Age this guy.

[Papa762]

Spindly legs, slim body, thin neck, even like a young doe with antlers. 2 1/2 max. Good job growing that head gear, though.

 

[billflangjr813]

Trail cam picked these. Res is not good. Age this one with tall rack. I don't know the answer, tryng to learn.

View attachment 381142View attachment 381143View attachment 381144

3 year old

 

[TxHeartShot]

Bottom line is if you want big deer you have to let them grow........Even the "cull" bucks will often turn out pretty nice if you let them reach maturity. We have found that shooting "cull" bucks before reaching maturity does not the reduce the number of these bucks you will see the next year. We now only shoot bucks that must be a minimum of 5 1/2 and it has made a huge difference.

Five years ago we took over a place in the Texas Hill Country that's not really known for huge deer. The place had been shot out and most of the bucks we did see were 2 1/2 with the occasional rare 3 year old. I was appointed "wildlife manager" of the group (6 of us on 2500 acres) and decided we were only going to shoot does the first 4 years. It was hard to do and ****ed some members off but they are sure glad now that we stuck with that plan. Last year the biggest buck we took off the place grossed just under 170".......and I think he was a 4 year old deer

View attachment 381239

Absolutely have to plan...and have patience. I moved off a place in Webb to much bigger place in Live Oak county about 10 years ago and we culled a few bucks and killed mostly does for 3-4 years, now we have a really nice herd, all native genetics, with some big antlers.

 

[bamban]

long legs , long face, flank area is tight, 2 1/2 year old, leave him alone , tell everybody else to leave him alone for at least 3 more years or 4 . OR YOU WILL BEAT THERE ***.

Got it. Nobody but me and my nephew hunt on the place, he will only shoot on my approval.

 

[jraulsten]

Absolutely have to plan...and have patience. I moved off a place in Webb to much bigger place in Live Oak county about 10 years ago and we culled a few bucks and killed mostly does for 3-4 years, now we have a really nice herd, all native genetics, with some big antlers.

There are some monster deer in the George West area!

 

[Chas1]

maybe 2-3, hard to tell.

 

[DUCKMAN11]

Oh dang, sounds like my shooting buddy from Slidell.

Mines from Covington

 

[Muledeerhuntingfreak]

When it gets cooler I will spend more time with my spotter and camera adapter. Last year's pictures of a couple. Guesses on these
View attachment 381162View attachment 381169View attachment 381165View attachment 381166

No neck no shoulders no chest maybe 3 years old

 

[DCBenn88]

Trail cam picked these. Res is not good. Age this one with tall rack. I don't know the answer, tryng to learn.

View attachment 381142View attachment 381143View attachment 381144

Based off of the long legs and raised rump skinny neck, and long nose I'd guess he's about 2.5 years old

 

[Panhandle Pete]

Trail cam picked these. Res is not good. Age this one with tall rack. I don't know the answer, tryng to learn.

View attachment 381142View attachment 381143View attachment 381144

I am voting with the troops- 2.5 years old- straight face. no sag to the belly.

 

[bamban]

Seems like the general opinion, 2-3 yo, and let it walk for 2-3 years.

 

[Lymey]

Year and a half.

 

[TxHeartShot]

Bottom line is if you want big deer you have to let them grow........Even the "cull" bucks will often turn out pretty nice if you let them reach maturity. We have found that shooting "cull" bucks before reaching maturity does not the reduce the number of these bucks you will see the next year. We now only shoot bucks that must be a minimum of 5 1/2 and it has made a huge difference.

Five years ago we took over a place in the Texas Hill Country that's not really known for huge deer. The place had been shot out and most of the bucks we did see were 2 1/2 with the occasional rare 3 year old. I was appointed "wildlife manager" of the group (6 of us on 2500 acres) and decided we were only going to shoot does the first 4 years. It was hard to do and ****ed some members off but they are sure glad now that we stuck with that plan. Last year the biggest buck we took off the place grossed just under 170".......and I think he was a 4 year old deer

View attachment 381239

Most impressed by that raccoon eating cracker jacks...

 

[Eric Musgrove]

they are all good looking young bucks. Can't imagine any older than 2, one of them maybe 3. Either way, if they have the opportunity to mature, they will be quality bucks!

I agree, spent many years in GA taking whitetails, These are the ones we save for the kids first deer. It was a min 4 on one side QDM county. They are tender though