RE: Age & score this deer
 

I just called my buddy and talked to him as I wanted to post a harvest picture but know he is a very private person. He told me I could post one so long as I "anonymize" his face.

As a point of reference- my friend is 6'3" and 235 lbs. He has hands that are like suitcases & fingers akin to baseball bats. Look at the size of this buck in relation to my friend. Also, look at the buck's face.

Rob

RE: Age & score this deer
 

That doesn't even remble the same deer when you put it in that perspective.

My aoplogies....as it's a stud of a deer.;)

RE: Age & score this deer
 

I am glad to see that I was right on with the measurments from looking at the day pic of the buck....I still say that does not look like the same deer in both pics....

Looking at the white at the tip of the muzzle...the second deer (night photo) has quite a bit less than the day pic or the harvest pic that you posted...


either way congrats to your friend...nice buck!

RE: Age & score this deer
 

Jeff,
Please........ no need to apologize. We're all human, therefore- we're all destined to make mistakes. :D

When I tell you that my buddy & I were convinced that this buck was 3.5 years old (from June 'til yesterday) after reviewing hundreds of pictures of him, it would be an understatement.

I guess what I've learned from this is the following- If you don't have any perspective when looking at a picture of a lone older deer, it's very tough to accurately age them. Sure, one can look for the telltale back sway or belly ponch, maybe even the the big neck that goes all the way down to the chest........... but when it comes right down to it- we're all just guessing until we can open their mouth and age them accurately.

The next time I enter the woods, I do it knowing that I don't know as much about deer as I thought I did. If nothing else, it should keep me honest!

Good luck afield this season,

Rob

RE: Age & score this deer
 

Here's a better shot of the rack-

Rob

RE: Age & score this deer
 

I'll give myself a pat on the back. I had guessed him at 5.5 and135-ish before I even looked at the second post! I know you're all saying "sure ya did killer", but in any casethe minute I saw his dropped neck, sway back, low hanging brisket and high shoulders (making his front legs look short) gray face and having the mass of his main-beams being almost as thickat his G4's as they are at the bases, I knew this deer was older than a 4.5 y/o. Those characteristics are seen on deer that are 5.5 y/o's on up making it tough to tell how much older than 5.5 they may be, but due to the lack of any abnormal points and symetrical shape of his rack. 5.5 seemed to be the ticket.
Great thread and tell your modest buddy to be proud! That's an awesome deer in my book. I'd take a lesser scoring 5.5+y/o deer over a larger racked 3.5 y/o deer any day. (Unless of course it was a 3.5 y/o world record like the Hanson buck ;)).

RE: Age & score this deer
 

128" 3.5 year old

RE: Age & score this deer
 

A picture of the teeth would be nice if you have them...

RE: Age & score this deer
 

Wow Rob....5.5 yrs old!!?? He does look A LOT bigger on the dirt instead of on the hoof. At least I was close on the score!

RE: Age & score this deer
 

Dave,
That was my intention of this whole exercise- to show everyone just exactly what I had to come to grips with on Monday.......... that is, we don't really know as much about aging whitetail deer as we think we do!

It gets better....... my buddy droppedthe head/capeoff at the taxi last night, the taxi told him looking at the wear on the teeth- he would estimate the buck to be 6.5 years old!

Who woulda thunk?

Rob