Will Spikes Always be Inferior?
Filed under: Ask Grant, Deer Biology, Habitat Management
Grant, I see spikes in my hunting areas from time to time. These deer are at least one and a half years old. They may never be a dominant deer so should I take them out or see if potential comes with age? Waco
Waco,
It is very difficult to predict a buck’s future antler growth based on his first set of antlers! A buck’s first set of antlers is greatly influenced by several factors including: his birth date, condition of his mother while he was a fetus, the quality and quantity of food while he was growing his first set of antlers, etc. In addition, yearling bucks (1 and 1/2 years old) rarely express much of their total antler growth potential. One thing is for sure, dead deer don’t grow. If your goal is to hunt mature bucks, don’t harvest immature bucks.
Growing Deer together,
Grant
