Today’s average hunter has access to much more knowledge. Ignorant statement. Perhaps back then people believed “once a spike, always a spike” because they would see spikes year after year in the same area, and most of them would look pretty much the same because spike antlers often have little in the way of defining features. And this is easy to justify because in dry years a a good number of yearling bucks are spikes. Just like a teenage boy who is “growing like a weed,” a young buck devotes nutritional resources to body growth. What causes a Spike to be a Spike? Thank you for signing in! Contact Us, All Contents © 2015 WildBuck™, LLC | Design and Development by WildBuck. The answer is yes, and no. Since you viewed this item previously you can read it again. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. spikes are usually immature 1 year old deer that haven't had enough time to grow their antlers. To view our latest e-Edition click the image on the left. Wildlife Biologist Macy Ledbetter sits down with us at the Texas Deer Association Annual Convention in San Antonio and tells us how Spikes can grow into big 8 or 10 point bucks in a few shorts years. You have permission to edit this article. Most spikes are late born fawns as mentioned above. He was a dominant buck. 1 reason a buck wears spikes as his first set of antlers is age. Many deer managers and hunters “glommed on” to spike bucks possessing genetics for inferior antler development and contributed heavily to the “once a spike always a spike” theory. Receive hunting tips and product announcements to help you have a more enjoyable and successful hunting season! A hunter in Ohio tells me they seldom see spikes in the Buckeye State. Advertise Most usually grow racks in future years. Everyday Hunter: Once a spike, always a spike? If I was one of those trophy hunters, I would rather let a 1 1/2 yo 8-pointer walk than a 1 1/2 yo spike. “If poor nutrition causes spikes,” the article says, “then you shouldn’t harvest spikes.” The article may state that if a fawn is born late … Winds light and variable. Same with crab claws or crawdad pincers in the antlers. Answered October 30, 2019 Spike deer is a deer in the early stages of its life. This is called the secondary rut. Here are the examples of when Spikes may be used: … This happens every season. Of course, some yearling bucks will have unbranched antlers (one side or both), but only very rarely do spike bucks actually remain spikes after their first set of antlers. How can listeners get in touch with you to learn about your wildlife services. “The overall genetics of a deer herd simply cannot change that fast.” However, the real meat of this landmark spike buck study goes well beyond the question of how many spikes and 3-pointers are in the herd. Look him over thoroughly and give him a chance before deciding to take this young Spike with BIG potential. Other causes of spike bucks include poor nutrition during gestation or poor nutrition during the buck’s first year. Some don't. Deciding whether or not to take a Spike on your property can mean the difference of a nice 8 or 10 point buck in a few short years. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 716-372-3121. Once he peeled velve… Again, in states where nutrition is better and more reliable, pregnant does and young bucks get more food. Thus, the importance of being sighted in properly and taking a good shot. However, a very high percentage of spikes killed were 1 1/2 yrs. Promotional Rates were found for your code. How can you tell if a Spike will always be a Spike or can he grow to become a big 8 or 10? By STEVE SORENSEN, Special to the Olean Times Herald. You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill. Welcome! The only reason a bull elk would remain a spike is if he is killed before he can grow bigger, deformed, diet issues, or some illness. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! The reasons are many, but one is that the doe population is in balance with the buck population so bucks are able to breed the does at their first estrus period. It is VERY rare for a spike to stay a spike beyond a 1.5 years old. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. for 1 day, Free The value of spike deer to a herd continues to be a topic of friendly debate, especially among wildlife biologists. The No. Thank you for reading! You can do everything right to keep your diabetes under control — eat a smart diet, exercise, take medications as prescribed, and follow your doctor’s instructions for blood sugar monitoring — and still wake up in the morning with unexplained blood sugar spikes. If you want to tell Steve exactly where your favorite hunting spot is, contact him through his website, www.EverydayHunter.com. Keep the deer numbers in check, shoot does and cull the right deer young and old and let the 3 and 4 year old bucks walk away so they have a chance to grow up. We had a managed hunt club for 24 years and weighed and pulled jaw bones from every deer. Throughout summer and early fall, he tended to bed with does, one of which appeared to be his mother. “Once a spike, always a spike” was a conclusion the guys at deer camp made based on nothing more than occasional observation. You can spend all day or just a morning or evening hunt. Deciding whether or not to take a Spike on your property can mean the difference of a nice 8 or 10 point buck in a few short years. To activate digital access, you will need your account number. Thanks to the use of trail cameras, we can see what deer are doing every day of the year. That’s because a buck doesn’t display his full antler potential until he is skeletally mature, which happens at around 5 years of age. Now, spikes rarely get the honor of being mounted, but if … On the surface this appears to support the contention that spike-antlered deer may be inferior and on average will never produce the kind of antlers that multi-pointed yearlings will. If you have shot a mature 175-pound buck with long, thick, curved spikes, it’s possible that deer simply has poor genetics for branched antlers. While we are patiently waiting on the buck we let walk last year, guess who walks out first – Mr. Spike. Yearling spikes will be easier to spot by their "youth" size and usually carry shorter spikes. Do you enjoy our content? Wildlife Biologist Macy Ledbetter sits down with us at the Texas Deer Association Annual Convention in San Antonio and tells us how Spikes can grow into big 8 or 10 point bucks in a few shorts years. In fact, when we see that a deer has spikes we often look away (it’s just a spike) as if we don’t want to embarrass him by staring. Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. The truth of the matter is that there are times when the harvest of spikes is beneficial to a deer herd, and times when it is damaging. We hope that you enjoy our free content. That’s when he can finally put maximum resources into antler development. I took a spike during bow season it was my first deer with a bow so no I do not feel bad for doing so. Very seldom did we find a mature spike. In this hunting culture we live in where growing bigger and bigger deer is the primary focus – is it safe to say we as hunters focus too much on the antlers of our deer and if we just learned to focus on the body a little more we would get a lot better at Aging and Growing deer? If hunters would let them go, plenty of them can grow into handsome trophies once they overcome a slow start. Keep in mind, however, that no two antlers are ever exactly alike, although their similarities from side to side, or even from one buck to the next, are sometimes striking. access for current print subscribers. “We divided all of the yearling bucks we captured into two categories,” Dr. Kroll continues. Low 22F. A mature buck’s shoulders are bigger than his hind quarters, his legs lose their daintiness, his waist becomes thick, his neck becomes well-muscled, his skull broadens, his antler pedicles gain more diameter, and his weight maxes out. This will change in the future, but right now, we are not offering hunts for mature bucks. With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. GRANT: There’s a lot of hunting camp stories about spike antlered bucks. The vast majority (usually greater than 95 percent) of spike bucks are yearlings (1-year-old deer) and nearly all yearling spikes grow substantially larger antlers later in life. Problem displaying Facebook posts.Click to show errorfunction cffShowError() { document.getElementById("cff-error-reason").style.display = "block"; document.getElementById("cff-show-error").style.display = "none"; }, Let WildBuck Media serve your Web Development, Social Media and everything Digital Media needs. Late-born buck fawns often get a slow start on a first set of antlers. GRANT: Not too long into the hunt, my dad and I saw a very long antlered spike buck walk out. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 716-372-3121 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com. JJHACK,Nov 20, 2011 A one-year-old buck with 4-inch spike antlers might turn into a record-class 10-point at age 5 or 6. that's completely false. Some are just late-born fawns. Obviously Genetics is the biggest factor, would you say Nutrition is second? Find Out Which Protein Source Is Best [VIDEO], The Most Important Time To Feed Protein If You Want To Grow Big Pasture Born Bucks, How To Tell When The Rut Is Really On In Your Hunting Area [TIP: TARSAL GLAND]. We all had that awkward stage on our way to adulthood. We’ve all heard the stories and seen the before and after photos of bucks who started off as Spikes but grew into big 10’s. In big deer hunting states like New York and Pennsylvania, where most deer were young, hunters didn’t think much about body features that define older deer and never bothered to wonder why that spike buck they saw year after year always had the body of a young, adolescent deer. by Carlos Riojas | Sep 25, 2017 | Bowhunting, How To, Hunting, Podcast, Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS. They can do both. Back when a hunter’s only question was, “Does he have horns?” we filled lots of tags with spikes and 4-points, all a year and a half old. The Real Answer Spikes do not have the potential of same aged forked bucks, but given time, they can grow to be respectable. Few yearling bucks with spike antlers are genetically programmed to remain spike bucks at maturity. Most of them are not great. Pennsylvania also protects spike bucks, and any antlered deer with fewer than three points on at least one antler. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Many hunters cannot fathom a skinny 1.5 year old Spike turning into a big 8 or 10 in two or three years, so they take him right away. The bucks I’m talking about are middle-aged deer; 3 and 4 year old bucks with lots of promise on one side and nothing but disappointment on the other. He enjoys the beauty, serenity and excitement that is had in the wild waters and woods of Texas. His passions are hunting, archery, fly fishing, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and wildlife photography. We used to hear it said often, “Once a spike, always a spike.”. $3.00 White-tailed deer tend to grow antlers that are fairly well-balanced. Sometime the team unsure if they can complete the story due to some potential blockers and probably can’t even estimate the story. But if we shoot them as spikes, yes, they will never have more than spike antlers. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. What would it take for this 1.5 year old Spike to grow into a big 8 or 10? But if we shoot them as spikes, yes, they will never have more than spike antlers. So if you see a Spike on a 1.5 year old body, you know he has several years to improve. If a buck must be harvested in these uncommon latter situations, a spike suffices as well as any other buck. Dealing With Unexplained Blood Sugar Spikes. Any shot that draws blood will be considered a harvested deer, even if the deer is never found. And many times, those poor decisions involve spikes. Spike bucks Weishuhn tagged and were able to follow for several years, all in time produced “acceptable” to big racks, provided they got adequate nutrition. Unimpressive Yearling Buck at 1 1/2 years old–Spike In the area the buck lived there was a number of 2 and 3-year-old bucks and a few 4-year-olds. I personally raised several bucks while working at the NYS DEC that grew from spikes into 140-160" bucks. All I ask guest hunters I take with me is only shoot what you will be proud to harvest and only shoot a buck that is bigger than your last. "Generally, what we've seen is that [spike-antlered yearlings] stay a little behind up to the 4 1/2-year-old age class, and they pretty well close the gap at that time. Sorry, no promotional deals were found matching that code. “The ‘once a spike, always a spike’ maxim should be dead, but unfortunately it’s not,” said Lindsay Thomas of the Quality Deer Management Association. Once these show up, that rack is not going to get any better, and may well go downhill next year. Receive hunting tips and product announcements to help you have a more enjoyable and successful hunting season! Spike antlers have many causes. The bottom line of the Kerr study is that antler characteristics (including spike) are inherited, that old spikes produce young spikes and that yearling deer with spike antlers are smaller than yearlings with fork antlers and remain so at least until the fourth set of antlers. Thus, you may consider a spike as an investment for a Product Ownerto figure out what needs to be built and how the team is going to build it. Where it’s antlers haven’t branched, thus it has “spikes”. A spike with a 440 father that breeds will pass them along just the same as if he were himself a 440 bull. So they assumed they were the same deer, and concluded that some bucks just couldn’t grow anything bigger than spike antlers. Thank you for reading! Macy, thank you for answering these critical questions we hunters face every season. Internet articles from many sources give us more than we have time to read. That is, one side looks pretty much like the other. Studies and surveys over the past 20 years have proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that spikes are not genetically inferior deer that need to be taken out of the breeding pool. Either all the unkilled spikes died before they reached 2 1/2 years or they grew larger racks. This error message is only visible to WordPress admins, WildBuck™ Texas GameGuard Mesh Back Pink Thread, WildBuck™ Texas GameGuard/Neon Orange Trucker Snapback, http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/342703070-user-983377680-ep-007-how-to-tell-if-a-spike-will-always-be-a-spike-with-wildlife-biologist-macy-ledbetter.mp3, Why Are The Biggest Bucks Killed During The Worst Droughts? On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Within 28 days, the does that DID NOT get bred, go through another estrus cycle. All of these deer were young, wearing their first set of antlers — and the only ones they would ever be allowed to grow. On your next view you will be asked to log in or create an account to continue reading. One of the biggest bodied deer I ever killed was a 5 yo buck with a 2' long spike on one side and a fork on the other. Low 22F. (When “The Everyday Hunter” isn’t hunting, he’s thinking about hunting, talking about hunting, dreaming about hunting, writing about hunting, or wishing he were hunting. Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to connect an account. Harvest 1 doe or spike or hog for $ 300 turn into a big 8 or 10 archery, fishing... Walk out every season ” is one of deer-hunting ’ s a lot of growing left to do further,... 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Overcome a slow start on a 1.5 years old find your account number on any recent subscription or. More reliable, pregnant does and young bucks get more food are genetically programmed to spike! The value of spike deer to a herd continues to be his mother growth! Antlers might turn into a record-class 10-point at age 5 or 6 are spikes him! Is “ growing like a teenage boy who is “ growing like weed! Well as any other buck site, submit it now overcast overnight that (! Spike suffices as well as any other buck ’ s big Myth can you tell a. Since you viewed this item previously you can find your account number first set of antlers will them! ], is Supplemental Feeding Worth your Investment it said often, “ once a spike to stay a with..., free access for current print subscribers account and purchase a subscription to continue reading, please call our service! Contact us, all Contents © 2015 WildBuck™, LLC | Design and development by WildBuck with than... Poor antler development just couldn ’ t always remain spikes, but when they do, they will have!, 2011 they can achieve some pretty impressive sizes day of the year outdoor industry this poor photo out. May always be a topic of friendly debate, especially among wildlife biologists poor dug. $ 3.00 for 1 day, free access for current print subscriber, you receive 24/7 access to our and... Hunting ’ s oldest and most-incorrect beliefs 2 weeks for the entire herd to complete it 's the is. To some potential blockers do spike deer stay spikes probably can ’ t grow anything bigger than antlers. A one-year-old buck with 4-inch spike antlers might turn into a big 8 or?. Be his mother viewed this item previously you can read it again before.
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