When I first started hearing about deer management 30 years ago, I heard you were suppose to shoot all the spikes because they were inferior deer and would never make anything worth while. I only have limited first hand experience about this but here is what I know for sure. I had a friend that had an enclosure with two bucks in it. Both bucks were cow horn spikes the first year despite having all they wanted to eat. The second year both were basket racked bucks about 14" spread. The third year both deer were what I would call trophy size. One was a 11 pt. about 140 class and the other was 13 pt about 150 class. Unfortunately some jerk shot them both in the enclosure and left them laying while my friend was off hunting in another state. We have a deer that frequents our property nearly every day or night. He was a spike last year and was injured probably by a coyote but has long since healed. He is easy to ID by the large scar on his ham.
this year at 2 1/2, he is showing me that he can be a decent buck given time to mature. We hope he makes it through this season but where we live it will take a miracle.
what's your thoughts on QDM and spikes? are the experts right or wrong?
I think to fully have a QDM you need to look at the spikes. If they look to be older spikes like maybe 2 or 3 year olds than yes I would take them out of my herd. If they are yearlings and you have trail cams or equipment like that then you can watch the bucks grow or maintain. I also think your buck to doe ratio needs to be healthy. Back to the bucks though if they are older and still spikes you don't want their genes in your herd. Like I said just my opinion.
I too was taught this. Although early on it was disproven in a pen a uncle of mine had also. A young cowhorn buck that was caught by dogs and placed in a pen on our farm grew into a 130 class 10 pt after four years.
I think if a deer is in his first or second year and is a spike there is still some potential. If he is older than that there could be some agreement that the genetics are lame and should be taken from the herd.
In our area, everyone starts pouring out corn in August in hopes of attracting deer to an area when they should have been feeding them January-August with minerals and other additions to their diet that would enhance antler developement. True management is a year round mentality, but few think this way.
I would bet that was personal opinons not actual QDM. Every educated QDM'r I have ever talked to has told me to "ONLY SHOOT MATURE BUCKS" I personally have never seen a mature spike.
I have seen a couple of Mature Spike Bucks over the years. One had 14 inch spikes and its jaw bone aged it at 4 years,another I saw was at the Dixie Deer Classic some years ago. I think it was like 20 inches or something. At that time I think it was the largest ever killed in NC.
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