How to age a bull on the hoof?
Elk
Cnelks' thread about score has got me thinking about age.
Is there a general rule in regards to age and points?
I know a spike is a year and a half old but when do they stop being a raghorn and start being a satellite? Herd bull? I've killed a couple bulls and have my thoughts on age but to be honest I have no idea.
I look forward to your responses.
Is there a general rule? Not really. Depending on genetics and nutrition, a bull could end up being a "raghorn" regardless of age. A 320 bull could be a satellite, while a 280 with an attitude, and big body to go with it, could be a herd bull. A 2 1/2 yr old could be a 6x6, just like a 7 1/2 yr old. However, tine/beam length, mass, width, as well as body size, will be drastically different.
What Wyo said. So many variables. Genetics, nutrition, climate. I have a friend who used to raise elk and he had some 400-class bulls that were 3 years old.
In 2003 I killed a bull that netted 352 even. Imagine my surprise when it was aged at 4.5.
"Herd bull" also depends on the cow-bull ratio in the area. I shot a 310 7x7 that was the "satellite" to a nice 340 bull. Across the road macho 2.5 year old 5x bulls were running herds.
I shot another 7x7 "herd bull" in the same area that was a 2.5 year old with good genetics. A friend killed an older 370 gross 8x9 bull in the same area that was subordinate to a 330 bull in his prime.
I can age him better on my fork than on the hoof! (grin) As mentioned too many variables! Many OTC units have 5 points as herd bulls, aging can be tough. Sometimes it's not about how big, how tough or how old, it's what's available especially in low bull to cow ratios.
ElkNut1
It's very easy for me. Shooter or no shooter :)
I was gonna say, hard to age em on the hoof.... works a lot better in a locker....
Lou... I be that ol 370 had a way to sneak in and snag a cow now and then... if nothing else he could flash his wallet... =D
What about body size and characteristic's? I know with whitetails you can tell the difference between teenage bucks and mature bucks by the way there head, neck and chest look.
N definitive answer, but you can definitely get a rough idea of age of you look at enough bulls in the same area. Body-wise- Bulls will get big blocky heads, wide at the nose, sloping and fat belly, and just overall larger appearance. Antlers develop mass as they age in my opinion. Where I hunt in AZ, a rag horn is typical 2 1/2 years old. At age 3 you will have Fives and small sixes. Typically a nice looking 6x6 will be four years old or more. The true monsters are normally 6-8 years old. But..... All genetics are not created equal.
Can't say it much better than AZBugler. Those old bulls just look old!
Being that they are members of the deer family, wouldn't most of the popular aging principles of whitetails also apply? Sway back, boxer body vs block body vs sway belly - that kind of stuff? I'm no expert, but seems like it's the same with moose as well. As they get older they just get plain chunkier.
Alot of the time the 370 will just be hanging out at the moment...He's been "at it" all night. I've watched large herds during this time with several very respectable bulls involved. Things change daily most of the time. They just flat wear out after being "the man" for a bit & smbdy else takes over.
There isn't a reliable way unless you are so stealthy you can sneak in and pull a tooth...
From what I've read, spikes are 1.5, "raghorns," as many describe them, the 4 and 5 point bulls that are less than 250 inches, are 2 and 3 year olds. Bulls will begin to be 6x6 and make P&Y minimum requirements at 4 years old. They start to become mature at 6 years old, but can gain size and reach peak antler size at 9-12, at which point, they start to decline in size.
You can't define age and "herd bull" status because that's completely dependent on the area/unit. If there are no bulls over the age of 4 within 30 miles, then the herd bull is going to be 4 years old. If you have lots of bulls between 6-12 years old in the area, then a 4 year old is not going to be the herd bull unless he's allowed to hang out by the dominant bull.
Also, like many old men (not talkin' about you, TD..) older bulls often lose interest in all the breeding and tussling and just hang around herds drinking coffee and watching the game..
But yeah, older bulls just look "old". Antler size will decline if they survive that long. My hunting partner killed a great bull with a distinctive rack in a LE unit. The BLM biologists knew him, and said he was much larger the two prior seasons. He still grossed 366 but they believed he was mid 380's the year before.
I have seen quite a few bulls up to 320" but when my friend shot a 368" monster it was a whole new level. Maybe mostly genetics but in that area bulls live to a good old age. But what set him apart was his mass as it made everything else seem small,that and the fact that his body was huge.
Lou, you're starting to look a little older, but I don't know you to have lost any interest in "breeding and tussling."
