This is the first deer I've ever harvested with a bow the 4 years I've been archery hunting. I figured it was a 3 1/2 year old, but I'm a terrible judge at aging a deer I have just not studied them enough. I notice a lot of gray round it's nose, but it has a shorter snout which kind of indicates it's a 3 1/2 rather than a 4 or 5 year old. It was also a pretty good sized deer, weighed 230 lbs. live weight.
I can't really tell from the pic but I would guess based on what I can see that he's probably 3.5-4.5. Coloration doesn't necessarily mean anything. Seems pretty heavy for a 3.5 year old.
It's also the same deer I have as my avatar (which doesn't do the deer it's justice for body size). It's not a buck I have any history of that I know of on any of my game cams or seeing him while hunting until that day. He also didn't show the signs of doing a lot of fighting like scars and what not that I think you would more than likely see from a older deer.
My first initial thought was 3 1/2, I think that's right. This deer was a fatty, I've never seen so much fat on a deer, but I'm also used to shooting buck during rifle season after they've went through the rut. I shot this buck late Oct. before the rut really came on hard.
4 1/2 based by antler characters from my knowledge. To me I Doubt 3 1/2. Not every Mature deer look the same by snout,roman nose,big neck, bigger forehead etc. Anyways that's a nice deer.
Too hard from this picture. If you find out you have trail cam pictures of him, on the hoof is the best way to age him via picture. But since he's dead. Get his jaw bone and send it off. That'll be the best way to tell.
No pics of him on my cams.. My neighbor had some pictures of him, he was suppose to email them to me but he's not computer savvy at all and didn't know how to send them.
