How old is this deer

[bamban]

I was invited to mule deer hunt last season, but medical reasons prevented me from going.

This one has been showing on the trail cam. My buddy's section in NW TX butts up against the Cap Rock Canyon State Park, chances it getting poached is very low. Likely I will see it next season.

Question to the members: What is your best guess on the age.

 

[lancetkenyon]

4.5 years.

If it was some of the well-known areas for good genetics, I might say 3.5 years.

Looks like in the rut, he is all swoll. So late Nov-Jan sometime?
Not a young buck face, deep in the chest. Looks like in his prime. Doesn't have the old look to be on his way back down, either.

Weak rear forks/G3s. OK front forks. But decent mass. Is that a big eyeguard?

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

I was invited to mule deer hunt last season, but medical reasons prevented me from going.

This one has been showing on the trail cam. My buddy's section in NW TX butts up against the Cap Rock Canyon State Park, chances it getting poached is very low. Likely I will see it next season.

Question to the members: What is your best guess on the age.

View attachment 525378

13 years

 

[bamban]

4.5 years.

If it was some of the well-known areas for good genetics, I might say 3.5 years.

Looks like in the rut, he is all swoll. So late Nov-Jan sometime?
Not a young buck face, deep in the chest. Looks like in his prime. Doesn't have the old look to be on his way back down, either.

Weak rear forks/G3s. OK front forks. But decent mass. Is that a big eyeguard?

Thank you for the input.

Picture taken yesterday. Mule deer season in TX ended 1st week in Dec. Season is short, only 3 weeks compared to WT that runs the 1st Sat of Nov through the 1st of Jan.

Here is another trail cam taken on the 23rd. It prefers near sundown stroll. And returns the other way at night.

It should be a shooter next season.

 

[Buffalobwana]

He's mature, or will be mature next year. He's 4 or 5 maybe? For NW TX, that's a good rack.

We shot a couple that went 176 and 179 and have seen some great 150-160's, but for that part of TX, great deer. Hope he shows up again!

 

[bamban]

He's mature, or will be mature next year. He's 4 or 5 maybe? For NW TX, that's a good rack.

We shot a couple that went 176 and 179 and have seen some great 150-160's, but for that part of TX, great deer. Hope he shows up again!

Best guess on the rack?

 

[Buffalobwana]

Best guess on the rack?

His shallow forks keep him from scoring high, good width, average mass, maybe high 140's?

We had 3 tough summers of draught. So he could put on inches if he gets fed.

If you can feed him cottonseed starting now, he will add more inches than on no feed. I had one that ate cottonseed all summer and he was a fatty when we shot him.

 

[sturner]

5.5

 

[lancetkenyon]

His shallow forks keep him from scoring high, good width, average mass, maybe high 140's?

Good estimate. I am seeing 145-150".
Short G1s
OK G2s
Short G3s
OK G4s
OK Main beams
Good width
Mass is average

He looks mismatched, which will hurt score with deductions.
But, he is better than 90% of mule deer hunters will ever kill. Especially in that part of the Country.
If you find him, kill him.

 

[dgpcpa]

Definitely mature. I'd say 4.5 youngest - maybe older. Its hard to judge his back unless his head is up - disguises the droop in the back - if present. But he is big in the girth and saddle; short muzzle - at least 4.5.

 

[sp6x6]

Im in agreement.Back here in the mountains I would never shoot a buck like that.But those days are gone.That would be a typical late season meat buck, last few days, but even now that is harder to come buy.Doesnt look like real old yet, no roman nose, does it have both eye guards? When shot you can age by teeth and the pedicules get shorter with age

 

[bamban]

Good estimate. I am seeing 145-150".
Short G1s
OK G2s
Short G3s
OK G4s
OK Main beams
Good width
Mass is average

He looks mismatched, which will hurt score with deductions.
But, he is better than 90% of mule deer hunters will ever kill. Especially in that part of the Country.
If you find him, kill him.

Thanks, Lance.

If I see him next year, I will put him on the ground.

Nez

 

[Country Bumpkin]

My best guess is 3.5 or 4.5 with a lot of promise ahead of him. His belly isn't low enough in the back to be much older than that.

However, I don't know what TX mule deer look like, only mountain mulies in Idaho that have to make it through winters and migration (so they probably carry body weight differently).

 

[sp6x6]

Id put him in the skillet...