How old is this deer?

How old is this deer? The one behind him is young but has a way bigger body. Is this guy a just a runt or older?

That's a tough one. He is definitely one of those short, squat bodied bucks I like to take out of the herd. My best guess is 4.

He is young. No more than 3 1/2 but very likely 2 1/2. If he is 2 1/2 he has the potential to be pretty nice when he matures.

I'm fairly confident I shot his relative two years ago. Same type of deer, deep chocolate horns, a lot shorter than the rest of the deer around him with a funky looking rack like this guy. Looked old as dirt and weighed 140 lbs guts in.



The second picture is the only reason I started questioning his age. He just doesn't have the body that our older bucks have. Like I pointed out, the guy in the back is a 2.5 year old at most and he has way more weight/height on him.

Too much muscle in his front and back end to be immature. Starting to get hatchet arse, which the 2.5 in the pen does not have. Thick forelegs and big (for him ) shoulders. I'm fairly confident the deer is 4 and may be older. Would be a cull on our place but we have some BIG deer.

3.5-4

Starting to wonder if this isn't him back in 2015. Date is wrong on the camera obviously.

Could be. Looks very similar.

4 or so

That is most likely a little 100 pound field dressed 2 year old. Not what I would call filled out anywhere and still has a tiny neck that comes in way high. Oldest it might be is 3 1/2. Neck line is the give away on this one.

Beautiful hide on him

The last photo, agree. Look at the body on that obvious 2 yr old, and then look at the body on the buck in the first two photos. Aging deer on the hoof is very subjective, doing so from photos is a carp shoot, but I'd bet a good sum of money you're looking at a mature buck. Give him another month and that 'neck line' will be replaced with a swollen neck that makes a bowed out line to the bottom of his brisket. The more I look at him, the older he gets.

Only way we'll know for sure is if Mr. Mitchell ground checks him

Guessing 3.5-4.5... not much older

Got another picture of this deer, not only have his antlers changed colors (is this normal?) but now I'm thinking he is young. The guy in the back right has some potential, I wish I had a better picture of him.

Rex, after further review, I feel confident that deer is 4. I'd shoot the dominant buck under the feeder and give the 10 pt. another year. Agree that was him in '15 @ 2.

The deer walking away in the background appears to have a dmb on his right side.

note: the 4 yr old 10 pt is a small-bodied buck. He'll never be much but will make a fine trophy for someone. The deer under the feeder is a year older, and has the long, tall body I favor. Tough call unless you have plenty of tags. In that case, kill both of them.

4 1/2

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Agree

I'm interested to hear why. I'm not doubting you in any way just want to learn more about why you think so. This one is harder to judge so just looking to learn more about your thinking. I definitely agree he won't be the big bodied deer ever, we have some bigger bodies bucks but not this guy. Just curious what led to your conclusion on the age.

3 year old runt with a chicken neck. I killed a runt one time in east Tx on about Dec 25 in an icestorm. A 7.5 year old 14 point that scored 170. I dragged him by his big handlebars for 200 yards with one hand before taking a break. I killed a 7 yr. Old decliner across the road that I could'nt drag 10 feet bent over plowing the ground with my feet and both hands on horns. Crazy stuff when it comes to deer. Kinda like people.

Has all the characteristics of a 3.5 (no characteristics at all indicating something older than 3.5). Neck, shoulders, body, all say 3.5.

Several things. He's a tiny bodied buck and they often look younger than they really are. To me, he has the shoulders, thick forelegs and sunken forehead of a bodily mature deer, which is 4.5 In addition, we have a 2015 photo of him with 10 points and he looks 2.5 in that photo, to me. Those of you saying he is 3.5, are you calling him a yearling in 2015?

If you shoot him please pull his teeth and report!

Nope, I wasn't even taking into account the other picture when I posted that. Definitely 2.5 in the first picture.



Will do.