Ageing White Tail

[Metzger]

Hi,

How old do you think this buck is? As wild guess closer 3 1/2?

*Aging*

 

[Topgun 30-06]

No way you can remotely tell how old an animal is by looking at a picture like that!

 

[rwk]

hi,

how old do you think this buck is? As wild guess closer 3 1/2?

*aging*

2 1/2

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Okay, I'll play and make a guess! Probably 3 1/2 or maybe 4 1/2 based on his body size along with a decent rack.

 

[C.O. Shooter]

Let me know where it's at and I'll get you some teeth! Lol

I'd say 3.5 - 4.5 years old.

I wouldn't have passed!

 

[Metzger]

My county has a strict 13" inside spread. @250 yards he is 11.5-12" inside... but next year I hope to bag him as he is AT LEAST a 14 pointer including kickers.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

It's easier to take those measurements when the deer is laying down.

 

[battlestick]

That dude is 2.5. His body still looks like a doe.

 

[Scottytuned]

Where are you located? I find that plays a role as well in helping determine age through body size. A 2.5 year old Iowa buck and a 2.5 year old Florida buck don't have the same build, even though they are same species. If I had to take a wild guess, I would say 2.5 though. That rack may be large, but that body is fairly small (at least for what I see around here in Nebraska). He definitely has some BIG potential in a couple of years (if he makes it that long).

 

[Metzger]

East texas
Washington County Texas

 

[ShootnMathews]

Tx deer run a little scrawny compared to northern deer. I'd say he's 3.5. Definitely lacks the barrel chest and stumpy nose of a 4.5 yr old. At 3.5 the skull is fully elongated but still pretty narrow looking. At 4.5 the skull starts to fill out on width and the nose starts to appear shorter. 5.5 and older really have that stumpy look and thick full chest that makes their legs start to appear short.

 

[Str8shooterTX]

For a Texas deer I would call it a fantastic 2 1/2 3 1/2 deer. give it 2 years to be a monster. great genes clearly. Let him breed out a bunch and ten years from now the area will be amazing.

And don't tell anyone!!!!!!!!!!

 

[LeePaHunter]

For a Texas buck judging the body structure I would say 2 1/2 maybe 3. As you see the belly area is still rather tucked up in and his shoulders to the base of the skull are still slender. Here in pa that would be considered a 2 1/2 year old. At 3 1/2 the belly is flat from the bottom of the chest all the way back. From 4 years old and up the belly sags hanging below the chest. My uncle raises whitetail deer and these are the some of the signs to look for on aging deer. Also with my father and my wife being taxidermists they tested my uncle's way and found it is pretty accurate with the teeth.

 

[LeePaHunter]

I also must admit that that is a real nice buck for being only a 2 1/2 or 3 year old deer. I would try to let him breed for genetic reasons for a year or two then see how he looks. He is one you want around to breed does and get a larger good genetic deer herd. Plus a couple years he will be fully matured with his rack and it will more than likely be huge.