Age & score this deer

GrayDawg · 10-14-2008, 10:44 AM

OK- my buddy took this deer yesterday morning on our opener. Here is a picture of him less than 24 hours before his last breathe.
We've already aged him (teeth) and green scored him (two different people were less than a 1/2 inch apart). My question to all the "experts" out there- how old is he & what is his score? He is a true 5x5.

Here's another picture of him so you can get a better look at his rack

Rob

NCRemington700 · 10-14-2008, 10:48 AM

127 3/8" and 3.5 yrs old

deer_predator · 10-14-2008, 10:52 AM

Well by the looks of his little belly I would guess him to be approximately 3 1/2 yrs....

It is difficult to go off of pics; however, I would guess him to be somewhere around 130-135 from the first deer pic.

The second one at night does not seem to be the same deer.....Looks to be a younger 2 1/2 year old....

GMMAT · 10-14-2008, 10:53 AM

I say 123 and a 2.5 yr old.

muckland · 10-14-2008, 11:00 AM

3 1/2 maybe 2 1/2...120 and some change...

YooperMike · 10-14-2008, 11:18 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: NCRemington700

127 3/8" and 3.5 yrs old

Must be because we are teammates. I had him the same as you NC!

GrayDawg · 10-14-2008, 11:23 AM

OK, now that I've heard from some of the "Deerologists", I figure it's time to come clean. The buck was green scored at 135 3/8ths and was aged at 5.5 years based on his teeth.

It's most definitely the same deer in the second night time pic- but the
angle of his head is changed, so you don't see the rightside G4.

We have hundreds of pictures of this buck- from being in velvet in May, right through velvet shed/hard horns last month and since then.

I posted this because my buddy & I thought he was a 3.5 year old all summer while reviewing pictures of him- and like I said- we had hundreds.

It was a lesson in humility for us yesterday, so I thought it would be a worthwhile exercise for folks here as well.

Rob

GMMAT · 10-14-2008, 11:25 AM

If that deer's 5.5......I'm humbled.

GrayDawg · 10-14-2008, 11:30 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: GMMAT

If that deer's 5.5......I'm humbled.

Then consider yourself humbled...............

NavyDeerHunter · 10-14-2008, 11:34 AM

Good story in the latest issue of D&DH on this very topic. Writer claims that it's nearly impossible to age a live deer that is beyond 3.5 years. Up until then it's easy, but after....not so much.