Spike bucks??? to shoot or not to shoot

[Dave]

 From what I see the arkansas Law usually has a 3 point minumum or a two inch or less button buck allowance. Well what about those bucks that will never bee anythign more than a spike due to bad nutrition and genetics? to shoot or not to shoot, can you? Don't we as hunters want to harvest these bucks so they do not ruin the local line of genetics?

Also how can you effectively tell the difference between the two; a young spike buck or an  older spike that has reached its antler limits?

[roy]

body size

[Dave]

that works if there is another to compare too...but doesnt really answer the question of weither we let those bucks walk as we hold out for something better or  harvest them to help out the local deer population.

[roy]

Some of your small spikes (2 in) are deer not even a year old that already have larger antlers than their counterparts who are mostly button bucks.  Other small bodied spikes are sometimes 1.5 years old and are born late or born to yearling doe that came into heat later due to their younger age.  Normally a doe's first fawn has the best potental as far as antler size is concerned.  I believe these deer should be left alone because their potential is still undetermined.  If you see a spike that is 150 lbs and looks like a large doe, chances are it will never amount to anything.  You can also tell by its behavior.  A young spike is the dumbest deer in the woods.  He is just worried about eating corn and chasing doe.  An older spike will be like any other older deer.  He will be concerned about his surroundings and act more like a mature buck-and should be taken out of the gene pool.

[Dave]

I agree that we should let the smaller spikes grow but as far as an older one doesn't the law state 3 points or better? so are these deer allowed to thrive and muddy the gene pool so to speak?
More often or not on public land hunters don't pass the opportunity even on a small buck as they are not afforded the opportunity to nurture thier own deer herd on a 1,000 acre ranch..

[dburl]

I totally agree w / Roy on the potential of the 7 mth - 1.5 yr old spikes; it is undetermined. I have 300 acres of my own and lease approximately 750 acres that is bow only and I have saw this at both places by using trail cams. And that is this, in the last 6-7 yrs we have had numerous pics of spikes, forkies , and also , numerous pics of 2.5 -3.5 year olds. So , those spikes eventually grow into , sometimes , really good bucks and some don't. I do believe that culling buck because of their genetics only will work where the buck to doe ratio is closer to even. In most areas in Arkansas , there are probably 4-5 does per buck; there's no battle for dominance and bigger mature bucks are like loners so , most of the breeding is being done by those spikes. Now if the doe numbers were less there'd be competition for breeding her, and I bet the bigger buck would win the doe. That's my thoughts/theory! lol!

[alexthurmond28]

idk.... i say.. letem walk! 

[mpoor]

QDMA (Quality Deer Management Assoc.) has a lot of info, basically, if you want to have big bucks you have to have old bucks. But that being said, different hunters have different ideas of what a "good" hunt is. Some folks like to see gobs of deer when they are in the woods, others are willing to see fewer deer if they are bigger. Neither is right or wrong, its like country music or rock n roll, we each have our own idea of a good hunt. But if you want to see big bucks you have to "let them go so they can grow" check out this link. http://www.qdma.com/what-we-do/articles/deer-biologymanagement/protecting-yearling/t

[Dave]

I agree we have to let them grow up.. But there are "management bucks" out there that will never grow anyl arger..4yr old spikes..these bucks need to be harvest edto stop thier bad genes from spreading.. If you manage your own herd on a ranch or private lease then this is easier to identify but on public land its harder to manage.

[mpoor]

I guess the real question is how to judge the age of a deer. How to tell the difference between 1.5 yr old spike and a 4 yr. old. The QDMA has stuff on that too. Check out this poster http://www.theshed-qdma.com/store.php?seller=QDMATheShed&pd=393701#images It's like a lot of things, it takes practice but you can do it. You don't have to get exactly right. Just the fact that hunters are thinking before they harvest is, in my opinion, a good thing. My selection process is directly influnced by the amount of meat in my freezer.

OK I don't shoot spikes, I shoot does for meat.

[Kevin]

I guess the real question is how to judge the age of a deer. How to tell the difference between 1.5 yr old spike and a 4 yr. old.

That's it. If you aren't accurate, you could be doing more harm than good. If you're not 100% sure the spikes you are seeing are old bucks with bad genes, you may end up harvesting bucks that could really improve your overall gene pool.