Tooth Wear vs. Cementum Annuli
12-23-2005, 06:15 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: WI USA
Posts: 175
Tooth Wear vs. Cementum Annuli
The latest issue of Quality Whitetails does not give a glowing review of the tooth wear technique for aging whitetails. Have any of you given up on this method and gone to a lab (cementum Annuli)?
I am not crazy about the prices ($20 - $40 per pair of teeth), but I would definitely like to be ableseparate a 2.5-year old from a 3.5 or 4.5-year old buck with some level of certainty. I am not as worried about the does, but it is still nice to know the exact age.
In your QDM programs, are you sticking with the tooth wear technique for now, or is it time for a change?
I am not crazy about the prices ($20 - $40 per pair of teeth), but I would definitely like to be ableseparate a 2.5-year old from a 3.5 or 4.5-year old buck with some level of certainty. I am not as worried about the does, but it is still nice to know the exact age.
In your QDM programs, are you sticking with the tooth wear technique for now, or is it time for a change?
12-23-2005, 08:07 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cazenovia, NY USA
Posts: 2,973
RE: Tooth Wear vs. Cementum Annuli
Our small property program manages for 2.5 and older. While it would be NICE to know the age of deer over 2.5 yrs - we really don't care at this point.
Teeth and body weight work well enough for us.
FH
Teeth and body weight work well enough for us.
FH
12-24-2005, 04:57 PM
#3
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ponce de Leon Florida USA
Posts: 10,079
RE: Tooth Wear vs. Cementum Annuli
I wouldn't say that tooth wear is useless, but it isn't as reliable as it was once touted to be. I saw one example where a deer was tagged and aged at 2 1/2 and three years later it was captured again and was once again aged at 2 1/2.
12-24-2005, 08:55 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,572
RE: Tooth Wear vs. Cementum Annuli
There are indices out there that, when done correctly, can estimate ages almost as reliably as CE. They usually are a composite of body measurements including tooth wear, body weight and some others. CE is still considered the standard in the scientific field in terms of accuracy. Searching for aging techniques in the Journal of Wildlife Management may yield you more information on the indices of which I speak. I'll take a quick look this week and see if I can point you to some references.
12-26-2005, 06:37 PM
#5
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: WI USA
Posts: 175
RE: Tooth Wear vs. Cementum Annuli
ORIGINAL: BrutalAttack
Searching for aging techniques in the Journal of Wildlife Management may yield you more information on the indices of which I speak. I'll take a quick look this week and see if I can point you to some references.
Searching for aging techniques in the Journal of Wildlife Management may yield you more information on the indices of which I speak. I'll take a quick look this week and see if I can point you to some references.
01-02-2006, 07:46 PM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,572
RE: Tooth Wear vs. Cementum Annuli
The problem with tooth wear as an age estimator is that it is inherently variable and therefore inaccurate. It can be precise when done by an experienced individual but still suffers from inaccuracy. Tooth wear is really a tool for placing individual deer in a cohort or age class (ie age zero-two, two-four etc) and really isn't good at estimating the actual age to year, while cementum annuli isa more accurate method that can place individuals age by year.