Please help me age this deer

[Deleted member 48126]

I see bucks like that on my property all the time in Georgia. We let them walk. He's probably got 2 years before he'll be a real shooter.

Good food source and steady, clean water source.

 

[CGWVU]

I know some said they weren't very good pics. Here is just an update with a better body pic I got last night. Looks like 2.5 may be a consensus!

 

[Deleted member 48126]

That's a good pic. Young deer, give him 2 years.

 

[memtb]

Colson, I'm not good a aging animals, even when observing their teeth! Heck, aging myself is pretty depressing! However, I'll go out on the preverbal limb here..... 4 days older than when you asked the question! memtb

 

[5.56×250]

Yea, better pic . Im still not changing my guess at 3.5 , but 2.5 has a better arguement with the new evidence. Im confident he isnt over 3.5 . Get that deer some protein !

 

[greengiant]

2.5 at best. If this is worrying you so much and you do not give a hoot about the future of your herd, shoot the YOUNGSTER, load him, take him by the local hangout for mature deer hunters, strut in and brag a little about the big buck you killed, invite everyone out to look at the monster, then, listen to a few laughs while tucking your tail between your legs and moving on! Whitetails normally do not reach maturity till 4.5 and some till 5.5 years of age. Seems like that ole immaturity devil has his hands on your shoulder, whispering in your ear, "you just gotta kill him, go ahead and kill him, if you wait for him to mature somebody else might kill him!" In the past forty years of managing the largest whitetail club in our area, I have heard that more times than I can count and every time out of the mouths of immature or unethical, greedy and don't give a hoot about the future!

 

[WildRose]

2.5 at best. If this is worrying you so much and you do not give a hoot about the future of your herd, shoot the YOUNGSTER, load him, take him by the local hangout for mature deer hunters, strut in and brag a little about the big buck you killed, invite everyone out to look at the monster, then, listen to a few laughs while tucking your tail between your legs and moving on! Whitetails normally do not reach maturity till 4.5 and some till 5.5 years of age. Seems like that ole immaturity devil has his hands on your shoulder, whispering in your ear, "you just gotta kill him, go ahead and kill him, if you wait for him to mature somebody else might kill him!" In the past forty years of managing the largest whitetail club in our area, I have heard that more times than I can count and every time out of the mouths of immature or unethical, greedy and don't give a hoot about the future!

Rule number one of this forum, we do not discuss ethics on this forum.

 

[WildRose]

Here's a fine example of a 2.5-3.5yo with great promise for the future. I'd like to see him again in 4-5 years but I won't own the place by then.

 

[greengiant]

Straight back & belly, long slender legs, high thin chest, my guess on its age is 2.5yrs.

 

[WildRose]

Straight back & belly, long slender legs, high thin chest, my guess on its age is 2.5yrs.

I've been watching him for a little over 2 years. 3 years ago we had a lot of very late fawns and I suspect he was from the August/September "hatch" that year.

 

[Ninering62]

Here's a fine example of a 2.5-3.5yo with great promise for the future. I'd like to see him again in 4-5 years but I won't own the place by then.

View attachment 404033

He looks 3.5 to me. I'm watching a 3.5 yr old long tine 8pt on our property now. Their bodies are about identical. I watched him make a scrape in our field 4 days ago. I just caught a glimpse of him this morn. I'd love to give him 2 more yrs to grow, but if either of the guys that hunt the neighboring properties on 3 sides of me see this guy, they won't hesitate. Its a great deer - for this area. Sadly I've only seen one deer that was at least 5.5 in the 8 yrs I've been in north Fl.

 

[WildRose]

He looks 3.5 to me. I'm watching a 3.5 yr old long tine 8pt on our property now. Their bodies are about identical. I watched him make a scrape in our field 4 days ago. I just caught a glimpse of him this morn. I'd love to give him 2 more yrs to grow, but if either of the guys that hunt the neighboring properties on 3 sides of me see this guy, they won't hesitate. Its a great deer - for this area. Sadly I've only seen one deer that was at least 5.5 in the 8 yrs I've been in north Fl.

I've watched this guy since he was a pup. The first year he had long main beams with just bumps where points should grow.

Last year they were all about 2-3" and the beams were six inches or so longer.

This year he gained another 2-3" in both length of main beam and tines so another few years he'll be a whopper. Too bad I won't be here anymore to see it.

 

[TBell]

Here's a fine example of a 2.5-3.5yo with great promise for the future. I'd like to see him again in 4-5 years but I won't own the place by then.

View attachment 404033

3-1/2 I 2 cents

 

[VLD Pilot]

2.5 and he'll be a champion in 3 more years. Texas deer are tough to age IMO