Age & score this deer
 

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

RE: Age & score this deer
 

127 3/8" and 3.5 yrs old

RE: Age & score this deer
 

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....

RE: Age & score this deer
 

I say 123 and a 2.5 yr old.

RE: Age & score this deer
 

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

RE: Age & score this deer
 

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

RE: Age & score this deer
 

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

RE: Age & score this deer
 

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

RE: Age & score this deer
 

Then consider yourself humbled............... ;)

RE: Age & score this deer
 

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.

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