- Joined
- Aug 25, 2001
- Messages
- 3,759
- City & State/Province
- Pamelot, TN, Ghost Ranch, MT, Palmilla, Los Cabos
The two businesses in Montana that specialize in aging deer and elk (as well as other game mammals) by analyzing their teeth—specifically through cementum annuli analysis (counting annual growth rings in the tooth root for highly accurate age determination)—are:
These are the primary commercial labs in the state offering this service to hunters and biologists. Many state agencies send samples to one or both for official data.
- Matson's Laboratory, located in Manhattan, Montana. It's one of the oldest and most established labs, founded in 1969, and widely used by wildlife agencies (including Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and others across the U.S.) for precise aging of deer, elk, and many other species.
- Wildlife Analytical Labs (operating as DeerAge.com), located in Missoula, Montana. Owned by Heather Stevens, this lab focuses heavily on deer aging for hunters and managers, processing tens of thousands of samples annually and emphasizing cementum annuli over less accurate tooth wear methods.
These are the primary commercial labs in the state offering this service to hunters and biologists. Many state agencies send samples to one or both for official data.
