whats the best way to age a deer by looking at it?
 

how can you age a deer by looking at it, the area i live young deer have very big bodies and its hard to tell how old they are, whats the best way to tell?

RE: whats the best way to age a deer by looking at it?
 

bodycompositionfirst...thenantlers.... works for me


The more deer you look at over years of hunting, scouting, filming..studying in general in your home area...gives you afirm grip on what is normal in your area for age class..After 4.5 years old here..they usually look good!

I was talking to a good friend from HNI last night on the phone..Hes from NY and is out here in Idaho hunting..anyway like he and I discussed..there is no guessing when a true big boy walks out...You just know it!

RE: whats the best way to age a deer by looking at it?
 

This is from short experience so take it or leave it.....
Flat back and a dropped belly.

-DD

RE: whats the best way to age a deer by looking at it?
 

You also can look at how long the snout is. Younger deer have shorter noses.

RE: whats the best way to age a deer by looking at it?
 

I look at sway of back, drupe of belly, color of coat (especially around the muzzle, the muzzle will get grayer as the deer ages), and thickness of body.

RE: whats the best way to age a deer by looking at it?
 

thats true but im not just talking about bucks, i want to shoot old does to, is it true on younger deer that thereback and rump are equall, and when they become mature there back curves in and there rumpsare up higher?

RE: whats the best way to age a deer by looking at it?
 

yup gravity takes over in time......just like with humans..:D

RE: whats the best way to age a deer by looking at it?
 

Roman nose, sway back and belly, color of the coat. Some times they will get darker or more gray as they get older. Antler size is a indicator, but not a good rule to follow.

RE: whats the best way to age a deer by looking at it?
 

does any one have pics of like a 2 1/2 year old and 3 1/2 year old real deer or older to compare them to each other?

RE: whats the best way to age a deer by looking at it?
 

It's funny.....THE way I know we don't have too many elder bucks around (at least that show themslelves) is by comparing the bucks to the mature does in the area. When you see a mature doe around here....YOU KNOW IT. She looks as long as a Cadillac.....and she dwarfs the others. I've seen 2 deer, this year (bucks) that were older than 1-1/2.

Jeff

RE: whats the best way to age a deer by looking at it?
 

very heavy antlers is indicative of older deer

a bucks body matures first, with its extra energy going to rack. Once the body is matured, then all the extra goes into rack build.

grizzled and gray face, pot bellied, huge body - theres your big old buck

RE: whats the best way to age a deer by looking at it?
 

If you look at one for a REALLY long time, it will age all by itself. ;)

RE: whats the best way to age a deer by looking at it?
 

The best way to tell is the color of the coat, antler size(which is only an estimate or a guess, basically), and the body size. My advice is to watch plenty of Realtree hunting videos and try to guess how old the deer is before it says so on the screen. That's how I learned. Hope that helps!

RE: whats the best way to age a deer by looking at it?
 

I don't know....I had everyone tell me last week that color phase was NOT an indication of a deer's age. I've got one that is really dark with a grey muzzle.....and he's a small racked 5-pointer.

Everybody said there's no way this is a old deer (based on only this criteria).

I tend to agree now that I've paid attention to his other features.

Jeff

RE: whats the best way to age a deer by looking at it?
 

I do not use the "color of the coat" for an ageing factor. Deer, like people, can have different hair color variations. If the deer is alive, look at the head first. Is it long from nose to back of head? Nose to eye is a good indicator also. Then look at the body. Chest to rump. Is it long and deep or thick? Is the belly starting to sag? If other deer are around, is the one you're looking at tall? Sometimes it is hard to tell on single does. If it is a buck, antler size and mass is a good indicator. Especially the mass. Mass comes with age. Does the buck have a blocky head with a roman nose? Also, is the bucks neck practically the same size as the body where they join? These are all things you should look at when ageing deer. If the deer is dead, look at the size and shape of the feet and inspect the teeth.

BTW, for judging a bucks inside spread in the areas that I hunt, I use this method. 2 1/2 yos have an ear to ear spread of 16". 3 1/2s are about 17". 4 1/2 and up can be 18 ".
Good luck.