Spike mule deer in Montana?

Craig · Feb 24, 2004

I am from Washington and when I hunt around here there seems to be spikes and 2 points all over the place. We do have a three point or better rule in WA so quite a few of the big deer get shot.

Last year I hunted in Montana for 5 day and we were seeing over 100 deer a day and I never seen one spike. There were quite a few 2 points and small 3X3 bucks but no spikes. The area we were hunting had a lot of wheat fields and other farming fields. We also seen a lot of young big 3X3 and 4X4 bucks.

I was wondering what causes most of the young bucks in Washington to be spikes and 2 points and why are the bucks ( we saw ) in Montana 2 points and 3X3s. It it the food, genetics ( ?), less stress form less hunters. Any ideas. It's nice that there are a lot of good looking young bucks running around.

Tally · Feb 24, 2004

Spikes are inferior animals, that's why we have them here in Wa.
The other Montana deer just kick their a$$ and run them all west.

Hornseeker · Feb 24, 2004

Food and Genetics

I see spikes here sometimes, but definitely not as much as I did in WA. Its probably a genetic thing, that'd be my guess.

Spartan117 · Feb 24, 2004

it has alot to do with hunter stress. alot of the bucks in washington get killed as soon as they turn 3 points. then all the big bucks dont get the chance to pass on their genes and well, we get spikes. when i was in montana i saw lots of spikes, 2 points, three points and up. i just plain saw alot of deer. it wasnt uncommon where i was to see 75+ deer on one hillside.

WAmuleyHunter · Feb 24, 2004

Now that washington has gone with the 3 point or better rule. Which i think is a very very good thing for our deer herd here. I have seen less spikes. In the areas that i hunt that do get a lot of pressure where the first thing that had horns stepped out was killed are now turning around and i am passing up small 3 points now. Which in this state a few years ago would be considered crazy. Hopefully a few more years of this with no bad winter kill we may get a great deer herd going. You can always dream right???

oldoregon · Feb 24, 2004

look at the post on genetics in the general forum.

Later Yall!!!!

Bob D. · Feb 24, 2004

I think we already have a great mule deer herd, but it's not because of the 3 point minimum, it's because we haven't had any winter kill in 7 or 8 years. I think a lot of spike deer has more to do with the quality of the habitat than it does with their genes. Where I hunt I see very few spikes. Most of the young bucks are at least 2 points.