i think 2.5, but no older than 3.5 , based on your information. We have the same issue here in MN, brown is down, along with a DNR sponsered genocide program. 
Please help me age this deer
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I hope I am not hijacking this thread and I concur with the group 3.5ish. His shoulders/brisket doesn't look full and his face doesn't quite indicate an older deer. However, those fleshy features are heavily determined by adequate nutrition and time of rut, even a mature healthy deer can look poor post rut and the inverse with a young deer in the corn belt. Edited to remove the hijack...I knew better, my apologies to the OP.
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trebark
Well-Known Member
to the OP, your deer is 3.5 years old. There's good research that shows whitetails generally reach their full potential at 3 to 5 years old.
Orange Dust
Well-Known Member
3-1/2-5-1/2 if a soybean deer. Possibly older if deep woods. Def mature, but not showing signs of age. Might not get any bigger, but will get more mass. This is only a guess, but I've cut a lot of jawbones out, and that is the only way to a more positive age. Possibly younger in an area with good genes and great nutrition, but I seriously doubt he is older than 4-1/2.
trebark
Well-Known Member
You are hijacking.
There is a long term extensive research by Miss State and Texas A&M that heavily supports the amount of antler growth by age considering a steady nutritional plane. The same work supports that the difficulty of harvesting 5.5 and older bucks is increasingly difficult due to the mortality rate that becomes exponential. While I support the consensus of harvesting mature bucks we can't set the goal to high if our environment is harsh or neighboring property's practice brown is down.
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6.5x300 WBY
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For me he is definitely going to get bigger. He is atleast 3.5 but 4.5 is not out of the question. For me to guess i would say 4.5. Good luck
SSG Graybush
Well-Known Member
Looking at the body he's 3.5 or 4.5 at the oldest. Give him 1 more year if your property is bigger enough to do qdm. Imo. But a few more side pics would reall help to age him better
I'd put him like others have said 3 1/2- 4yrs. Nice rack. And if like you say the herd isn't that good, well he looks pretty good for being in a weak herd.
And if there's no hunting pressure in that area, let'm have another season. He'll only get bigger.
my .02 cents
Having managed ranches in Texas for many years as well as raised cattle, my philosophy which I practice and encourage others to at least consider is this: Would I go out to the pasture, load up my prize bull and take him to the slaughter house because I am running out of hamburger? No I would take an old or non productive cow or a steer. Translated to deer, unless I am planning to mount a trophy for the wall I will not shoot that type of genetics I would like to see more of in the herd. For venison I shoot spikes (deer equivalent of a steer in cattle herd except they can pass poor genetics) , or I shoot old does and bucks for sausage. To me shooting a buck with a top notch rack in his prime breeding years is poor management and mostly ego. For trophy purposes, they must be an exceptional rack and should be judged as
fairly mature, 4.5yrs and up. If you are in an area where great racks are rare this is especially important. Leaving good ones to breed is the only way for it to get better.
fairly mature, 4.5yrs and up. If you are in an area where great racks are rare this is especially important. Leaving good ones to breed is the only way for it to get better.
