NOT TRUE!!! I was watching an episode on tv (can't remember the show). It showed a buck lifes...from birth to death. The buck at 1.5 was your typical spike about three inch daggers. At 6.5 the buck peaked out at a 169 inch giant. At 7.5 I think it droped 7 inches and was at 162 inches. Then around 11.5 the buck sported the same rack it had when it was 2.5 years of age. Then a sad thing happend when the buck died of bone cancer. But it goes to show you...Keep those spikes around.

About 15 years before my father and I got serious into hunting we took six spike bucks off our farm. We always thought once a spike always a spike. And our goal was to keep the 6 and 8 point basket racks around. Well maybe that wasn't a great idea but who knew 15 years ago.

If anyone doesn't know that a spike is NOT always a spike and can grow into a real trophy if given a chance, than that said person is still living in the myth of the past. I'm hoping most of our members here realize that.

Would you cull this deer?

I agree. I don't shoot the spikes, forks or scruby looking 1.5 year olds myself. I usually say by the 2nd year if they aren't coming out of it there going to get an arrow.

Here's why you don't

Wow that thing is NASTY! So is the buck

Was this a free range deer or a captive deer?

I saw a chart in a book that hada buck peaking around 6 and by the time it was 10,11 and 12 it was reduced back down into a spike. Maybe it was in Outdoor Life? I cant remember for sure but i do know that it was a spike in its first and second years and scored around 150 at 6.5 years of age.

Jeff, how do you know that's the same buck. Not pushing any buttons here, just asking

I'm pretty sure I saw that same show, and I believe it wasDeer and Deer Hunting's TV show. They also mentioned that a buck's body concentrates on building up body weight/musclemass and bone density (not so much antler growth)during the first 2 years.