Christmas day We went hunting at my place and on our hitlist was this spike..

Now I was recently informed of "the crease method" in judging the age of a deer and this deer has a few. We've always been under the impression of if it's a spike then shoot im off because out there, we have antler restrictions so even if he grows to be a bigger deer, I wouldn't expect him to grow to meet these restrictions. So that morning he walks out, decent size body, short head, and I put him down. Walking up to him he looks to be about a 3.5 year old deer, until my brother checks his teeth. He didn't have but maybe 6 or 7 in the front, no big teeth to age a deer by, just a hard gum, it felt as though they were supposed to be there and had fallen out. Here's the final picture...

My question is, in y'alls opinion, the right move or the wrong move because I'm assuming by the teeth problem he was a very young deer. Still a spike, but a young one. Or is there maybe another variable I'm missing?

Post a pic of the jaw if you have it. He looks young to me. 1.5 yr olds born in some counties in April or May will lose their milk teeth at this time of the year. So that is what you may be seeing.

Definitely young. I have to agree with stx on the age.

Pretty sad...even my wife (who knows nothing about deer) could tell it's very young.

He is just a year and a half. There's no telling if he ever would have turned out to be a good one and it doesn't really matter. You shoot what you choose as long as it's legal and follows your lease rules. The rest is just details.

I'll try to post a picture of the jaw tomorrow, but just to be certain, I did shoot a spike...people have been telling me that yearlings grow spike antlers and i have never heard this, ive heard of button bucks and then up...put it this way...the spike looked much older than this deer(Same property)...

he even looked like he was starting to get a roman nose

don't get me wrong, i knew he wasnt an old bruiser, but it's still a spike, why keep a spike around.

I'm simply trying to get educated on the subject. I've always heard, a spike is a spike, nothing more. So when we see spike we try to shoot it. This is the first deer shot off this place the entire 6 years we've been hunting it. We don't shoot young deer because we try to manage the place as best as possible. Which is why most deer we see, walk, although our neighbors aren't as management minded as we are. If I made a mistake that's fine, I just want to learn from it if I did.

I'm hoping I'm as lucky this weekend.

who cares what your wife thinks...the guy made a choice to shoot a deer. he wasnt asking for a lecture from a wanna be qdma agent. i do respect stxranchmans opinion though.

most studies indicate that a spike at 1.5 doesn't indicate anything good or bad, spikes at 1.5 often turn into great Deer later. now if you see a 3.5 with spikes or one side spikes, then I say go for it. I am also of belief if legal, then your choice and others shouldn't give you grief even if not their choice. I personally don't like to kill does after the rut, although it would be legal.

Spikes are for the most part almost always 1.5yr old deer and will normally grow more points in future years. Depends on your management goals if you want to shoot spikes or keep them in the herd. If you are LF and have plenty of great looking young bucks then shoot them. If you do not have lots of bucks then I might keep them in the herd to help with your numbers. You can talk to 100 people and get a different reason from each one on why to keep spikes or why to shoot them. You have to make that decision on your property.

Good answer. There are always going to be guys who will chew you out for shooting it. "It could have had lots of potential." The fact is, it is legal, and it was your choice to take it. Don't worry about what us Internet folk think. I personally would have let him walk, but that is MY choice.

+1

Well said Stxranchman

congrats on your kill. if he is as young as everyone says, he should eat good!!

X2!

I hope i am as lucky this weekend. Didn't see a doe during our two week doe season and yet to get a shot at a legal buck this year.

From the picture is looks like a young deer. I also support your decision to take the spike even though smart people argue on both sides of the great spike debate.

Good work. Your kill was legal and ethical, IMHO.

This study documents one viewpoint...

http://www.deertv.tv/deerchannel/articles/antlerdevelopment.pdf

Our deer are usualy born pretty late, we see alot of first year spikes, have yet to see a 2.5 spike.

matt

Pretty sad? I don't know if I'd go that far! He was just asking about the possible age,etc. It's sad when they get hit by a car,etc. but killing a legal deer to me isn't usually sad. Especially on a hunting forum. As mentioned before; he'll eat good.

This statement is 100 percent correct. Most of the guys on my lease have agreed to not shoot spikes until they are 2.5 now. There are too many studies that now contradict the "once a spike always a spike theory".
Congrats on your kill. There is no wrong in it and don't let any of these guys make you feel guilty for killing a young deer.