Ok, my main reason for posting this was to show how easy it can be to reach erroneous age/score beliefs based on single pics of a particular buck.
Similar to many of you, my guess (again, based on this single pic) was this buck was 4 1/2 or older,
and probably would gross score around 135.
Personally, I mainly use trail cam pics to sort out identifiable bucks into ones to pass, ones to consider if they present, and usually one or two to really pursue. Based on that, he went on my potential "shooter" list, but was not one I was aggressively pursuing, just that I believed I might take him if he presented.
When I got my first "live" look at him, getting to hear & see him for maybe 5 minutes up close, he offered me all kinds of good shooting opportunities.
But as he did so, I'm thinking, this is an exceptional 3 1/2-yr-old buck, in fact, it's the one from the velvet pic I had thought was 4 1/2 or older. But now, his tall rack (minus the velvet) doesn't look nearly as impressive (mainly lacking in mass). My usual criteria on "shooter" bucks is they need appear 4 1/2 or older, and have antlers I'd like to see on my wall. This one didn't pass the age test, and was allowed to walk.
The next day, I saw him again, this time he came directly under my stand, and was given a 2nd pass.
After that, I went on to hunt other areas, looking for something a little higher up on the list, while this buck was moved to the "non-shooter" side of that list.
Nothing like actually seeing the buck in the field, and
getting to view them from multiple angles ----
THAT totally changed my thoughts on this buck.
However, hunting over a mile from where I'd given him two passes, one morning a very tall-racked buck came trotting across an opening when I was hunting some thinned pines --- I didn't have but a couple seconds to "think" and "decide" ---- he looked 4 1/2 and had a very tall rack --- I shot him. When I walked up to him, it was the same buck I had twice passed earlier, and didn't expect to see where I was now hunting.
I consider any deer I kill a "trophy", and this one was no exception.
But I did regret not recognizing him, as I would rather have seen one of my friends get him, and/or see him live another year or two.
He was a very "fat" and healthy looking buck.
I figure great food sources contributed to his tine length, as well as contributed to his looking a little older.
Anyway, here's a kill pic from where he fell, as well as the scoresheet.
His teeth indicated he was 3 1/2, and the scoresheet totaled up to 125 2/8.
He would have scored a tad over 126 if he hadn't broken off one of his brow tines.
