Re: To shoot a spike or not to shoot a spike
I hunt almost exclusively on Vancouver Island and have eaten my fair share of tag soup the last few years. FOR ME, the only time I will shoot a spiker now (and trust me, I've harvested them in the past) is if I am walking with the bow. Otherwise, I'd like to think I gave him a chance to grow a little.
Re: To shoot a spike or not to shoot a spike
Its legal its down. When filling tags gets easy for me, Ill pass more.
Re: To shoot a spike or not to shoot a spik
Quote:
Originally Posted by
pnbrock
not for me .dont think its worth taking the life for 30lbs of meat let it grow for a few years
I think a lot of chickens would agree with you. :)
Re: To shoot a spike or not to shoot a spike
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ratherbeshooting
I hunt almost exclusively on Vancouver Island and have eaten my fair share of tag soup the last few years. FOR ME, the only time I will shoot a spiker now (and trust me, I've harvested them in the past) is if I am walking with the bow. Otherwise, I'd like to think I gave him a chance to grow a little.
This is where I'm at. I'll happily set up a new hunter to shoot a spike though. In regards to taste, the best tasting deer I've shot was also the biggest and oldest. My rule now is that it has to have forked antlers. Personal preference.
Re: To shoot a spike or not to shoot a spike
Fork or better for me. I shot a spike or two when I first started out. Can't say the meat was better or worse. Handling of the meat and time of season seems to make more of a difference. Leave the easy ones for the newbies or for people that can't "hunt".
Re: To shoot a spike or not to shoot a spike
I take any game thats legal and ive bought a tag for,with the price of meat these days 40 lbs of hamberger/cuts is better then going home with nothing.I hunted hard this yr for mulies,10 days out all day long and finally connected with a tall 2-point with 3 hrs of the season left last day,no way id of passed him up even if he was a spiker.
takla
Re: To shoot a spike or not to shoot a spike
My first two deer were bt spikes. Well one a crab claw actually but both young'uns. And never say never for the future but I've preferred to keep looking for something bigger for quite a few years now. I've been armed and let quite a few spikers go through the seasons and ended up looked at a freezer full of fish and nothing else a few years and questioned my judgement on that one ;) I don't put too much thought in to it just do what feels right that day.
Re: To shoot a spike or not to shoot a spike
For years i have held out for bucks that were at least four points. Being careful to processes the meat properly, i've always had good meat. My porch has nice antlers on the wall and two of my best are mounted in my front room.Now im getting older (retired) and the mountains are steeper and the cold hurts more . lol . This year i decided to take the first legal buck i saw . It was a spike by two mulie. Boned out and off to get sausage made i got 46 lbs of meat.Very small to previous deer ive taken. but some of the best dinner sausage ive ever eaten . I think next year ill try for some more of that good sausage