How old is this deer ?

[bark284]

How old do you think this deer is?

[Lefty-Canuck]

3 year old

LC

[north american hunter]

3 year old

LC

^^ that'd me my guess.

[chain2]

4 points...four years old. 8 yrs old if your in the east or southern states.

congrats chain

[dmcbride]

2 years 6 months assuming you got him in November.:)

[hal53]

^^ that'd me my guess.
yup 2 1/2, not sure exactly what Chain is saying????

[wbl170]

2 1/2

[Big Red 250]

yup 2 1/2, not sure exactly what Chain is saying????

Sounds about right to me also.

[boonedocks]

Yup, 2.5!

[bark284]

That's what I was thinking awesome thanks guys

[Lefty-Canuck]

You guys are better at math...my 3 = 2.5 :)

LC

[lake side]

I'm not sure about age but he looks about 38lbs of prime venison to me. Great job!



LS

[bark284]

I'm not sure about age but he looks about 38lbs of prime venison to me. Great job!



LS
Took him to te butchers and got 125 pounds of meat

[buckman]

Took him to te butchers and got 125 pounds of meat

Never got anyway near that much off any deer I ever killed or cut up.

Most average Bucks like him only weigh 130-150 dressed skin on.

[Flatlandliver]

Here's a good article on aging your deer.
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/deer/pdf/deerjaw.pdf

[N.S.hunter]

Had an old hunter once tell me not to judge a deers age by his antlers. Check and see how worn his teeth are. Deer can have a bad year and not grow very big rack. Flatter the teeth, older the deer.

[hal53]

Took him to te butchers and got 125 pounds of meat

???? really?

[missingtwo]

Took him to te butchers and got 125 pounds of meat

No you didn't.

[Foxton Gundogs]

yup 2 1/2, not sure exactly what Chain is saying????

Think he's poking fun at the old belief 2pt= 2 yr old, 3pt= 3 yr old etc and the different way of counting 'points' from east to west. I think it's pretty funny actually.

[Dunezilla]

Took him to the butchers and got 125 pounds of meat

The butcher always weighs him & then tells you the weight & then once the butchering is done that 125lbs drops to about 40lbs. Judging by that weight I would say he is 2.5 years but no more than 3.5 years. Just wait until you kill a 275 lb WT Buck. Well done in getting that buck. Is it your 1st?

[Bigmoosehunter]

2-3 years old

[Pompey]

3 years old

[deercamp]

Had an old hunter once tell me not to judge a deers age by his antlers. Check and see how worn his teeth are. Deer can have a bad year and not grow very big rack. Flatter the teeth, older the deer.
Ft b
This is true but anybody that has seen lots of antlers can tell an old buck from a young one regardless of size.

[CountryLife94]

2 1/2 years

[Dunezilla]

Ft b
This is true but anybody that has seen lots of antlers can tell an old buck from a young one regardless of size.

Teeth are still the most reliable. The thing about antler growth comes down to the individual deer’s access to good quality nutrition, age and genetics, and even the condition of the mother can affect antler development.

I shoot a buck with antlers that were 5" in height & the base was 1.5" in diameter. If he was a fawn then he would of been one big fawn weighing 120 lbs. I believe he was 2.5 years old. Then there was this other buck where the antlers were 2.75" high & about 2" across the top & he was 125lbs. Then there was that 275 lb WT buck I shoot & he was at least 7.5 years old & I doubt that even in his prime he was nothing more than a 4x4 (including brow tines).

My point is that teeth are the most reliable.

[deercamp]

Teeth are still the most reliable. The thing about antler growth comes down to the individual deer’s access to good quality nutrition, age and genetics, and even the condition of the mother can affect antler development.

I shoot a buck with antlers that were 5" in height & the base was 1.5" in diameter. If he was a fawn then he would of been one big fawn weighing 120 lbs. I believe he was 2.5 years old. Then there was this other buck where the antlers were 2.75" high & about 2" across the top & he was 125lbs. Then there was that 275 lb WT buck I shoot & he was at least 7.5 years old & I doubt that even in his prime he was nothing more than a 4x4 (including brow tines).

My point is that teeth are the most reliable.


I agree that teeth are the most reliable or most "scientific " way of aging a whitetail . A seasoned whitetail hunter can tell a lot by configuration and characteristics of the antlers as well as the shape and condition of the deer face and ears. Will be more generalized in the sense of old or young and not an exact number. But you would be surprised how close you'll come with practice .

[Jameson340]

looks like a 3 1/2 year old to me

[crownb]

Probably 2.5 but there is a small chance he is a smallish 3.5 year old.

[deercamp]

A nice meat buck. A few years away from maturity though. Probably his second rack after buttons .

[Stinky Buffalo]

Had an old hunter once tell me not to judge a deers age by his antlers. Check and see how worn his teeth are. Deer can have a bad year and not grow very big rack. Flatter the teeth, older the deer.

...and here's the kit! :D

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Deer-Aging-Kit/1182383.uts

[Sledhead71]

I agree that teeth are the most reliable or most "scientific " way of aging a whitetail . A seasoned whitetail hunter can tell a lot by configuration and characteristics of the antlers as well as the shape and condition of the deer face and ears. Will be more generalized in the sense of old or young and not an exact number. But you would be surprised how close you'll come with practice .

Agree with the above, teeth of course will tell you but they seldom smile long enough on the hoof to age :)

[MarceeSeamans]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mTmMYuGfdNQ/T2zLrlKTGRI/AAAAAAAAAOM/tunGfle6Hso/s400/DeerAgeChart.jpg

Teeth is the only way I will trust an age. Antlers are deceiving, no matter how good you think you can judge. Location, nutrition and genes make to big of a difference.

[crownb]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mTmMYuGfdNQ/T2zLrlKTGRI/AAAAAAAAAOM/tunGfle6Hso/s400/DeerAgeChart.jpg

Teeth is the only way I will trust an age. Antlers are deceiving, no matter how good you think you can judge. Location, nutrition and genes make to big of a difference.

Agreed. Isn't the Hanson buck 3.5, there are people out there who think a buck has to be 6 or over till they get big, some bucks never get bigger than 125. Imho.

[MarceeSeamans]

Exactly, or you get a real old buck that has decreased in size since his prime.

[Snap Shot]

125lbs of meat processed. What's it part calf moose. Good try Pinocchio

[deercamp]

Yes like I Said teeth are the best and most reliable method. But antlers are judge able . And nowhere did I say size of antlers . A 6 year old 125" deer and a 2 year old 125" deer are easily identifiable as one or the other. A teeth comparison chart from south Texas isn't your most reliable for alberta deer either..

[MarceeSeamans]

The texas chart was just the only chart found that had done a broken down study, it is just there as an idea or the amount of dentin for the age. I still disagree with judging by antlers, even though some people think they have it down it is still to inaccurate. I think overal body can give you a good idea but off of just the antlers and face, no. To many other factors play into it.

[deercamp]

The texas chart was just the only chart found that had done a broken down study, it is just there as an idea or the amount of dentin for the age. I still disagree with judging by antlers, even though some people think they have it down it is still to inaccurate. I think overal body can give you a good idea but off of just the antlers and face, no. To many other factors play into it.

To each their own , body size isn't a good tell at all in myexperience. Killed a deer I know to be 6.5 years old and had a body smaller than most does.

[MarceeSeamans]

I didn't mean body size since that also changes like antlers with your region and genes. I meant overall body condition. Ex:) Like the bottom line of the stomach to the brisket, or the more obvious brisket and how legs appear in proportion to their body.

[deercamp]

I would argue that face condition and shape is a far better than body stance and belly especially on a dead animal.

[huntinalberta]

Definetly 2.5 year old

[CptnBlues63]

...and here's the kit! :D

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Deer-Aging-Kit/1182383.uts


Keep your money in your pocket.

Simply go to YouTube, search "aging deer by their teeth" and watch a few of the videos.

:)