how old is he?
 

WE have a family disagreement about how old my buck is I think 3.5 dad thinks 2.5. what do you think?

If that's a 2.5 year old, then I need to move to Ohio.

I killed one close to that this year, maybe even a tad wider, and the taxi swears he is only 2.5 year old. I found it hard to believe. But it depends where you killed it. On the eastern shore of MD, they shoot a lot like that, that are 2.5 year old. But where I grew up in Eastern Ky, that would be a 3.5-4.5 year old deer.

I would say 2.5 yrs old... The rack does have good mass and is a great buck for that matter.. By looking at the face and what we can see of the body it looks like a young deer.. My buddy and others including myself had the same discussion on a buck he arrowed a few ago, I thought it was only a 2.5 as did he but others were saying 3.5 and and even 4.5.. That buck scored 136 p&y, he had it aged and it was in fact a 2.5 year old... Sometimes you can't look at the rack of the deer and estimate an age because they could have great genetics, had a good/mild winter, nutrients were right, and many other things that could contribute to a nice rack.. Regardless that is a heck of buck and one to be proud of..

I'd venture and say 3.5. There is just too much mass for that to be a 2.5 year old in my opinion. Most 1.5 year deer that I see score in the 50-75 pt range. To see a deer grow an additional 60-70 inches in the second year is a stretch when it is known that the majority of nutrients the buck intakes will go towards core body development. Once the third year comes around, then you can start seeing greater antler growth.

Now that is not saying that a freak 2.5 year old can't grow some massive "horns". But I tend to talking in general probability and greater likelyhood of something being true. Kinda like why I don't hunt my backyard. I live in a subdivision and I got tracks in my backyard, but have never seen a deer there. Sure I COULD kill a deer back there, just like that deer COULD be 2.5 years old, but I am placing my hunting odds somewhere other then my backyard, just like I am placing my best guess that he is 3.5.

It's hard to tell with just lying there but judging from the rack I'd say he is a 3.5 year old.

Dan

rack I would say 3.5 but body makes me think 2.5, I rmember back in the 90's there was a nontypical hit by a car here in michigan that scored 220 and was officially aged as a 2.5 y/o deer

I'd say he is a 3.5...hes got a fairly long snout about him

another pic for you guys
 

Sorry not as tasteful but better angle:nonono2: Had to black out nasty backround. This is not a picture I would usually post but you can see the size and features this buck dressed out at 205 lbs.

Originally, I would have agreed with the above.

After seeing the second photo, I'd have to say 3.5.

It's not unheard of for a 2.5yr old (in some areas) to be P&Y calibre bucks. I "try" to not judge deer from other areas on rack size (too much emphasis on it).

He's a great buck......whatever his age.

Congrats.