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mule deer ages #8799338 02/10/23 09:12 PM
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Went to get our bobcat hides tagged at the WG&F office here in town, CITES, so we checked the ages on our mule deer bucks from last Fall.
My buck was aged at 6.5 yrs and the husband's at 7.5 yrs.
His deer was also cwd positive, we learned that way back in Fall.
We were thinking 4.5 and 5.5 so a little surprised.
Glad they both turned out to be nice mature management bucks.
Spouse did the euro on both.

6.5 yrs
[Linked Image]
7.5 yrs
[Linked Image]
7.5 on left and 6.5 on right
[Linked Image]

Re: mule deer ages [Re: Wytex] #8799351 02/10/23 09:28 PM
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freerange Online Content
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Good looking deer. The one is really tall.
Did they age by tooth wear or some other method?


At some point in life its time to quit chasing the pot of gold and just enjoy the rainbow. FR
Keep your gratitude higher than your expectations. RWH
Re: mule deer ages [Re: Wytex] #8799363 02/10/23 09:46 PM
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They do lab aging via cementum age analysis, counting rings.
The WG&F tooth aging lab has been proven to be one of the most accurate in the US.
Matson's Lab also does tooth aging.
WG&F does ours for free so we get about everything mature aged by them.
We have probably 25 years of known deer ages from this property, our takes and LO's friends and family.

Re: mule deer ages [Re: Wytex] #8799434 02/10/23 11:42 PM
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Great-looking deer and awesome info too. cheers


[Linked Image]
Re: mule deer ages [Re: Wytex] #8799436 02/10/23 11:50 PM
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Very nice deer, congratulations...


Longhunter >>>-------> Make It Count!!!<><





Re: mule deer ages [Re: Wytex] #8799478 02/11/23 01:27 AM
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We have had 60 to 80 ish bucks aged at lab with the cementum process over several years. We finally decided it wasnt as accurate as we thought and hoped it would be. We werent sending in known age deer so maybe they were right. We just really document a lot of bucks over the years and feel some we have a good idea on age. Then the lab says different, some younger and some older. Tooth wear is not accurate either. There doesnt appear to be a way to age them with much certainty. We watch them over years and talk among ourselves and give them our best estimate of age and thats what we go by.


At some point in life its time to quit chasing the pot of gold and just enjoy the rainbow. FR
Keep your gratitude higher than your expectations. RWH
Re: mule deer ages [Re: freerange] #8799484 02/11/23 01:33 AM
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Originally Posted by freerange
We have had 60 to 80 ish bucks aged at lab with the cementum process over several years. We finally decided it wasnt as accurate as we thought and hoped it would be. We werent sending in known age deer so maybe they were right. We just really document a lot of bucks over the years and feel some we have a good idea on age. Then the lab says different, some younger and some older. Tooth wear is not accurate either. There doesnt appear to be a way to age them with much certainty. We watch them over years and talk among ourselves and give them our best estimate of age and thats what we go by.


I’ve only done 14 and I haven't had any suprises. STX sent in a few known and got some that where off but i dont know by how much.

I do know that when looking at Mule deer molars add a year to what you think it is compared to WT


Donate to TX Youth hunting program.... better to donate then to waste it in taxes

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Re: mule deer ages [Re: Wytex] #8799671 02/11/23 02:55 PM
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Your climate does not lend to that type of aging to be as accurate as up here.
Out changes in extreme weather and diet over the year lends to more discernable rings on the teeth.
WG&F lab has done known age studies on their methods and it was proven very accurate for Rocky Mt deer.
Down South it just does not give good results.
I trust their data, it is a proven lab method for us up North.

They do state it can be off a year or so.

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