Can you tell age by coat color?
 

I' ve been spying on deer for a couple of years now and I' ve noticed that the bigger deer seem to have a darker more gray coat. Is this true?
Last year I watched a whole line of does pass by and the biggest was also more gray and very dark.
I' m so excited!! This morning at 9 a.m. I spotted last years big one that got away. He was no more than 25 yards from where I seen him last year AND it was the same time of day. He was too far away to count how many points but the points were BIG! His coat was also dark and gray.
In case you didn' t hear my story last year....on the 2nd or 3rd day of archery last year I was watching two doe from a distance. When they finally went over the hill I heard something behind me. I turned around to see a buck about 20 yards away. He was hidden behind a couple of small trees. As fast as I could I drew and was ready (hunting from ground). As he came out from behind the trees all I saw were huge antlers! I never expected anything like that and I became so nervous and excited that my arrow fell off the rest. Well, it made that ' plink' sound as it hit. The buck looked at me and that was it. He was off like an elephant crashing down over the hill. I stood there...and cried....:(
I' m ready for him this year! [:-]

RE: Can you tell age by coat color?
 

Well I wish you good luck bro, I sure hope you get a second chance at him. You' ll be ready this time...........MAYBE!;)


As for the color of the coats. I' ve noticed coat color being darker on more mature deer as well and enough to draw the same conclusion as you, though not enough to write a magazine article about my hypothesis. Lets see what everyone else thinks. I' ve never read anything about it.

RE: Can you tell age by coat color?
 

In my opinion the older the buck gets the darker they appear.

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RE: Can you tell age by coat color?
 

I also noticed a greyish color to the older ones.

RE: Can you tell age by coat color?
 

http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/hunt/deer/age/

RE: Can you tell age by coat color?
 

Two Beards, How do you get them to open their mouths?[:o]:D

RE: Can you tell age by coat color?
 

Yeah..... How do you do that Two Beards? [&:]

I just hope I get to harvest one so that I can look at those pearly white teeth!:D