young. Square. You have to look at the back and paunch. that's as square as they come. Big body, but you live in MN, so even young deer have big bodies. 2.5 last year. Great mass. He would be a shooter this year in my book. Some I know will disagree, but that is a nice buck.
I was thinking 2.5 too, but then I look at the Roman nose, and I start questioning myself. Here are a couple pics from this year, not the best pics.
that deer is an old deer heavy body, rack size alot of times doesn't say to much with the deers age, that deer forsure is 3.5 could possibly be 4.5 or 5.5 years old. there are alot of factors it could be an old deer with only average genetics. from the pictures it looks like it has a huge body. still a good deer.
He appears to be a 3.5 year old in my eyes... way to solid for a 2.5 but if he was, he's a damn fine specimen of a body for a 2.5 year old...
What all do you guys look at to tell the age of a deer? Is there some list that gives specific items and their appearance at various ages?
Too many people want to judge by antlers, they see big "horns" and immediately think older deer..that's not always the case. You need to study the body.... as a deer ages, his back will droop, his stomach thicken and droop, his neck will thicken and appear to be one with his body/chest... A young 1.5 will have a lot of "neck"... a 2.5 it's starting to thicken to the chest and like it appears to me in this first photo his chest to neck is that of a 3.5 year old, I don't believe him to be older as his back and stomach aren't dropping. He's still got that lean race horse look to him but he's much to thick to be 2.5.. It takes studying a lot of deer to be real good at it and I get fooled from time to time as it's tough to know regions for whitetails.. Bucks in upper Wisconsin will appear bigger than that of FL or the lower states.. Do a Google search on aging whitetails on the hoof and you'll get a ton of reading.. and some pics.
I agree with rob there is no way that is a 2.5 year old deer but deffinately not a 5 year old either.. im in the 3.5 age myself.. heck of a deer though and i cant get over the size of his body!
At first glance I think he was 3 last year and is a beautiful 4 year old shooter buck this year and walking around during daylight, not much more to ask for!
I'd say 4.5. He's got a big body, his neck looks like it runs into his chest pretty deep. JM (uneducated) O
First off, thanks for all the replies everyone! Rob, so you think he was a 3.5 in 2010, and a 4.5 this year? What doed everyone think of the roman nose in the first pic? Or isnt that what you would call a roman nose. Thanks again.
I don't buy into the "Roman nose" for aging a deer, I think it's more of a genetic thing and to me, I found this picture on the internet to my personal view of a " Roman nose"... I hope that helps.
