Ageing Deer

[Rubberduck270]

I have been looking over my trail cam photos and have been comparing potential shooters with BSK's thread about aging deer. But I am still having a hard time determining how hold some deer are. Will they be easier to judge by bow season or will it be more into the fall?

I know many of you have said that you can't really age them in the summer but will I be able to accurately age them once bow season arrives?

 

[Truedouble]

judging deer during the summer is very difficult. A 3 year old will look more like a 2 year old during the summer. I can usually ID a 4 year old plus, b/c they show a lot more of a belly than a 3 year old but it can be hard to tell the difference between a 2 and 3 year old sometimes.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I know many of you have said that you can't really age them in the summer but will I be able to accurately age them once bow season arrives?

You will have more of an idea by then, but thats it. Now, come towards the end of October, you will know

 

[Rubberduck270]

judging deer during the summer is very difficult. A 3 year old will look more like a 2 year old during the summer. I can usually ID a 4 year old plus, b/c they show a lot more of a belly than a 3 year old but it can be hard to tell the difference between a 2 and 3 year old sometimes.

My problem is deciding between 3 year olds and 4 year olds. I have 1 confirmed deer that is at least 5 (he has had only 1 side of his rack since 2008) that I try to compare them against but his body is so much bigger than some deer that I think are 4 years old that its hard to say for sure how old they are.

 

[Rubberduck270]

Here is what I am referring to:

This deer is at least 5. I have him on video in 2008 with only his right side and aged him at 2 then.

This deer either just showed up this year or it looks considerably different from any deer I saw last year.

I want to say he is 4 but comparing his body to the first deer's body he may be a 3 year old. Anyone care to give their estimation on age?

 

[Truedouble]

both deer in the bottom pic appear to be at least 4, IMO. The buck in the first pic is harder to judge for me. I'm guessing 3, but could be 4.

Someone like BSK would be a better judge than myself, but I'm usually close.

 

[BSK]

Judging age at any time of year is more "art" than science. It is just easier to judge age around the rut because the difference in body conformation between ages are greatest at that time.

However, like any other acquired skill, with practice you can learn to judge age in summer. You just have to learn what body differences exist at that time. And what I use in judging bucks in summer is the vertical thickness of the shoulder and chest in relaionship to the length of the front leg. Although this also works in fall, the differences in summer are not as great. Basically, it's just a different acquired skill, but with practice, anyone can learn to do it. However, considering the differences between ages are not as great as in fall, just accept that you will make more mistakes--have a higher error rate. And don't be afraid to change your mind come fall, when differences in age are more obvious. Every year I have bucks where I chenge my mind on age judgements once I've seen them filled out for the rut.

 

[BSK]

That top picture one-antlered buck looks very mature to me. He could easily be 5 1/2.

The buck with the split left G3 looks either 3 1/2 or 4 1/2.

 

[Rubberduck270]

Thanks BSK. Maybe in a month or so I'll be able to tell if the bottom buck is 3 or 4.

If he is only 3 I will let him walk and hope he makes it through the season.

 

[BSK]

I got to "age summer-time bucks" in the headlights of my car last night while pulling into my driveway at about 11:30 PM. Had a yearling, a 2 1/2 and a 3 1/2 year-old buck in my front yard in west Nashville. Beautiful to see up close (they have no fear of people). In fact, the 3 1/2 year-old buck is the same buck I often chased around my yard last year when he was a 2 1/2 year-old 6-pointer. This year he's a 85-90 class 8 pointer. He's now big enough I think I would hesitate to chase him, even when he is eating my roses. He might whip my butt!