# LEGAL SPIKE



## Bowdacious (Sep 16, 2007)

So, got into a debate with a friend the other day about what constitutes a legal spike in a spike only (LE) area. I told him that as long as the bull didn't have any branches out past the length of the ears on one side it was a legal spike. He said if it branched at all it wasn't legal. I told him that you could have a nice 6x6 bull on one side and a crazy branched bull on one side as long as the branches didn't go past his ears and you would have a legal spike. Can anyone confirm this? If anyone has any pics...it would help.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

My understanding it would be illegal.I't can't have any branching at all on the one side.The other side can have as many branch as it wants.That my understanding of reading the proc.


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

A spike is:

A “spike bull” is a bull elk that has at least one antler
that does not branch above the ears. A branch is a projection
on an antler that’s longer than one inch, measured
from its base to its tip (R657-5-2(2)(s)).

So you could have a giant 6 on one side and a spike on the other and it would be considered a spike bull. You could have a giant 6 on one side and a main beam with a brow tine on the other side and it would be considered a spike. The key is no branches above the ears on at least one side.

I've heard of bulls with a big 6 on one side and a spike on the other being heavily sought after on spike hunts before.


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

ive heard both ways.... but i do believe that as long as its only got an "eye guard" that isnt above the length of his ear, its considered a spike.


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## manysteps (Sep 28, 2009)

I'll bet you'd be hard pressed to find one with only an eye guard on one side. That said, I have a picture of a spike by 5 point that was at Hardware a few years ago.


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## bearhntr (Oct 6, 2008)

So Manysteps where is the pic? I would love to see it. 
I do understand the no branching above the ears on the "spike" side but let me ask you this ? How many of you would be willing to give up your hunting rights for an opposite interpretation of the rule book from a game warden? I have talked to several wardens about the same subjects and they all differ in opinion. I personally would not risk it.


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## manysteps (Sep 28, 2009)

bearhntr said:


> So Manysteps where is the pic? I would love to see it.
> I do understand the no branching above the ears on the "spike" side but let me ask you this ? How many of you would be willing to give up your hunting rights for an opposite interpretation of the rule book from a game warden? I have talked to several wardens about the same subjects and they all differ in opinion. I personally would not risk it.


Let me see if I can find it.


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

bearhntr said:


> So Manysteps where is the pic? I would love to see it.
> I do understand the no branching above the ears on the "spike" side but let me ask you this ? How many of you would be willing to give up your hunting rights for an opposite interpretation of the rule book from a game warden? I have talked to several wardens about the same subjects and they all differ in opinion. I personally would not risk it.


Well you have a point but the law is clear and why we are entitled to our day in court. I've seen many cases thrown out because simply put the LEO was wrong. I'm not bashing LEO's there are a ton of laws and expecting any individual to know them all is not reasonable. But a warden is not the judge and jury and they are human.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

It is where the branch occurs. A browtine off the burr is that is 12" long does not count. A small point off the top does count. This is not a yearling bull regulation, is a "No branch above the ear regulation".

These are legal spikes-


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## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

Packout, your link doesn't work.


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## flyfisher20 (Aug 5, 2011)

Here is the site for the proclamation:
http://wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks/201 ... d_regs.pdf

Look at pages 12 & 13


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## Bowdacious (Sep 16, 2007)

I've read the proc...and it doesn't take into account the weird occurances where the "spike" side doesn't branch "past" the ears. That brings me to my next question.....define "above the ears". The proc does say "above" not Past. In that case....any branch off of the main is not considered a spike. What if one side is broken?


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## stevedcarlson (Apr 19, 2011)

I dont know about you but I just down loaded the regulation on my I pod so that I have it. So you guys might want to do that as well of you guys think it will help!


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

Bowdacious said:


> I've read the proc...and it doesn't take into account the weird occurances where the "spike" side doesn't branch "past" the ears. That brings me to my next question.....define "above the ears". The proc does say "above" not Past. In that case....any branch off of the main is not considered a spike. What if one side is broken?


The key is where it branches from, not where it ends up. If the branch starts below the ears you are ok. Broken points do not count unless they are an inch or longer.

Your pic looks like he may have a branch towards the top of both antlers but it's hard to tell on the far antler. If it wasn't a branch up higher this is a legal spike.


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## Bowdacious (Sep 16, 2007)

SO, IT IS "PAST" THE EARS, NOT ABOVE?


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

The law says above but the key is where the branch starts. Does it start below or above the ears? That's the question you have to ask yourself. It doesn't matter if the branch goes past the ears in length. 

In your pic on the near antler you have one branch that starts below the ears and one above. The one below does not count as a branch but the one above does.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

Under that definition the mountainview bull in the grocery store in mountain view Wyoming would be a legal spike... That bull is a 3 antlered bull. One of the antlers is only a spike but the other 2 antlers have branches on them. 3 antlered bulls also meet the criteria so long as one of the antlers is only a spike.


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## Huntoholic (Sep 17, 2008)

First off, thanks for the thread. This is the type of topic that really gets you thinking and I believe helps us all before we run into that situation in the field. 

Now for the topic at hand. I personally look at it this way. If I see a single antler above the ear I know I will not have an issue with antler versus antlerless. If I see a single antler that tapers and I see it from a couple directions, then I will have a little more confidence that there is not a kicker, I would be happy to say it meets the intent of the regulation. Personally I will not shoot any animal on a spike hunt if it has anything other than a single spike, above or below the ear. I will not shoot a spike that has a start of a fork (ball or palm), unless the other side is as described as above. I will not shoot an animal that has an obvious branch on one side and break on the other. The above I believe follows the intent of the spike hunt and I have a high feeling of confidence that I will not have an issue with our LEO's. or anybody else watching. 

Thanks again for the topic.........


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## bugchuker (Dec 3, 2007)

[attachment=0:3vnhdixh]GetAttachment.jpeg[/attachment:3vnhdixh]


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

I passed on a bull that was a fork on the one side and a main beam double brow on the muzzleloader season in 2008....just thought it was too much of a risk to pack that sucker 3 miles back to camp only to have it not be a legal bull...


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## spork40 (Oct 8, 2007)

what about breaks? i saw a six point a couple of years ago that was completely broken off one side except their first point. no main beam left, just the one eye guard. would that really be considered legal or would you have issues trying to prove you did not break the antlers?


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

I am going to keep biting on this one. "Never shoot first and check afterwards" That being said I did ask the CO in my last hunter education meeting and a bull that is broke off at or below the ears that doesn't branch is alright to take. He said he would easily be able to tell if the bull had actually broke the antler and rubbed it within a few days or hours. He said he has had a hunter attempt to pass a bull with a hunter induced break and you can definitely tell what is the handy work of a hunter with a file. When bulls are hard horned they still bleed when they break.


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## temproost (Sep 14, 2010)

I had one a couple years ago just like the one mentioned above, broke the entire main beam off one side just leaving the eye guard. I was in a tree stand and had my camcorder recording him the entire time which was about 15 min. The closest he came to me was about 5yrds straight below me. Did not occur to me he was shootable until I came walking off the mountain after dark and had time to think about it. BUT, just to make sure he was legal before I went back up we showed fish and game the pics and received a confirmation that he was indeed LEGAL. End of story is, we never seen him again.


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## ktowncamo (Aug 27, 2008)

bullsnot said:


> I've heard of bulls with a big 6 on one side and a spike on the other being heavily sought after on spike hunts before.


I saw such a bull on the Wasatch last year. Would have been 320 or so but one side was a crazy long 40" main beam spike, the other a full mature 6x


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## Hunter Tom (Sep 23, 2007)

ktowncamo There is a super spike like you described hanging in the big Gander Mountain sports store in the Williamsport Pennsylvania area. People are dubious when I tell them it is a legal Utah spike. I was watching a nice 3 by 5 legal spike several years ago but could not find him in season and some other fellows were after a big 3 by 7 legal spike.


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