so while hunting last night i had a spike with around 8 inches of horn come in i was at full draw and willing to kill him but a car spooked him whats everyone's thought on shooting spikes?? Will they ever be anything big??
If you need the meat in the freezer, pull the bowhunt or die card out and trump it all day. However, if you are good in the food department, let it ride for the next year.
I would definately let him walk, I practice QDM to the full extent. Here in Michigan people shoot small bucks/spikes, button bucks etc.. Then the idiots around here wonder why there isn't an abundance of wall hangers. Those smaller bucks will get bigger and bigger as they get older.
:D http://forums.bowhunting.com/whitetail-deer-hunting/53589-once-upon-spike-always-spike.html Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
I read an article in Michigan woods n waters and the doe to buck ratio is 25:1, with this being said, the doe population needs to decrease. Unfortunately the 25:1 is a terrible statistic but as far as getting meat in my freezer, I have no problem and will always pass up a smaller buck and take a doe due to the increasing numbers.
I let spikes walk because the majority I see are young and can still mature and turn into a bigger deer. If you see a spike and he looks to be older I would shoot him and fill the freezer.
Whoever wrote the article needs to be educated just a tad. It's impossible for the buck to doe ratio to be 25:1. Impossible. That's for a different thread though.
authors name is Kenny Darwin in October issue of Michigan woods and water news article called "Peak Rut" I thought it was way off, but unfortunately Michigan does not have a ton of trophies.
what ever makes you happy. if you hunt small spots with just not a lot of big deer on it and your limited on your time in the woods absolutely kill him. besides backstarps on younger deer taste better
Spikes are a definite no-shoot for me. In a few short years, that spike may be a slammer. But that's me and my connection with the woods and hunting. Yours may be totally different, and that's ok.
Dead bucks don't grow. There is some misinformation out there that says "Once a spike, always a spike." This is only true on hermaphrodite deer-deer born with both male and female organs. Its rare, usually results in miscarriage, and results in spike antlers that are always in velvet year-round, and grow only a little every year because of the hormonal imbalance.
I personally don't plan on ever shooting a spike. I've yet to get a buck with a bow (first season), but I don't see much a point in wasting my buck tag on a scrub buck. I'm confidant that the land I hunt has something a little better to shoot than a spike.
If shooting a spike makes you happy then thats your decision. If a guy is looking for meat then I'm sure he can get an opportunity at a doe. From a management point of view I definietely would never shoot a spike, i'm willing to bet its a 1.5 year old if its a spike and I personally am a firm believer that you cant tell anything about what that deer is going to do based on his first rack....let him go so he can grow!
