I am awful at aging deer... help!

[idratherbhuntin]

What are some tips/tricks and things to look for? Pot belly, sway back, Roman nose? I still don’t get it and i can’t get them to smile on camera so I can check their teeth.




These are all from my trail cam. I have a few more i took in person below.




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[BLACKFINTURKEY]

4-5

[Coon]

I don't have any experience except what I see on here, but I look at the thickness of the neck and brisket and just kind of estimate. Based on others' estimates on here (people whose opinions I respect based on their experience), I do pretty decent.

[Mexico]

Minimum 5 possibly 6

[ColinR]

Once they get to maturity I have a hard time too. Distinguishing the difference between 1, 2, 3, and 4 year olds is pretty easy but once they get to 4 I struggle with the difference between a 4, 5, and 6 year old. Once they get really old I can spot them too with there old knobby knees, and sagging skin on face and around the eyes. With that I'm going to say the deer you posted is 4+ yeas old.

[bphillips]

Biggest thing is just experience with your deer. I still have some that throw me off. That deer will be 5.5 or 6.5

[rtp]

Agree with Mexico. OP it normally is several things and not just one thing that give us an idea of his age. If you are just starting to learn, try to start putting them in three categories, young, 2 or less, middle age, 3-4 and mature 5 and older. Once you get comfortable with that, then you can start trying to break it down to more specific ages. Most of us are just giving educated guesses but they are still just that a guess. The best way to know the age of a deer is to be able to track him for several years. Another thing that helps is having mutliple bucks out at the same time. When you can see them side by side it will be very obvious where they fit in the 3 categories I have suggested.

[idratherbhuntin]

Agree with Mexico. OP it normally is several things and not just one thing that give us an idea of his age. If you are just starting to learn, try to start putting them in three categories, young, 2 or less, middle age, 3-4 and mature 5 and older. Once you get comfortable with that, then you can start trying to break it down to more specific ages. Most of us are just giving educated guesses but they are still just that a guess. The best way to know the age of a deer is to be able to track him for several years. Another thing that helps is having mutliple bucks out at the same time. When you can see them side by side it will be very obvious where they fit in the 3 categories I have suggested.

Good stuff. I watched him for over an hour Saturday. He was definitely acting like the most dominant buck in the area. Chased several younger deer of and was starting to chase doe in between feasting under the feeder. He grunted quite a bit and his neck is not swollen in the pictures that i took than the trail cam picture from a well or so ago. He looked bigger in the picks i took than he does on the hoof. I feel like he still has room for growth but he is a good deer for our area. Hoping he makes it through the season.


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[brokeno]

One of the best books around that I have found and read is The Whitetail Chronicles by Mike Biggs. If you haven't read this book it is great for looking at age classes of deer. The book shows all ages of deer and what to look at determine age. It also has deer from one year to the next that he has pictures of throughout the life of the Bucks. Also has scores of bucks from 120 to over 200 inches. Check it out you will not regret it.

[Chance Love]

Agree with Mexico. OP it normally is several things and not just one thing that give us an idea of his age. If you are just starting to learn, try to start putting them in three categories, young, 2 or less, middle age, 3-4 and mature 5 and older. Once you get comfortable with that, then you can start trying to break it down to more specific ages. Most of us are just giving educated guesses but they are still just that a guess. The best way to know the age of a deer is to be able to track him for several years. Another thing that helps is having mutliple bucks out at the same time. When you can see them side by side it will be very obvious where they fit in the 3 categories I have suggested.

Ya I like this.

There are about 1,000 things to look for. And out of the things you (the OP) listed -get this--they don't always have a pot belly when they get old, or a sway back. There is no 100% when it comes to deer. Confused yet?


And that first one looks to be 5 or 6. The 2nd to the last I can't really tell from that pic. Last one looks pretty young.

[txtimetravler]

5-6 years old.

[Big pig]

Sagging skin on the chin, wrinkles around the ears, fat butts and squinty eyes indicate older deer to me. also look for short legs ( deep chest). This first and second photos of the deer looks 5.5 to me. Not old in managed ranches, but sadly a rare older deer in Leon County at that age.

[justin81]

I'd say 5.5 but I'm also just getting the hang of aging deer

[kyle1974]

go buy the book titled observing and evaluating white tails.

then spend a lot of time just watching deer. watch how they move, watch for loose skin, grey hair. in a lot of ways they're not totally unlike people.

[speck1]

Many years ago I had an old south Texas rancher tell me to count the creases in front of the ear. He said it was pretty accurate up to 7. I have found that to be true. The buck in your pic has 5 creases in front of his ear. There are many characteristics that help to judge age but I still look at the ear when I can see it.