Spike lives matter

[DOUBLE.A]

I only shoot "trophy spikes"

[Big pig]

I shoot one every year.

Really? I haven’t shot one in 20 yrs.

I can count on one hand how many 2.5 yr old spikes I have seen.

[Casey]

What about this one? Asking for a friend.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1edW_R1sBAw"]Spike - YouTube[/ame]

[Pineywoods]

I don't shoot them because every one I've ever seen was a baby. I've never seen a 2.5 yr old spike.

[Hoggslayer]

I only shot them on day ending in Y.

[SRK14]

Nothing wrong with meat in the cooler. In the area of Arkansas my dad lives, a buck must have at least 3 points on one side.

[flywise]

What about this one? Asking for a friend.

Spike - YouTube

I'd shoot it.....dont look like a yearling to me

[Greenheadless]

When I hunted Mason Mountain several years ago, they were attempting to replicate this study.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_rp_w7000_0827.pdf

Amount of growth in the first set of antlers in whitetail males was a poor predictor of antler growth at maturity. By 4.5 years of age there were no differences (P . 0.05) in antler measurements regardless of the amount of development of the first set of antlers at 1.5 years. We concluded culling of yearling males based on number of antler points would have little positive effect on overall antler quality in future years.

https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/cgi/v...ntext=forestry

It looks as if you have two conflicting studies here. One is pure pen research and the other seems to be more of a native range population. Also, one is over a +30 year period, the other in >10 year period.

[dustoffer]

Links or references to studies?

The Kerr and two other studies I referred to are in the Tx Trophy Hunter journal, volumns 2,3,4,5 of 2010. The 4-part series is titled "The Spike Wars" and discusses the Kerr study, Dr. Kroll's study, and the study done in Mississippi.