Texas Hunting Forum

Is this all he's got(age this deer)

Posted By: varnoldi13

Is this all he's got(age this deer) - 10/11/17 01:07 AM

Let me start by saying I am not good at aging deer . Most of my knowledge has came from reading multiple topics on here and internet research. After looking at his back, stomach and neck , will he get any better or more points?

Posted By: DQ Kid

Re: Is this all he's got(age this deer) - 10/11/17 01:16 AM

He looks 2.5-3.0/3.5 to me and likely lesser genetics IMO.
Posted By: Brian C.

Re: Is this all he's got(age this deer) - 10/11/17 01:18 AM

Im No biologist or claim to be an expert on the subject but I would venture say if there is a management tag in your future I would say you found the candidate.
Posted By: Deersteaks

Re: Is this all he's got(age this deer) - 10/11/17 01:19 AM

Based on the pics, I doubt he is more than 2 1/2, but with that said, if he is 2 /1/2, he should be better than that.If he can be shot, I would say go for it. Good one for the kiddo's!
Posted By: Texas buckeye

Re: Is this all he's got(age this deer) - 10/11/17 01:19 AM

Let's clear the water and say he COULD get better with age, but he is UNLIKELY to ever become a bruiser of a buck.

Let a kid take him this year or you can take him.
Posted By: SapperTitan

Re: Is this all he's got(age this deer) - 10/11/17 01:51 AM

I think he is 3.5 max and id give him one more yr to see what happens. At the same time if you want to kill him then do it.
Posted By: BooneDog

Re: Is this all he's got(age this deer) - 10/11/17 02:44 AM

I would call him 2.5 and would bet he would make it to a pencil horn 8 pt next year. He does not have any movie star genetics but he would fill the freezer.
Posted By: BowsnRods

Re: Is this all he's got(age this deer) - 10/11/17 02:45 AM

What do the other bucks on your place look like at the same age, which I'm gonna guess him to be 2.5 yrs old. We give our bucks to the he age of 3.5 yrs before we determine if they need to be culled.
Posted By: Deerhunter61

Re: Is this all he's got(age this deer) - 10/11/17 03:54 AM

rifle
Posted By: Pinky3169

Re: Is this all he's got(age this deer) - 10/11/17 12:31 PM

I'd call him 3.5, could be younger, it's hard to tell from the 1 broadside pic. I'd say he needed to go... If it were on my place..
Posted By: D Rogers

Re: Is this all he's got(age this deer) - 10/11/17 01:13 PM

Young deer, probably 2.5. Missin a brow tine and not a good frame for the head gear. He will improve over the next 2 years but I'd be real shocked if he turned out to be a bruiser
Posted By: ErnestTBass

Re: Is this all he's got(age this deer) - 10/11/17 01:43 PM

Originally Posted By: Drogers6771
Young deer, probably 2.5. Missin a brow tine and not a good frame for the head gear. He will improve over the next 2 years but I'd be real shocked if he turned out to be a bruiser


Yep. I'd say he's 2.5 now. He may turn into a run-of-the-mill 8 point. Which is great for a first deer, a kid deer, or filling a freezer. Just depends what the other targets on your place look like.
Posted By: redchevy

Re: Is this all he's got(age this deer) - 10/11/17 01:58 PM

Looks relatively young, but still doesn't look like something I would want to feed or pass on any of his traits for any longer. Will killing him alter the genetics? Probably not, but from my experience unless your trying to grow big 7 pts or something there is absolutely no reason to keep that deer, he will make better sausage now than he will a trophy any day.
Posted By: varnoldi13

Re: Is this all he's got(age this deer) - 10/11/17 02:25 PM

Thanks for the help guys , and confirming my thoughts. The thing is we are only seeing young deer running around . My girlfriends family has owned this land for 25+ years but has not hunted it 5 years . There are some nice 6 and 8 points running around but only in the 1-1 1/2 year range. This is the biggest bodied buck we have seen so far on the cameras . Have a good feeling there are way to many mouths to feed in a relatively close area. Two different feeders are set about 5 acres apart and we have 11 different young deer hitting them daily . All of their bodies look like they could used a few double cheese burgers!
Posted By: fouzman

Re: Is this all he's got(age this deer) - 10/11/17 04:51 PM

I'd kill him. But we don't let any deer with six points live past two.
Posted By: txshntr

Re: Is this all he's got(age this deer) - 10/11/17 05:15 PM

Originally Posted By: varnoldi13
Thanks for the help guys , and confirming my thoughts. The thing is we are only seeing young deer running around . My girlfriends family has owned this land for 25+ years but has not hunted it 5 years . There are some nice 6 and 8 points running around but only in the 1-1 1/2 year range. This is the biggest bodied buck we have seen so far on the cameras . Have a good feeling there are way to many mouths to feed in a relatively close area. Two different feeders are set about 5 acres apart and we have 11 different young deer hitting them daily . All of their bodies look like they could used a few double cheese burgers!


Take him or leave him, chances are that you have many other issues to address and that deer alone is going to make or break the herd.

Don't get disheartened by the lack of mature deer right now. A lot of people aren't seeing them because of the late rains we have had and some areas have diminished age classes in the mature range because of the drought a few years back.

Good luck up
© 2024 Texas Hunting Forum