no problem taking an older spike out.