Much research has been done on the genetic qualities of spike-antlered yearling bucks, most of it contradictory. Hence, deer managers culled spikes heavily. New research results suggest that it's not necessarily warranted.

"As of 2006, we captured, marked and released a total of 884 buck fawns and 1,132 yearlings. Numbered, color-coded ear tags were placed in the ears of each buck along with tattoos in case the ear tags were lost."

The study began in 1997 and took place on twelve different South Texas ranches over a five-county area. During the following years attempts were made to recapture as many of the previously tagged animals as possible. Data was taken from all of the recaptured bucks as well as the newly captured buck fawns and yearlings each year, and the results were quite dramatic.

One of the first questions the researchers attempted to answer was: "How many spikes and 3-point yearlings are out there (percentage-wise), and do their numbers change over a period of time?" As you can see in the accompanying chart, data gathered over an eight-year period showed that the number of spikes and 3-pointers changed significantly from year to year on the same properties. If spike antlers were caused by poor genetics, would these yearly changes have occurred in such short periods of time?

"Absolutely not," Dr. Kroll says. "The overall genetics of a deer herd simply cannot change that fast."

However, the real meat of this landmark study goes well beyond the question of how many spikes and 3-pointers are in the herd.

"We divided all of the yearling bucks we captured into two categories," Dr. Kroll continues. "Yearlings that had only spikes or 3-point antlers were in one category, and yearlings with four or more antler points on their first set were in the other. We did this because we reasoned that these two classes of yearling bucks are easy for hunters to identify. We got some very interesting results on the 2 1/2- and 3 1/2-year-old bucks that were recaptured, but the age of 4 1/2 is where the results were the most dramatic.

"Studies repeatedly have shown that whitetail bucks do not reach maturity until four years of age, and by the time the bucks in our study had reached 4 1/2, there was no significant difference in any of the antler measurements, no matter what the buck started out with his first year. The antlers were just as wide, just as heavy and had just as many points. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in gross B&C score," he says.

Researchers Ben H. Koerth (left) and Dr. James C. Kroll (right) examine antlers taken from bucks that were tagged and recaptured during the landmark "Do spikes equal poor genetics?" study.

Many of the bucks that had been yearling spikes had grown 130-inch racks by age 4 1/2. Ironically, the average B&C score of all bucks killed across Texas each year is about 131 inches.

"It appears from our data that the spikes and 3-pointers are genetically equal at birth to multi-point yearlings for antler growth potential," Dr. Kroll concludes. "It just seems to take some deer a little longer to show their capability. The trick is, you have to let them grow up before it becomes obvious. Genetics certainly is an interesting aspect of whitetail management, and fun to debate around the campfire, but genetics is the least important of all the factors leading to the production of quality bucks."

So should spikes, or, for that matter, any bucks, ever be culled from the herd? According to Dr. Kroll, perhaps in some cases.

"...culling bucks is a very complicated issue," Dr. Kroll says. "In our opinion, instead of trying to cull bucks, landowners and hunters are far better off focusing their attention on things they can do something about, such as nutrition. Today the question of shooting more does is the only issue that generates as much controversy as that of what to do about spike bucks, and that's a no-brainer. We should all do our part in trying to shoot more does. It's essential for the welfare of the herd."