Age?

What do you think on age for this guy?

One side of me says 3.5 and the other says post mature?

I would shoot him as a mature buck and not even look at his teeth.

Looks great sir

3.5 - 4 maybe

4.5

I see your thinking on that. I would probably say mature.

The last 2 pics (sept) of him sure look like a mature deer to me.
I wouldn't be surprised if he was 6.5.
Way too much neck where it meets his brisket to be anything less than 5.5

Yes, where the neck meets brisket is what really jumps out. Interesting how every buck can be a little different on things you look for. One of the 4 bucks we killed last year had a huge neck. I have the dimensions somewhere but it was huge from where it came out of shoulders up to the chin. It was a decent size body but the neck didnt look like it went with the body. The whole front half of deer was oversized and the head as well. Maybe that was all off topic but just to say that every deer if different and you never really know age without history(but you gotta try.)

4.5

1.5

5.5-6.5

Mature. 4.5 min, 6.5 max.

4.5
don't have good rationale, just proportions maybe...

Hey free, on one of the places I guided on one of the things we noticed about the post mature deer, mostly 8.5 or older, was that they would get just HUGE necks. During the rut they would almost look like they were all front end because their necks were so large. I wonder if the one deer you guys killed might have been that old as well.

The very first pic of the buck tells everything about him as far as age that you need to know.

The shape of his body is what's throwing me. He looks like he has a barrel chest/large neck but then it looks like he has a small waist...that's what's leading me to post mature. Most the deer I'd call 4.5 - 6.5 look more like this deer as far as body shape...If I'm wrong about this deers age please feel free to correct me as well:

It's always hard to age from just one picture and one angel but from this pic I'd call this one a very fat & happy 5 year old.

Beautiful buck!!!

Most likely that deer is 7.5 as his arse is starting to be degenerative.

No question that he is mature. At a very min. I'd out him at 6.5, has Oct/Nov comes his age will be more apparent

X2

If the shoulders, brisket depth extend to the neck up to the head remind you of the looney toons bull just shoot him if given the chance.

Deep chest compared to hams and depth extends well into the neck he ain't a youngster.

You would be correct on the fat and happy 5 yr old...well he was at one point in his life he was a 5 yr old....and it ain't this year

Not all 5 yr old deer look like the rest of the 5 yr olds on the same ranch or area...same within every age class there will be those that are younger or older looking than the rest. Same with humans...especially mentally likes some clowns If you ever get the chance to go to a deer breeder and look at pens of 1 yr old, 2 yr old or 3 yr old bucks you will see it first hand. Observing bucks like this is a learning curve you can't get in a hunting situation since in the pens you know the exact age....in the hunting situation you need history to get more accurate or years of aging deer on various ranches, then shooting them to verify. IMO, the first pic the buck has to much neck to be younger than a mature buck in the late summer, he has a lot of shoulder/chest mass, he is setting down on his hooves which to me is a sign of age, he has the hump over his shoulders showing in most of the pics and his face/head profile is that of a mature buck that is 5 or older. I have learned over the last 31 yrs to go with my first glance judgement on a buck as far as age. I have learned the longer you study a buck the more you can talk yourself into or out of an age class.

OK Stx, we need a teaching moment. Please work us through what you see in that first picture that shows he is mature. Understand, I am not doubting or questioning your statement, but want to learn more about how to age deer.

thanks.

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