I don’t disagree. But below is the 5 point I killed this year as a 3 year old. Could he jump and turn into something good in 1-2 years, maybe. Is it likely, not in my opinion.

What's the verdict on this one?

Big Ol Alabama 4

I'd kill him

Shoot it. Cool euro mount.

Not no more.

If you want cool 4 point get him. Some people are mounting one of all points spike to a big as they can get.

I kill mature bucks. Cull is a term used as an excuse to kill something. You can’t cull genetics out.

This is the correct answer. Even “cull” bucks can produce some interesting antlers at 4+

Quailman will be along shortly with answers to all spike questions.

No such thing

In my experience most of them never show up again. I think the death rate from natural causes for 3-4 year old bucks is pretty high.

The term cull has become badly misused

I’d much rather someone just say they killed the damn thing

I’ll say congrats and move on

Every time I hear the word cull from someone I know they are making excuses for what they killed

And honestly I don’t care. Shoot what you want for all I care. It’s just a deer.

Hate is such a strong word but occasionally I find myself using it. I hate the term "cull" when it is paired with the word buck. Too many people use the term "cull" way too loosely. Most of the time it is used just to justify shooting a buck for the sake of shooting it.

If you want to shoot a small or a younger buck that has not had the potential to grow into something better, by all means go ahead and shoot it. Just don't go around telling everybody that you shot it because it was a "cull".

I have a buck on one of my hunting spots this year that I have seen 3 times. He has 5 points on his left side and a beam on his right side with a small point coming off of it up near the top. He is not a fully mature deer. He looks to be a 2.5 year old.

I have considered shooting him and still may do so before the end of the season. Why? Because he is a "cull"? No, the reason I have considered shooting him is because I haven't put a deer in the freezer this year yet. I killed one doe with my ML and gave it to someone who needed it worse than I did. I need to put at least one deer in my freezer for the wife and I. I'd rather shoot this buck at this spot than to shoot a mature doe that may possibly drop a couple of fawns on the ground late summer, thereby helping to increase the numbers there.

Shooting him doesn't have anything to do with him being a "cull". If I kill him it will be simply because I wanted to and I needed the meat.

In my opinion, there are very few bucks roaming around out there that genuinely fit the term "cull".

Just the way I see it...

Cull is usually either 1) A term used by someone to justify killing something that they want people to think that they normally wouldn’t of killed or 2) Something that someone does when they are too lazy to actually spend time and money to improve their property and deer habitat.

You aren’t going to make any change on a free range property in Alabama by “culling” a buck. All you’ll do is ensure that you have 1 less deer on the property.

IMO you’ll do more help to the deer herd and future prospects by ensuring your deer have proper minerals, food sources and cover than you will by “culling” that buck.

I use to word cull so do most of the people I hunt with or around. However we don’t use the word to describe a deer that needs killing to improve the genetics. More like an old deer low scoring buck that needs to be killed to make room for something else and to end its days of eating food a more promising buck or a doe could be eating.

X2. 2nd most popular excuse to my neighbor would've shot him if I didn't

A few years ago Auburn University tagged some deer around our land. One of the deer had tags in both ears with the number 22 on it. We had pictures of him as a 2 1/2-year-old with a spike on one side and three on the other. We got pictures of him the next year as a nice eight point. Pictures are included.

Perfect example moody. Even if a bucks horns don't correct themselves like number 22 there, it still doesn't necessarily mean they have inferior genetics. They could've damaged their pedicle when they cast their antlers previously causing it to grow a spike for the remainder of their life.

If it’s a 6pt or better. I like the character.