Spots?

[Outdoorsfool]

What determines when a young deer loses it's spots? Over the weekend I saw a young spike, spikes maybe 4" tall or so, but the thing was fully spotted. Saw a smaller deer, appeared to be a doe, that had just a few faint spots left. I think this is the first year I've evern seen a spotted fawn sporting head gear.

[BornBad]

Was proly the brandy you was sip'in ODF



Funny you should say that, though. I was killing time and saving petrol this past weekend with Cabela's Deer Hunt 2004. The Missouri hunt, on the game, is for Axis deer...









'Nothin wrong with spots, they give ya somptin to aim at

[Outdoorsfool]

This freaking spotted spike kind of looked like the one in the back....maybe we gots us some exotics loose out there! Several years ago a neighbor came flying in the drive and was asking about shooting an elk on our property. I axed him for some of what he was or . He took me over and shore 'nuff was an elk. Called MDC and they said we was fine to shoot it as long as we was willing to pay the fines and civil damages to the dude that owned the elk farm it escaped from.

[Robin@AimLow]

I just don't see that there is any way a fawn is going to have any real antler growth (spikes). What you are describing would be a button buck, but the buttons grew into spikes.

How big was the body?

[BornBad]

ODF,



Hear no evil, speak no evil.



What elk?

[PoisonSnake]

Robin: I too have seen a spike that was in fact a 0.5 year old deer. Saw it down in AR about 6 years ago. Had 4 to 5" spikes and was sporting spots. Couldn't believe my eyes. Haven't seen one since either.

[Outdoorsfool]

I'm tellin' ya Robin, I was stone cold sober...which could have been the issue. I'm going to say the deer was maybe 6-8 months old according to body size. The deer looked to be big enough the spot should have been gone. Like I said, same weekend I saw a smaller-sized deer whose spots had mostly faded. This dude was no button buck...spik es were plainly visible with naked eye at 40 yards...I'm guessing probably 4" or so.
I'm hoping this little buck is going to grow up to the be the freak of nature I'm been waiting to kill!!

[2BHNTN]

Never seen a spotted buck with any growth over a couple of inches.

[Outdoorsfool]

Me neither, hence this post. I'll see if I can get some pics.

[Two Tall the Neanderthal]

Robin, I saw a 180 pound doe once. Didn't have spikes or spots though. But I agree with you, since I've never seen .5 year old deer with spots and , it's not possible. Those guys are just flat to dumb to know what they are talking about.

[Warmouth]

I've heard about that in TX. Button bucks shedding little nubs, or having 1-2" of horn showing.

This little guy you're talking about just may be a super buck waiting to happen.

I've never seen it personally though.

[PoisonSnake]

Now that I remember, my good buddies first deer was a button buck that had rubbed its velvet or hair off of the . However, it was like 0.5" of antler. I thought that was weird as well. Deer weighed all of 60#s. Oh, and this was live weight. I guess it would be dead weight as the deer was dead. Just not FD weight. You get the picture I guess.

[Walter]

I saw a spotted nearly grown doe at MTL this last weekend.

[Two Tall the Neanderthal]

Mocraig, where you at on that one? That is in some serious need of hyphens and commas.