Lets talk Axis teeth

[Shiner]

I have killed many axis over the years but I guess I've never cared to look at ones teeth.I'm in the hill country where we cannot raise a mature buck(whitetail), so teething has never been high on my list.Sun evening, I took the daughter to sit with me in a ground blind and I stuck what I thought was a good mature axis doe. She was not ancient, but a good middle aged deer. Got her home for the gutting and skinning while Carissa is taking it all in. She said, Dad, it does'nt have any teeth. Well I opened her mouth and low and behold, there were no teeth.Not a single tooth on the upper jaw, just a hard pallet. Lower jaw had two broad(sheep) teeth in frt and two smaller teeth beside those and that was it. no other teeth in lower jaw.No sign of moulers at all.Is this normal? I do not understand how one can browse without any teeth. I will be studying the next axis we shoot.....Thought I had better pics, but here they are...... Any comments?

[holdem]

Interesting, I never looked in there before.

[Redneck Archer]

huh... (interested)

I know nothing of them, and have yet to shoot one (although i am dying to)... curious to what others say.

[Wildman]

umm never looked at axis teeth

[BSOB]

never bothered to look either. will make a point to do so now.

[native_texan]

This might help ....

http://www.skullsite.co.uk/Axis/axis.htm

[qzilla]

I have killed many axis over the years but I guess I've never cared to look at ones teeth.I'm in the hill country where we cannot raise a mature buck(whitetail), so teething has never been high on my list.Sun evening, I took the daughter to sit with me in a ground blind and I stuck what I thought was a good mature axis doe. She was not ancient, but a good middle aged deer. Got her home for the gutting and skinning while Carissa is taking it all in. She said, Dad, it does'nt have any teeth. Well I opened her mouth and low and behold, there were no teeth.Not a single tooth on the upper jaw, just a hard pallet. Lower jaw had two broad(sheep) teeth in frt and two smaller teeth beside those and that was it. no other teeth in lower jaw.No sign of moulers at all.Is this normal? I do not understand how one can browse without any teeth. I will be studying the next axis we shoot.....Thought I had better pics, but here they are...... Any comments?

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No deer have top teeth on the front. They use they boney patch to help them pluck the forbes then they chew their cud with their rear molars.

Deer have basically a "front section" and a "rear section" of their mouth. The rear section is located further back than you have pictures and this is where the molars are. They have molars on top and bottom just like a whitetail.

You cannot age deer from the front teeth at all. You have to look at the 4th molar first then proceed to the 5th and 6th molar if necessary.

Its impossible to know with the pictures posted but, the signs I am seeing scream young axis doe.

[Dr. D]

You can't see the molars in those pics like Q said. Looks young to me.

[Shiner]

No deer have top teeth on the front. They use they boney patch to help them pluck the forbes then they chew their cud with their rear molars.

Deer have basically a "front section" and a "rear section" of their mouth. The rear section is located further back than you have pictures and this is where the molars are. They have molars on top and bottom just like a whitetail.pretty sure there are no teeth in this deers head. I still have it and will cut it open tonite and take a closer look

You cannot age deer from the front teeth at all. You have to look at the 4th molar first then proceed to the 5th and 6th molar if necessary.I was not trying to age the deer, just noticed the no teeth thing

Its impossible to know with the pictures posted but, the signs I am seeing scream young axis doe.

No, definitly not a young deer.She was as large of an axis doe that we can raise.


Thanks for the link Native texan

[Shiner]

from the link that NT posted, I can see where you are probably right Qzilla. Like i said, I'm no tooth man. will cut open and take more pics tonite

[native_texan]

No, definitly not a young deer.She was as large of an axis doe that we can raise.


Thanks for the link Native texan

You are very welcome ...

Since the doe is as big as you say, she may be a little "freakish" or perhaps deformed in some way. Since I have been on TBH, I have seen so many new things about deer (exotics included like the one you shot) that I never knew existed in all the years I have hunted. Glad my brother and sister TBH'rs share these things. I never stop learning about these wonderful animals. That's what makes this site so great.

Thanks blood brothers and sisters. Merry Christmas ... and Happy New Year !!

[Bowtech Shooter]

Shiner, how the deer moving that direction. The last time i was there was 3weeks ago and it looked like they were really starting to hit the feeders. I am going down christmas night and hunting till wednesday next week. It is supposed to get pretty cold so maybe the hunting will be good. If i get an axis i will check out the teeth also and see what they look like.

[qzilla]

No, definitly not a young deer.She was as large of an axis doe that we can raise.

Based on the hand vs the head pictures she has a really small head then.

I raise axis and can assure you that either that is a young doe, those hands are about a 15x or its a freak with a tiny head and a huge body.

Also while you cannot age a deer based on their front teeth those teeth look brand new and shiny for living in the hill country. I would bet she is 2.5 or younger.

It will be really simple to age if you show the jaw.

[Shiner]

I am an old German man. My hands are large. But, you may be right on her age. Pretty large body though. will try and take pics of the jaw tonite