Hunting a small place SE of Taylor, we don't have an a lot of deer.
We have antler restrictions, if I recall it must be 13" inside spread and this one
meets the branch requirements. He looks like a mature animal but if he's only 4.5
we'd rather wait him out. These animals have had excellent food available.
If he's a 5 year old then we'd like to put him on the "OK to take" list.
He's with another buck and the other one is certainly at least a year younger.
Still waiting to see if two great bucks we let walk last year made it.
Game cam runs year round, no bucks showed up until the start of this week.
Can some of you more skilled persons provide an age opinion please?

Think you're good bud, I see 5+...

Id say 4.5 max maybe 3. time will tell

Im with Nav, early season bucks are tuff, but from that pic he doesn't look overly mature to me, 3 or 4. I agree with you back deer looks younger.

4.5 maybe 5.5. More pics would help.

Thanks for the input. He won't go in my freezer but maybe someone would like him.
This one first showed up in late August last year. We let him walk to see how he
might look this year. This one another bruiser ten pointer we hope will return.

Good to see another opinion. I have several more pics of him from last night.
If it's possible he'd be better next year, we'd prefer to let him walk.

Cheers

Your more patient than I

Me too I would have shot that deer. looks mature to me.

I say 4.5 and letting him walk another year definitely won't hurt

The buck you let walk was a HOSS, definitely mature. Hope you get another chance. FWIW, I would not have let him walk.

My feelings.

Without more pictures of the 11ptr, it's hard to say, but if I'd seen him and evaluated him to be 5.5 he'd be dead. Should be a great one if he's still around.