Please help me age this deer

[seattleman1969]

He will be tastier now! But I agree with everyone else, around 2-3

 

[trophyhunter1000]

3.5 yr old. Let him walk 3 more years. Going to be a stud as a mature deer.

 

[richhymas]

Drive the border every morning starting a few days before hunting season and bang pots and pans together this scaring the deer from leaving your property. That young buck is dead on public, but if he survives he will grow and breed.

 

[CHRIS MCBRIDE]

Young and will get beigger.If he live long enough. One question I have not seen and did not read all replies. How much land do you control hunting on? How many other hunt around you? I know in my situation .I hunt about 40 acres in middle of heavy agriculture area with lots of hunters, I would have to take him or have good chance someone else will.

 

[THE SHADOW]

I'm not sure if this is allowed but I would love some opinions! Will this buck be getting any bigger if allowed to grow for another year??

 

[jerry moore]

i have been looking at bucks for 35 yrs i agree 2/3 yrs old & if it lives will get bigger but being able to see him again in legal light might be a stretch good luck on what ever you decide

 

[THE SHADOW]

3.5

 

[Scooter 45ACP]

Tell us some more. Where are the photos from as far as state and what are the genetics like in your more immediate area? He still looks to have a lot of definition in his body and doesn't have that thick look of an old deer. I'd call him 3 1/2 possibly 2 1/2 if your in an area known for big deer. He will get bigger if he lives another year and isn't injured through the rut. If you know no one will shoot him and are looking for antlers let him walk and then see what he looks like next year. Most people will say that 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 is where deer are at their biggest

That's true, however in Wv most don't live to be 61/2 to 71/2 before they're Venison stew.

 

[BigHunter1978]

I would agree with most everyone on here, 2.5 to 3.5, the front shoulder to hind quarter comment next to a quick assessment of the antler density to the age of the deer is about as scientific as it gets. Will he get bigger? Sure! However, his antler growth is 100% dependent on his environment; feed, water, pressure etc.... If you do not pass up the smaller ones from time to time they cannot ever become big ones! And if you want great deer genetics to be passed down you will need to be patient.

Enjoy watching him grow.

 

[greengiant]

Would you be happy to shoot that buck? If you would then take him if the opportunity presents itself. The buck is mature and a nice buck for WV or most places , antlers are thick and wide so my guess is it 31/2 years are older. Yes I would take him and let next year take care of it's self!

Sorry to disagree with your analogy for judging age. Antlers are the last and least important feature to use in judging the age of a buck. BoomFlop gave you the best advice I have seen on here. Having hunted and managed the largest whitetail deer hunting club in our area for forty years with the last 30+ years participating in our states herd management, I have harvested 100+ deer and witnessed several thousand. Each was weighed, measured, photographed, jawbone pulled, and aged by a State Wildlife Biologist. No expert, but, I do have a lot of hands-on experience. Think about this. Place four males clothed only in undershorts behind a barrier that only blocked your view of them from their shoulders up. Can you tell the young, from the prime adult, from the old man by simply looking at their body features? Absolutely you can. Deer are no different. Your photographs, while not very sharp, do give an adequate detail of the buck's body features and they yell, loud & clear, "Young Buck!" Kill him and he will not pass on his above-average genes to future generations. Let him walk and breed for several more years and not only will you be rewarded with generations of offspring for yourself and your kids & grandkids. A consistent quality herd requires intense management practices. Bucks normally mature at 3.5-4.5 years.

 

[jdyoung]

I would put him at 2 1/2 yrs, 3 max. Head profile just starting to "go football-ish" in contour. Rack is still high, older he gets, the more mass and pressure from sparring/fighting/rubbing - cause the branches drop/spread and head to calcify.
You said that genetics aren't too good in your part of the state.

no genetics are pretty bad in this part of the state

He must have something goin' for him genetically .
With that In mind for the future, and if your intent is to use him for a "seed buck", I would do all I could to keep him on your land, food plots are the best bet to attract the doe population and him. So don't shoot him just yet, gamble on keeping him alive for a couple years, put out proper food plots so his genetics have proper nutrition to work with and are passed on properly to his get. Make sure there are good bedding areas too. Designate some of areas on your property no shooting zones for a while so the deer feel safe.
Having public land border your 600 acres, word will get out about the deer on your land and you will see a lot of hunters setting up on your " property lines".
Good Luck !

 

[jlw1974]

I'm not sure if this is allowed but I would love some opinions! Will this buck be getting any bigger if allowed to grow for another year??

Looking at the pictures, I would say 2.5-3 years old. He is still a young buck by looking at the back above his shoulder. An older buck would have a more distinct hump over their shoulder.

 

[Blackhawk]

I'm not sure if this is allowed but I would love some opinions! Will this buck be getting any bigger if allowed to grow for another year??

OBSERVATIONS:
Several factors come in to play here.
1) Spread and thickness of antlers.
A young deer of less than 2 &1/2 years of age will generally have a rack width of less than 14", while a mature buck of 3 &1/2 years or older may develop a rack with over a 15 " spread.
This is dependent on the environment, food supply and and sound genetic structure.
The thickness of the main beams will continue to develop until a buck reaches maturity that is 2/ 1/2 years of age, and may become even thicker with each passing year.
2) Look for the thickness of the leg structure itself.
Mature deer will have a thickness that will show definite muscular structure, while thinner spindly legs are indicative of a younger deer.
3) Observe the thickness of the chest and stomach areas. A matured buck will exhibit signs of a thickened blood engorged neck(during the rut) and will present a much fuller broadside, and stomach than a younger buck.
Without having an animal that has been harvested there is no way of examining said animals teeth to determine age.
Generally I use all three methods in order to narrow down a tagged deer's age.
In the past I know that State Biologists have requested that I submit the lower jaw bone for examination unless it is trophy to be sent for taxidermy. Then the teeth are examined when the animal is checked in at a State Authorized Checking Station. Sometimes they will just randomly check and examine the animals teeth while checking it in.
I hope this will give you some guidelines!

 

[30dirty]

I'm not sure if this is allowed but I would love some opinions! Will this buck be getting any bigger if allowed to grow for another year??

ya hes only 3