![]() So about ten years ago Kroll and Koerth decided to add a field of study to their program that would examine the issue and try to answer a very basic question that went beyond genetics: “Can we look at a yearling buck and predict what he will score at maturity?”īecause of geographic conditions and the fact that Dr. ![]() “And social pressure has been shown in other deer species to have a significant impact on antler growth.”įurthermore, the previous studies never really examined genetics in the classical sense. “Because past spike buck studies were conducted on penned animals, the effects of social pressure could not be measured,” Dr. Austin State University in Nacogdoches may provide us deer hunters with an answer. Koerth of the Institute for White-tailed Deer Management and Research at Stephen F. Could there be a study that answers this age old question for the deer hunting community once and for all?Ī new, ten-year, landmark study done in South Texas on free-ranging whitetail deer by Dr. One study, centered on the white-tailed deer hunting lands of South Texas, aimed to find out if shooting spike bucks really is justified.Īlthough a spike antlered buck rarely remains a spike after its first set of antlers, many hunters still believe the mantra of “once a spike, always a spike.” Now, the majority of hunters know that this is not true, but will spike bucks produce less on top of their heads in future years than their multi-pointed (yearling) brothers? Past research has only confounded the issue with different studies resulting in conflicting conclusions. The longest-standing debate going is the argument over whether or not spike bucks are actually genetically inferior bucks. It’s just something that we do, whether it’s after checking out our latest batch of game camera photos or around the campfire after an evening hunt. Learn more about Deer & Wildlife Management, Holistic Habitat Management and Restoration, Hunting Lease Management along with other wildlife services that help you maximize wildlife on your property by visiting: love to discuss deer hunting and deer management. Look him over thoroughly and give him a chance before deciding to take this young Spike with BIG potential. How can listeners get in touch with you to learn about your wildlife services?ĭeciding 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. Macy, thank you for answering these critical questions we hunters face every season.But if you see a Spike on a 5.5 or 6.5 year old body, more than likely he may always be a Spike? So if you see a Spike on a 1.5 year old body, you know he has several years to improve.What would it take for this 1.5 year old Spike to grow into a big 8 or 10? 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.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?. ![]()
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