The debate surrounding spike bucks goes on within the deer research community: Is a spike a product of a poor-quality environment or poor genetics? Hunters follow the debate, seeking assurance one ...

OUTSIDE THE EARS - For a buck deer other than a spike to be legal under Texas antler restriction rules, the buck's antlers must have an inside spread of 13 incher or more.

A yearling spike buck may not stay a spike, instead, ... spike-antlered deer may be inferior and on average will never produce the kind of antlers that multi-pointed yearlings will.

A buck with a spike on one side is usually due to an injury. "Dirty sheds" are a common cause of an abnormal antler. Selective harvest, or culling, does not improve genetics.

From an all-black whitetail to a Booner unicorn to an ancient spike, these are some of the rarest deer we’ve ever seen By Spencer Neuharth Feb 10, 2022 You don’t see these bucks every often.

The rut's on and it seems like you can't sit for 20 minutes without yet another buck prancing past your stand. You've seen a basket-racked 8-pointer, two spikes and one raggedy-horned freak that ...

Auburn research project hopes to provide answers to whether deer should be culled. ... Alabama hunter's dilemma: Shoot a buck with side spike? Published: Dec. 04, 2011, ...

And that idea bucks the most popular trend in deer management today. Currently, spike bucks are protected in Vermont. A legal buck is one with at least one antler having no less than two points.

Culling Spikes: Whitetail Deer Management Tips. Posted: June 26, 2025 | Last updated: June 26, 2025. James Bigley breaks down deer management by explaining why and how to cull spike bucks.