Once a Spike, Always a Spike – NOT!

Hunting is filled with lore, and hunters are always on the lookout for more information. But we have to realize that not every campfire story is true and that many hunters are just plain wrong about some things.

One of the big myths is that a spike buck will never get any better than a spike buck, or that it will be inferior to other bucks. I have seen proof that it’s not true, and the idea makes no sense whatsoever. But that belief still persists among some hunters.

Legendary whitetail researcher Charles J. Alsheimer grows deer on his property, which is dedicated to researching whitetail deer. He knows, monitors, researches, and follows them through life, endeavoring to learn more and more about these enchanting critters. One benefit of that is the ability to track the lives and development of individual deer.

He tracked this particular deer until it became the dominant buck in its area, declined, and died at age 12.5.

The photo above shows the deer at age 1.5, 2.5, and at its peak at 6.5.

Clearly, the idea that a spike is inferior has no basis in reality.

Young bucks see more calcium going to their bones than to their antlers, and I believe that’s usually why bucks have small antlers in their early years.

If you’re interested in learning more about this deer and the course of its life, check out the original article.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.