wingchaser_labs

I personally would love to see your sequence of consecutive year spikes. I don't beleive it for a second except for the occasional freak buck that has abnormal growth and those are typically deer that can't reproduce anyway due to faulty gonads, hence the abnormal growth. If you know that deer is a 1.5 year old there is no reason to think it will always be a spike. Shoot I've seen pics and dead buck fawns with 4 inch spikes still with mom. Now that tells me that fawn as excellent genetics and potential...... Ever think about those little runt kids you grew up with in grade school and by the time you graduated they were way bigger than you and could have kicked the crap out of ya (maybe not you but in general example). That essentailly is a spike. They are just younger 1.5 year olds that maybe were late born, had a ruff winter, less nutrition around for them, ect... In due time they will all grow to be nice mature bucks. Let em go so they can grow unless you are hunting for meat or that buck will make you a happy hunter, then have at er. WCL

zophy

Thanks for the info. Next time I'm in that situation and he's young, I will let him walk.

fingerz42

Usually a spike is a very immature deer. In very few cases will you see a spike that is 2.5 or especially 3.5. On that note, if you see a spike 3.5 I would suggest taking it from the gene pool, but a 1.5 spike will grow into a normal and respectable buck given time.

Would I have shot that deer? No. I would have let it go and watched it grow. But that is your choice and your choice is always the right choice. Its a matter of preference, so if you want to shoot a spike then go ahead. It's all the same meat.

Bigbuck, I'd guess you're seeing new bucks each year. I dont believe those are the same deer in subsequent years.