Help me age this buck

[42769vette]

Im not overly good at aging bucks. I would call this 3.5, but as I said, Im not really good at guessing. Hopefully some of you are more experienced.

 

[gvsugod]

I personally see a 2.5 year old dear there.

I would let it go this year at least for sure.

 

[Bosshoss]

I would say 2.5
Skinny neck and longgggg legs not a lot of body mass.
Velvet makes the rack look like it has a lot more mass than it actually has but still quite a bit of antler mass for a younger deer.
If he makes it to 4 or 5 he could be a stud.

 

[met eng gun nut]

2 year old deer let em walk

 

[The Drifter]

Agree with all the above . No body mass . Let him walk ,unless you really need that meat.

 

[Bounty Hunter]

I would say 2 year old. Skinny neck and head, no jaw line. Not much in the chest and shoulders yet. Still a long lanky kid.

He should start filling out if no one throws lead at him this year.

 

[Mark 1911]

Still young. Physically immature, hasn't got his muscle mass yet. 2.5 at most. Maybe less.

 

[MRP2003]

2.5 yo
IMO, rack is going to be irregular and could be an odd looking rack (unique looking) in a year or two. Hopefully you have a few others that you can consider and not many hunters around your area.

Repost when you get photos of when the velvet is off.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I'm not a deer hunter, nor even a deer aficionado...

But before reading the replies, I was going to also say he looks like a two year old. I suppose he could be a freakishly large yearling, too.

Looks like an ungainly teenager who hasn't yet grown into himself yet.

 

[buckstopshere]

Definitely a 2.5 year old but certainly one with potential. I'd let him walk if you can manage it.

 

[42769vette]

Definitely a 2.5 year old but certainly one with potential. I'd let him walk if you can manage it.

Im not worried about me letting him walk, but I don't control enough ground on this property to give him much of a chance.

 

[gvsugod]

Im not worried about me letting him walk, but I don't control enough ground on this property to give him much of a chance.

Well we always distribute photos to the properties around us and just say we would LIKE to let this deer grow another year. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. Key is to not sound demanding, just bring the idea everyone can make the area even better.

 

[Gordy]

2.5 is probably the best guess. I'm not seeing the mature features. Looks healthy. Remember, it was a hard long winter for them. In Northern Indiana, the deer still look pretty rough and it has been hard to age them.

 

[HuntMeister]

2 yr old...

 

[Willie]

3 year old... Nice sized haunches and shoulders.. Summer bucks are hard to judge..

 

[1mil-high]

2 1/2 year old. It is difficult to judge summer bucks at times, but the face and neck of this one make it pretty obvious to me.

 

[yote hunter]

Long face looks like a race horse, real lean not alot of muscle tone tight stomuch.. No big saggy belly as a mature buck would have... There's better ones then that out there then that... Plus his rack looks bigger with velvet on meaning " more mass"... Look at the pic in the tree where hes looking away hes not even as wode as his ears Im gonna say 1.5 to 2.5yr old, his back is flat nice and straight "no sag" may have come from some good genes tho.... let'm live and see what happens..

 

[remauto1187]

Could someone here that answered x amount of years and a half explain to me how when MOST deer are BORN in June of any given year and this is JULY so at best a deer could be x amount of years and 1 month as of THIS MONTH?

I would have to say that the buck is a healthy looking 2yr old (and one month). Dont confuse that just because he has x amount of points he is a certain age (or minimum age). Except on button bucks you cant use number points as a definitive way to age a buck.
If you had a way to measure something in the photo and then give me the measurement and exact item in the photo with its measurement and location in the pic I could give you a answer with scientific data behind by using that scale to measure the distance from the corner of his eye to the top of his nostril measured in millimeters.

 

[Bounty Hunter]

Im not worried about me letting him walk, but I don't control enough ground on this property to give him much of a chance.

I let a perfect six pointer walk about 8 years ago. I saw him everyday of gun season. I pulled up on him everyday and just could not do it. He was just like this buck. Long legs and all over the friggin woods. Absolutely perfect rack, but small.

We crossed paths twice in the field, and once we were 50 yards apart and he did not seem to mind.

The last night of season, he came out about 45 minutes before sunset. He came out of the woods into the corn field and he turned and looked right at me. I had sights set right on his shoulder, and knew if I did not take the shot I would be deer less for the year. I let him walk. I took a couple pictures as he walked away.

He walked just out of sight towards the road ( little foggy), and just as I started for the truck, I heard a bang. Some a$$hat shot him right by my truck!!!!

I was just sick. Not only had they poached him from their truck, but it just took a moment you live for, and killed it also.

It would be nice to let him go a year or two, but if the area is hunted heavy, it may be your only one to get.........

 

[42769vette]

Could someone here that answered x amount of years and a half explain to me how when MOST deer are BORN in June of any given year and this is JULY so at best a deer could be x amount of years and 1 month as of THIS MONTH?

I would have to say that the buck is a healthy looking 2yr old (and one month). Dont confuse that just because he has x amount of points he is a certain age (or minimum age). Except on button bucks you cant use number points as a definitive way to age a buck.
If you had a way to measure something in the photo and then give me the measurement and exact item in the photo with its measurement and location in the pic I could give you a answer with scientific data behind by using that scale to measure the distance from the corner of his eye to the top of his nostril measured in millimeters.

Good point. The reason I added the 1/2 is I always hear folks aging deer during hunting season where the 1/2 applies. Right now we are dealing with closer to even numbers.