How old you think this guy is?

*South Texas

3 1/2

3 1/2

Older than 7 1/2

8ish

Old enough to cary his Medicare card. Skinny with saggy skin, think 85yo man in deer years..

I’m seeing a post mature deer myself

When was the pic taken?

I could convince myself that he’s 3 1/2 or ancient so have no idea.

Taken about 10 days ago

2

3.5

2.5

X 2

I think this guy is deceiving. Protruding sternum, scalloped (not flat) top of head between the brows and the beginning of calloused knees are all typical a mature or even a post mature buck. The lack of staining on the hocks is a detail also. This deer is not 2 1/2 and if he were a healthy 3 1/2, believe me when I say there would be staining there. Might not be a bunch of it, but there would staining.

Something amiss with my assumptions here is how high he is standing on his hooves. As deer get older, they sit back more and often leave splayed hoof prints. That just does not seem to be the case here. I can't help but wonder if this is a middle aged or older buck who got ill after his antlers were set. That could help to explain both body condition and lack of staining.

2

I honestly cannot decide from this pic if he is young or old
Need another angle or two

Long legged looking enough to be a 2 year old but I do see some callusing on his front knees that would seem to indicate a much older deer.
Very young looking face except for the graying on his forehead.
Some sagging skin but that could be simply due to being in semi-bad shape.
He is definitely standing on the tips of his hooves like a young deer does most of the time as well.
WOW

If this is my only look at him, I'm calling him 2.5, maybe 3.5....just too long legged and absolutely zero hock staining at all!

I am telling ya, he is Old. Look at huge brisket sag, swayed back, old face. Unless that area is under a severe drought and very little nourishment that is a body of an old man except for no belly sag.

Looks old or sick to me.

His hoofs look weird, almost worn down, or like he is walking on his tip toes like a ballerina, doesn't look normal.

I can see characteristics of both ends in this pic but I don't see enough evidence of being old to put a bullet in him and feel confident I will walk up to a post mature buck.
I lean toward the 3.5 age. He seems to have long legs, shallow/small body with small bone structure, and not enough loose skin.


(If the pictures post)This is more typical of south tx. post mature bucks that I see.

If you get a chance to watch him eat corn or protein, see if a bunch of it falls out of his mouth. If it does, he's old. Also watch closely if you see him shake his head. If the skin on his neck looks loose and floppy, he's old. My best guess from those still pics are that he's old.

I'm going with old.

I don't think that deer was so old as to be on the decline, but I am thinking he got sick somewhere recently. The lack of stained hocks details a testerone deficiency not present when the velvet was shed.

I have gun and will travel

I think he's 4.5 but got really sick in August/September.

Im glad im out the door to the lease right now. This one is too hard to call. Im leaning towards everything that Hud said. ???

Found another pic:

He's hurting. Thickest foreleg, weakest hind leg combo I have ever seen. Skin looks like it is draped over rear legs. That rear leg bone structure was built to accommodate a much heavier weight.

4.5 and sick

After your last pics you put up


Young and definitely something wrong with him. 3.5-4.5 IMO

4.5 not sure of the sick thing.

4.5 year old that just learned a hard lesson that the rut is a marathon, not a sprint.

He has flat worn himself out chasing slickheads.