# Check out this goofey elk



## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

Took this video the other day within minutes of the other video I already posted. 
Do you guys think the antlers are generic or caused because of poor health?
He does look a little skinny but not too bad.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Ah heck,I was looking for a picture of Goofy


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

Legal spike?


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

There's a good chance he injured them both thus making them go goofy. Or it could also be a hormonal issue...

Legally, I believe he qualifies as a spike because the split is not above the ear. Cool video and great spying spot you have there.


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## archerben (Sep 14, 2007)

> Legally, I believe he qualifies as a spike because the split is not above the ear.


 It looks to me like the split IS above the ear. I can't call this a legal spike.


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## SLCHunter (Dec 19, 2013)

I thought spike means (1) one antler with no branching, and (2) no branches longer than one inch. Neither (1) nor (2) applies here, or?


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## elkfromabove (Apr 20, 2008)

archerben said:


> It looks to me like the split IS above the ear. I can't call this a legal spike.


 You could always claim he was alert and looking at you with his ears erect, thus making him a spike when you shot him!!!


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

From talking with game wardens, the branching above the ear means brow tines and a beam is a spike, as the brows are considered below the ear.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

He has a partial beam behind the spike beam. Hes not a spike!

maybe he has buck teeth from acid rain


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

If that beam doesn't branch, it is a spike.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

If a bull has browtines its not a spike


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Technically you are right. But the way Utah defines a spike brows are "below" the ear and if the bull has brows and a plain beam on at least one side it is a legal "spike".


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

That bull will look like a junky busted up bull durring the hunt. Busted bulls aren't legal
Ill pass not worth loosing my liscene or getting a fine over a mature bull in a spike unit.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

I respect that choice of yours completely. However your comment on busted, while logical, is not one I've read/seen before. I just looked it up in the regs and in the statute and all that R657-5-2(r) says is: "Spike bull" means a bull elk which has at least one antler beam with no branching above the ears. Branched means a projection on an antler longer than one inch, measured from its base to its tip.

Anybody have anything conclusive about breakage?


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

Not the direction I thought the post would take but good discussion anyway.
I think shooting that bull on a spike unit would be borderline unethical. 
The purpose of the spike hunt is to shoot yearling bulls, not messed up mature bulls.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Sorry to hijack the thread. Why would it be unethical to take out a bull legally that otherwise is likely to never get harvested by a limited entry tag holder, nor be a positive contributor to the gene pool?


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

Interesting growth on that bull.

I have seen a few bulls with the lower browtine (at the burr) and a broken beam which were shot on the spike hunt, checked by a CO, and allowed to be kept. Last year a client shot 6 point bull that had a broken side which was described as above (320 type bull if intact). He called the CO, who then came up and told him congratulations. He showed me the photo with the CO and the bull. Also some other bulls like this one with a deformed antler that qualify as "spikes". Ethical or not, it is legal.


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## SLCHunter (Dec 19, 2013)

Very interesting


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Nambaster said:


> Legal spike?


nope


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## muleymadness (Jan 23, 2008)

Looks like he has possibly a slight limp to him? Possible an old injury is what I say


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

packout thanks it a tough call to make. But it would be a cool euro mount by packout.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

swbuckmaster said:


> That bull will look like a junky busted up bull durring the hunt. Busted bulls aren't legal
> Ill pass not worth loosing my liscene or getting a fine over a mature bull in a spike unit.


Correction... Busted bulls actually are legal


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## 400BULL (Nov 16, 2007)

http://utahwildlife.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=35522&stc=1&d=1404314552

For those of you that said you would take this bull as a legal spike you had better look a little closer. I don't know if the picture is going to work but in the video at the 1:09 mark you can clearly see that this bull has a small branch that is approximately 1 inch length where the antler appears to be broken.

THIS IS NOT A SPIKE!


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

I don't know, that still looks like our would be below the tip of the ear, kind of like a devil tine in the brows and a main beam. For the record, this bull would leave me too nervous to shoot on a spike, but I still think you could. Then again a lot can still grow on him this next month and eliminate any questions.


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## bowhunt3r4l1f3 (Jan 12, 2011)

Now back to the original question...no I don't think it's "generic" however it may be GENETIC. :grin: More likely though I would say an injury to the pedestal.


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## ram2h2o (Sep 11, 2007)

Most probably due to an injury early on when antler just starting to grow.


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## BIG (Nov 12, 2009)

Legal spike. BOOM!


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

bowhunt3r4l1f3 said:


> Now back to the original question...no I don't think it's "generic" however it may be GENETIC. :grin: More likely though I would say an injury to the pedestal.


I would say he is far from GENERIC. lol

Good catch.


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

Check out the last bull in this video. I believe this is what the exception is applying too, when talking about a mature bull having a spike on one side.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

If someone shoots this, let me know and we will have the DWR check ya 

The common sense in me looks at that multi branched mature bull and says hey that isn't a spike.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

Just watched the vid, now that would be an insane spike!!


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

That one is a no brainer bang flop on a spike tag. There are some awesome bulls in that video ridge! Out of curiosity, le or general unit?


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

Heres the original "goofyelk".....At least mine.

Interestingly enough, the bioloigst beleived this bull was genetic.


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## Finnegan (Sep 7, 2007)

goofy elk said:


> Interestingly enough, the bioloigst beleived this bull was genetic.


That biologist must've got his sheep skin from BYU. ;-)


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## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

I spoke with DWR a while back this is how they explained a spike to me. The branches only count if the occur "above" (beyond) the ears. Brow tines are not considered a branching of antlers and do not count when speaking of spike elk. Above means going beyond the ear on the main beam. As shown in this picture. Atleast thats what they told me last year


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## c3hammer (Nov 1, 2009)

That thing may be 'technically' legal, but it sure as hey isn't a spike. As far as I'm concerned, anyone who shoots a bull with a full brow tine and a main beam that is broken or damaged is without honor


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

In my opinion, anyone who is obeying all the game laws is welcome in my camp--with or without c3's honor.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

It has been discussed here frequently. Honor or no honor that bull meets the criteria of a spike on a spike unit. a 6x6 with a third antler growing out of his forehead is also a spike so long as 1 of his 3 antlers does not branch above the ear. Big bulls with breaks don't get to be the exception either. I found this shed on a spike only unit and on my way out I stopped by to chat with a depredation officer and she happened to have a conservation officer with her and we were talking at her tail gate and the CO commented saying "that bull put himself in the danger zone for the spike hunt. He is lucky he shed that burden off of his head" Browtines don't count.


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