i made thispost last year..thoughid start some more controversy..
what do you think is a spike always a spike orwill it someday be a 10ptp&y on your wall?

Nah, spikes are spikes, next year is another story. Some spikes are true inferior animals, but so many more spikes are simply yearlings that were late dropped fawns the previous year, or even a great button buck with small spikes instead of buttons. I personally know of a buck that grossed 208 typical that was a spike his first year.

There's one thing i dont understand. How a person can tell that a spike one year is the 208" typical. I mean, theres so many spikes and basket racks, and unless there was something physically distinctive, like a double throat patch or busted leg, how do you know the deer that was a spike last year is a 14" wide 8 pointer this year? 90% of the time, i really don't think you can say you know an older buck was a spike his first year..

slayer

I agree with slayer.

I have heard the argument both ways, but I personally do not believe the "once a spike always a spike" theory. There is a story in this months QDMA magazine that tracks a buck from spike to 160 class 10 pt. Deerslayer 37, I use game cameras all year on my place, and I know which deer are going to show up when I move my cameras into certain areas. I use digital cameras and have HUNDREDS of pictures in my computer from the past few years. I do find that the populations change just before and during the rut, but by mid December, the familiar faces show back up.

I have seen some spikes that have remained spikes their entire life. Last year I ahd a spike around and this year he is a nice 6..

Are skinny people always skinny,OR fat people always fat?????????

I think it can go both ways. He might be a spike because of bad genetics, which will never improve, or he might be a spike because of bad nutrition, or he might be a spike because he was just younger than everyone else.

Spend some time around pen deer, and you'll see that spikes can flourish. It's not too common for them to become 160 class deer...but it happens.

I've seen a deer with it's first rack (at 1 1/2 yrs) be a 10pt that scored in the 110's. He was with another deer that was a crappy 3pt at the same age. The crappy 3pt was a much bigger deer at 4 1/2 yrs.

I know the pen deer aren't a perfect representation, but they are still the same species.

My feeling is that MANY spikes will be basket racks at best....but some could become nice deer.

If spikes are always spikes, the state of PA will be overrun with spikes in a few years...With AR's they'll always be safe. LOL

I thought the spike myth had been busted years ago!