RE: spike always a spike????
 

Nutrition plays a big part and while most can eventually catch up... it' s usually better in my opinion to get him out of your gene pool.

RE: spike always a spike????
 

hey thanks alot for all the anwsers. i saw one of the deer last night and i would guess it was 1 1/2 or so old (smaller body). with all you anwsers i will wait and see what next year i have both on video so if i see one next year i will possably be able to check body size. thanks again.

RE: spike always a spike????
 

I read an interesting article last year that is right in line with what Buckshot explained, but this article had a big twist to it. As Buckshot said, most spikes are a result of being late fawns, however, get this... The article said that when the doe to buck ratio is far out of whack, does that aren' t bred until late in the rut or during the post rut, are more inclined to give birth to buck fawns. This is nature' s way of trying to balance things out the way they should be. (It has something to do with body temperature vs. the doe' s eggs, etc.). The bottom line is that areas with a very high number of does means that many fawns are born late, which includes a high number of buck fawns, and those young bucks are behind the eight ball from day one. It isn' t until their 2nd set of antlers that their bodies and antlers catch up with the fawns that were born in April and May.

RE: spike always a spike????
 

Has anyone on this board heard of anything similar to the article I explained in the above post? I think it' s an interesting concept.

RE: spike always a spike????
 

A SPIKE IS ALWAYS A SPIKE!!!!!

THIS IS 100% TRUE.....................IF YOU KILL HIM;)

RE: spike always a spike????
 

In my experience I would have to say no. As I have seen individuale deer growth and have not seen any one deer remain a spike, but I am sure there " may" be the exception?

RE: spike always a spike????
 

Jimbo,
Yes, I have read about the what you mentioned. Here in Pa. where we have a 6 or 7 to 1 doe to buck ratio this occurs fairly often since all the does aren' t bred during the first cycle. I don' t recall where I read this, but it does make sense.

RE: spike always a spike????
 

I know last year on my lease a guy took a spike. 1X1 about 8 inches long. Deer was at least 3 1/2 if not 4 1/2 years old. It was dressed about 140-150 and for a hill country deer where I am that is a large deer. I think a spike can always be a spike but given the best conditions might be better.

RE: spike always a spike????
 

I saw a study on the local PBS station here in Houston done by the Texas Department of Wildlife where they had deer in captivity and tracked their progress from birth to death. The Dept of Wildlife kept the shed antlers from each deer every year so you could see how they had developed. The deer that were spikes after their first year never developed the antler mass of the other deer. Some of the spikes did eventually grow eight points, but they were tiny tiny racks with an outside spread that was less than 12" .

RE: spike always a spike????
 

Russ, did they also increase the doe permits in MS? In PA, where I live, we have antler restrictions and a very liberal doe permit policy.