Age and Score 5

Gotta help yall a little on this guy. Lg1 looks like a split but the NT really starts at the base of brow and follows it up curving some. Its about 7" I think(ive got pics that show it better.) The Rg1 is a normal split and you can see it about as good as I can(2 or 3). Never saw him in person. He only showed up at one feeder a few times late post rut.

5.5 and mid 160s

Free range, I am terrible at scoring, slightly better at aging. I have found in three years shooting bucks in my similar area that hoof age and tooth age are about a year or two different for me. I think OK deer are bigger bodies than us Texan hunters are used to, so I think we tend to over estimate hoof age some for those OK deer. Having said that, some it doesn’t matter, old is old. The ones that frustrate are ones you think might be 4-5.5yo and then you look at teeth and it says 3-4. Makes me think I need to let more walk like you did last year. Honestly though, I am not sure any of those would have walked long on my place. Gorgeous deer and mucho potential there!!

potential 170"

5yo. 156"

I usually subtract a year on redcoats, but looking at deer’s muzzle, it’s well rounded, also that deer’s butt it’s degenerative. At 5.5 he should be pretty beefy still even as post rut as this pictures are.

Think the deer is very rutted down 6.5. In Texas I’d tempted to go older.

I got 159” w/o NT points, I hate flash pics I have to be overly conservative.

Low 60s
6-7 on age

I come to the conclusion that its real hard to age by tooth wear. A lot of the experts seem to agree but they may hate to admit it cause they need something to hang their hat on. This week I just sent off 18 sets to the lab for ageing from my NW Tx lease. That appears to be the most reliable way to age but its not 100%. We all as a group try to estimate all bucks on the hoof and then when they are dead. Then tooth wear and then the lab. Several years of doing this and hopefully, at least for our deer, we will have a pattern to go by. Ultimately the main reason to age is to help with that shoot/no shoot decision.

I like your analysis on his age. I hesitate to comment on your score just yet cause I want others to still chime in but remember all these deer are still alive so there is no right or wrong answers.

I’d be shed hunting. Should be a few Morels out still

I’ve been wrong a bunch I’ll be first to admit

Which teeth are you using for aging, molar or front inscisor?

5 1/2 easily even though I ain't going for the jaw structure. If there is 13 inches out of the LG1, that deer is just over or right at 160. If the LG4 lengthens, and it should, that deer is gong to be a bomber.

Tooth wear off the molars and we send in the front incisors to lab. Deerage, Wildlife Analytical Lab outa Missoula. I think they used to do the lab work for older couple outa Burnet that ran it and then they bought it from them. They seem really good but im open minded if anyone knows of other labs.

Are you saying 160 counting 9 or 10" of NT?

"Lg1 looks like a split but the NT really starts at the base of brow and follows it up curving some. Its about 7", yes gave 7 for the NT and 6 for the LG1. That NT basically offsets the weak G4 on same beam. Heckuva deer no matter the score.

Bobo, im with you on this one. I had him between 165 and 175 counting the NTs. As hard as I try to learn to score it is still very hard. He showed up late season and I had decided I would try to kill him if I saw him. Maybe he didn't like the brush blind I built late season but he never showed again. He was never a regular and I just think he came through on a late season excursion.

6.5 and 160"+.
I think he may be mid to high 60s with the extra work going on around his brows.

Hell of a buck