Contributors to this thread:
I've been looking into finding out how old my buck is.. I know they go by the teeth and I'm pretty sure I got a rough estimate but I wanted to get some input from you guys
let me start, i'll say 3 yrs. no teeth are exceptionally worn , usual wear ,points starting as usual. JMHO.
Stick your finger in some old guys mouth and compare the difference.,I don't think he'll mind and who knows you both might enjoy it...lol..2x tompolaris
https://youtu.be/c2QXoPemYSE https://youtu.be/35Xc9hzpaFE
Bloodtrail's Link
Here's a sure fire way to get the exact age of your deer. $25 and it takes 4 months, but you won't have to guess.
Based on body size of your deer I would guess 4.5-5.5 maybe older.
I did a lot of research bloodtrail and that's exactly what I got 4.5 to 5.5.. I love the link you sent me and I'm going to do it.. He's my first buck and he's a big buck so I think it would be cool.. My guess is right at 5.. But we will all know in about 17 weeks.. Until then keep the estimates coming
Why are the teeth so dark? Did they get stained?
You can't tell the age by looking at them, you need to cross section and count the rings, like aging a tree. They're dark because he didn't brush and floss :)
Tough to tell from that view but i would have to say 3-1/2.
I think at least 3 1/2, but may be older.. I find that looking at the teeth on the skull itself gives me a better idea, but once deer is over 3 1/2 years, it's not very accurate and if you really want to know you need to send out a tooth to be tested. If a deer is very old ( like 6+) you can tell it's old, but will never really know for sure the age unless it's tested. What a deer has been eating has to make a big difference. Very easy to tell if a deer is 1 1/2 because baby teeth are just falling out or have just fallen out and new ones are showing or growing out.
Go to Deerage.com you will get the exact age of your deer you send them the tooth
can we get a pic of the deer ?
taxi told me he goes by the back tooth -
the sharper the angle the older the deer - looks like my deer at 5.5
I would say minimum 5.5 and likely older
big 3.5 or more likely (in my opinion) 4.5. People always tell me it's bunk, but a wildlife biologist buddy who checks deer for MDFW up here feels like, at least up to 4.5, there are substantial mass differences in antlers. Looking at deer with him, makes me think there is something to it.
People age em by tooth wear, and also by the more complex methods... The old tooth wear method is why, at check stations, prior to aging they would ask: "Are you going to mount this?" because they had to cut the cheek to get clear view of the teeth.
All opinion of a semi informed deer nerd, but looking at the teeth with fresh reference for a 3.5YO my buddy shot last year in mind (was playing with the skull and jaw saturday AM) and the mass of the rack on your deer...
And my gut say's 4.5~, but maybe a big 3.5...
And like you - I'd be proud as hell any day regardless! I'm excited to see what they tell you when you get the official age number.
Al's comments is the only correct one I see so far. You need to have an incisor cut in half and apply a die to the tooth to expose the growth rings, like on a tree. By counting the rings, not the wear, you can get a good idea on age. Wear on teeth could be caused by the type of food, i.e. lots of woody matter vs soft, green growth would wear teeth sooner over time.
As for antler mass or size - just too many variables to use as an age meter. Age, nutrition and genetics contribute to the size of a buck's antlers, so you can have a young deer with great nutrition and genetics have a rack much larger than an older deer with poor nutrition and genes.
You still didn't give an estimate BBB.. Throw one out
I dont disagree for ideal aging BBB... But given 30+ years of bio's using tooth wear (making assumptions for food etc) there must be something to it. I often hear folks say antler size is bogus, and while it's not a real "method" of aging, if you think of deer you have seen, there is almost always a rack size jump from 2.5 to 3.5, and a significant mass jump from 3.5 to 4.5. The antler thing is a ball parker - is a deer likely 4.5+ or younger... Certainly not going to say it's "the" method or a "correct" method... But that mass jump really seems to relate, more than not, to deer that are 4.5+
This is really cool Shawn - I'm excited to see... Especially if it's ancient. Last year Jrdeerslyr shoot one that was aged at 9.5 up here (MA) during gun season. Hope he sees this and posts a pic. I think that was last year, maybe it was 2 years ago. Regardless, it was really cool to think of a buck surviving to 9.5 on public land!
3.5 or 4.5, kinda on the big side of 3.5 and on the small size for a 4.5. I agree with what Will said about the mass.
probably around 3-4 yrs old.
Im taking your advice bloodtrail.. So I called deer age today and figured out everything I have to do to get my buck tested. I had to remove his two lower incisors with the root.. I put them in hot water for a while and the teeth came right out.. I'm getting him tested for his age which is $25 and I'm also paying $15 for a certificate of aging.. Its a really cool nice 5 x 7 glass frame with your story of the deer and the age.. I think its a cool idea and being my first buck and being a bruiser I really would like to know. The certificate will look great on the wall right beside the mount.. Shipping it out first thing in the morning .. It takes 4 months so start the countdown....lol
shawnm - you might also want to write down a brief summary of the hunt and pin it behind the mount or rack. This way, years from now you can read it and remember every detail, like the date, time, weather, etc. When you get to be my age you just need to remember where the mount is :)
Ya BBB on the certificate of age he puts not only the age but the story of how you got the buck.. Very cool and can't wait to get it
Just wanted to post on this so most of you can see what you guessed.. blood trail and rich444 were right on as well as me.. I'm so happy he was nice and mature
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say 5.5 years.
I think the definition of "mature" varies from person to person. For instance, I'm a lot older than that, but my wife often says that I am immature because of fart jokes, etc. Just sayin...
