DeerManiac874

Just checked my camera after putting it in a new place for about two weeks--got a ton of pics of does and small bucks. This was the only picture of a decent buck.

Would you guess that this is a 3.5 year old? His body looks young but he has some fair mass to him already. Just curious what y'all thought.

buckhunter14

I couldn't ever imagine that deer being a 4 or little six point last year, that is why I would rate him a 3.5, but everyone else seemsdisagree with me.

ABarOfSoap

he has gnarly antlers, which only older bucks get, hes atleast 3.5

wis_bow_huntr

He doesnt have the stomach drop of a 3.5 year old deer. Id say 2 1/2.

upnorthmn

2 1/2

Besides antlers, there are other ways to field judge the age of a
buck.
While it is very difficult to tell the difference between a 4 1⁄2 and
7 1⁄2 year old buck, here are some tips on determining if the buck is
a yearling or older.
• Yearling bucks (11⁄2 years old) will have smaller faces and relatively
thin necks, even during the rut.
• At 2 1⁄2 years old, a buck will look heavier and be more muscular
in the head, neck, and chest. In November, a swollen neck
is a good sign that the deer is not a yearling.
• As a buck gets past 21⁄2 years, you will see annual increases in
body mass and neck size. Also, the belly may start to sag and
the back may dip along the spine.

huntboy3181

I'd agree with 3 1/2, he's got fair mass to his horns and they are just starting to become palmated at the base. But he doesn't seem to old if you look at his body. so 3 1/2 sounds pretty good.

crew

i would say about 3.5 too but sometime it is hard to teel because it depends on who much food the deer gets . this year i killed a cow horn and his age was 5 1/2 but if you kill the deer post the jaw bones and then i will give you a accurate aging on it