How old was that buck?

[Woody Williams]

Here is how to age them..

www.dccl.org/information/deer/deerage.htm

[jbwhttail]

Folks:

the common mistake on 3 1/2 year old deer and older is to look at the center of the tooth. You need to look at the OUTSIDE edge (Dentine) is the brown wider than the white??

I have three bucks over 170" on my living room wall..... none were over 3 1/2 years old

[mbogo]

jbwhttail said:

Folks:

the common mistake on 3 1/2 year old deer and older is to look at the center of the tooth. You need to look at the OUTSIDE edge (Dentine) is the brown wider than the white??

I have three bucks over 170" on my living room wall..... none were over 3 1/2 years old

I would be tempted to wager that the majority of 170" + bucks that are killed (here and elsewhere)are not over 3 1/2 yo. Bucks that are 4 1/2 yo and have reached maturity might as well be an entirely different species. There are couple of very interesting radio-telemetry studies on the behavorial changes that occur when a buck reaches 4 1/2.

[steiny]

I feel the average hunter tends to normally "over estimate" a bucks age. Guy shoots a 15"-16" 8 pointer, and suggests that it was probably 4-5 years old.

In reality, it is probably only 2-1/2 years old, sporting it's second set of antlers.

Any buck that makes it 3-1/2 Years or older around here is usually a real dandy, and he'll have some good mass.

[jbwhttail]

We have had 4 B&C bucks taken from my farm none has been more than 3 1/2. All four bucks have been aged by IDNR biologists, then I have sent a tooth to be cross sectioned. All four have been confirmed 3 1/2 by cross sectioning.

Sure is great when you have some friends who are independent biologists.........

I'd agree M'bogo......... we have some 4 1/2 year old plus bucks who are virtually ghosts once the season starts. They photograph well but then vanish.

I also (along with others) do not believe the bucks as they age beyond 4 1/2 breed very much. By that time they have learned that a doe will lead them into trouble.

Sorta like a 35 year old bachelor........

[cday]

I will have to agree it is rare for a hunter to harvest a buck older than 3 1/2 years old. Even the big non typical harvested by Clyde L. Day in Wayne back in 1986 was age by IDNR biologist and they determined him to be 3 1/2 years old.

I harvest one back in 1997 up there that was probably 7 1/2 years old or older he hardly even had any teeth. That was the heaviest and longest body deer I have ever seen. I sure wish I would had weighed him. Dad had seen him years before and his rack size had went down hill. He still scored 105 with two major points broken off at the base.

I think bucks are alot like humans. When were teenagers that is all we did is chase girls always trying to get there attention. In our twenties we start acting like we have a little sense but still chasing some. In our thirties we do not chase much we know where and when to go to get some. In our forties we really do not care if we get any or not. But you still have some that never get out of the chasing and doing stupid things no matter the age. ;D