Do you shoot spikes?

[Dorkus]

I am not talking button bucks but 3-5" spike bucks. I think when I once hunted in Texas in the 80s a spike was considered the same as a doe in the regs but I may be wrong on that.

I am curious because I have heard in the past you are supposed to get rid of spikes to help the herd. I have one walking around that fits this description and not sure if I should use a tag on him. So what do you do?

 

[JEVapa]

No. I want them to grow up and be bucks. I've been seeing smaller and smaller bucks these last couple years and a buttload of does. It's probably because everyone around is killing every buck there is because they think they're getting a trophy.

 

[rickm]

If you get rid of all the spikes then at some point your hurting the herd cause you wont have anything for the does to breed with.

 

[rickm]

No one has ever showed me how to cook a set of antlers to where you can eat them i go for the eatable stuff no matter what they look like.

 

[DRC458]

Nope. Let 'em walk.

 

[dlbleak]

No, mostly PSA or Aero. Oh wait, wrong thread.
Carry on…

 

[Osage1978]

Depends, I hunt public land and if it's the last day of rifle season I'd take one because my family can't eat imaginary deer.

 

[retrieverman]

If I have a buck that I know is 3-4 years old and still a spike, I will absolutely burn a tag on him, but a spike up to 2 years old gets a pass every time.

 

[2busy]

If I need the meat and it comes across my path then you betcha. I'm not passing up a shot at a spike for the hopes of a doe or mature buck.

 

[Hirschkopf]

In past years, I shot two Coues deer spikes after learning/deciding it was that or nothing (no doe harvest in AZ). The OK rifle hunt will be my first time hunting full-sized Whitetail. A "normal" young spike will get a pass unless it is the last day. Since traffic on my single feeder camera has been really slow, I plan to harvest the first full-sized doe I see!