My son killed this buck this morning. I'm curious about age because of body size and he seemed to be a bully to other bucks. I'll post pics of the buck after the jaw is aged.
Jaw bone age?
- Thread starter hunter0925
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megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
3.5
I can believe that. Wasn't sure if he would be 3.5 or 4.5.
TN Larry
Well-Known Member
I agree with 3.5.
backyardtndeer
Well-Known Member
I would guess 3.5.
3.5+. For sure 3.5, would not be surprised if he was 4.5.
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Don't forget the "+" means it's just a minimum age.
Yes, 3.5.... +
Yes, 3.5.... +
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Look at 3rd premolar. Zero wear. Most 4.5yos will have some wear on 3rd premolar.
That being said, the buck favored one side more than the other. Right side looks 3.5, left side looks 2.5. I usually go with the side that had more wear.
But you are right... he could be 4.5 or older. Aging deer by jawbone is almost farcical. Body weights have almost as much correlation with actual ages as the jawbone.
As far as the OP reference to dominance defining age... I watched a 80lb 1.5yo 5in spike today pawing the ground, blowing up in a show of dominance, and pushing around 4 other bucks with larger racks that deferred to him. Never seen a buck write so many checks he couldn't cash. Just ornery genetics, future cull buck I suspect.
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I'm no good here .
For sure. Enough dentine showing on M2 (especially when compared to M3), that I would not be surprised if 4.5. TR&W only guarantees minimum age and is notorious for under aging deer when they are 3.5+. Guaranteed he's 3.5, and could be older.
There was this article a while back that said even pros that use the bone age can be off . Like you said once the deer reached a certain age . Trying to a little logical what a deer eats could really impact the wear on teeth . Deer in the big woods and mostly wooded terrain differs from deer in agricultural areas . Logically speaking deer eating acorns, plus some years when acorns are scarce deer will almost eat anything wearing the teeth moresoso than those eating grasses , beans , wheat or whatever . What say yee tndeer ?
BSK
Well-Known Member
Absolute minimum age = 2 1/2. However, I would place him at 3 1/2 due to the wear on the right side. Using the Severinghaus tooth-wear aging method, nowhere near enough wear to say 4 1/2. However, the Severinghaus method tends to under-age deer, and the problem increases as the buck's actual age increases. For bucks that show the wear pattern of 3 1/2, 50% are usually a year older than that.
