[ol][*]Looking at antler points of yearling bucks provided no correlation to antler development later in life.[*]Spike-antlered yearlings were just as likely to produce large antlers later in life as 6- to 8-point yearlings.[*]The prevalence of spike-antlered yearlings was correlated to birth date. No June-born bucks produced spike antlers, while 38 percent of September-born bucks produced spike antlers.[*]Overall, the captive herd only produced spikes on 20 percent of yearling bucks, while adjacent private-land produced spikes on 60 percent of yearling bucks, the only difference being nutrition.[*]The best two sets of antlers produced over the 15 years (168 and 195 B & C points) were both 3-point bucks as yearlings.[*]You can do little or nothing to improve antler genetics except to leave obviously superior bucks in the herd[/ol]