How reliable is aging by body size?

I always just guess based on what deer look like in my area. But Genetics and diet play a huge role in how a deer looks at 3.5 yrs old.

 

You proved my point, and not because you were wrong, you gave a range. Saying 4.5-5.5 isn't accurately aging a deer on the hoof, its guessing.

Since summer is hard to judge, how about rut? There's a point to this, believe me.

 

I use this video as my guide. Alot of the time deer are in between and I make a guess.

I feel this video is the best tool I have found for aging deer while they are still alive. Give it a shot, only 3 minutes.

Aging Bucks on the Hoof | Quality Deer Management Association

 

Dan, its obvious to me that the deer in your pics is at least 17 years old. I can tell by the hoof wear.

If I had to make a guess based on those pics, I would not be surprised to find out that he is 5+.

But, I would agree that it is very difficult to tell once they go beyond 3.5 unless you have history with the animal.

 

I've used this video too and its pretty helpful.

As far as the rest of the post, I suck at aging deer. To me looking at some pictures leaves out way to many variables. About the only way I feel confident guessing age is to have a history with the animal. Maybe it'll get better with more experience but as for now its a guess ha.

 

I very seldom put an age on a deer past four. Usually my answer is 4+. I have a few bucks over the years on cam with multiple pics each year. To this day I still have no idea actual age. I have an idea but I wouldn't bet money on it. Now, once I kill one of these bucks I do plan on sending in the lower jaw.

 

Since PSE doesn't want to play anymore, that buck was 7.5 years old. We've had pics of him since he was 3.5. He grossed 159 as a clean 8 when my cousin killed him last year in gun season. I missed him with the bow 9 days before that. I'm still wondering where his sway back and roman nose are.

The point is, very rarely will anyone ever guess a buck is over 5.5 years old. It's also impossible to tell how old they are once they get past 4.5. Anyone who thinks different is kidding themselves.

 

THat is a pig. Never would of thought it was the same buck.

 

Good looking buck, Dan. I wouldn't have guessed 7.5, either.

 

I'm very fortunate to live and hunt where it is not uncommon to see bucks that hit 5.5 and older. A good buddy of mine killed one that we know was 8.5 and I killed one that was at least 7.5 because we had sheds and pics of those bucks. I know we have killed several others that were likely that old, but no way to know for sure and we don't send in teeth. I agree with you for sure that it gets nearly impossible to tell past 5 yrs old from a picture. The thing I notice the most about the "old" bucks is the way they move. They get very stiff in their motion and even at a long distance I can usually tell just by the way they walk or run if they are old farts, just like me. I don't move like I used to. lol

 

Jawbone and tooth wear is the best way to age a deer, period. Can rough estimates be given based on antlers and body, sure. The problem is, being way off on a aging a deer is to guess 1 year off from their true age (guessing a deer is 4.5 rather than it's true age of 3.5). Physical appearance can really be swayed by their habitat and nutrition.

 

I can attest to this with a doe I killed last year. Quota hunt doe that I would have guessed to be 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tops based on body size. She was aged at 5 1/2 plus and weighed 78 lbs field dressed. She was healthy and had a good layer of fat. I was really surprised as I was under the impression that most mature does in my area average 95-120 lbs field dressed with really big ones going 130ish. I'm sure the same can be applied to bucks.

 

Fletch it's not that difficult to learn to age by tooth wear, at least up to 6.5. Beyond that there is generally so much tooth wear and anomalies that its antibodies guess

 

I've had biologists look at some of them and tell me very different things. I have seen teeth on deer that we knew the age of that looked far different than what the charts said it should be. I have even had guys tell me that they have sent in teeth to labs from deer that they raised and knew the exact age of and the lab was off by as much as two years on some. I really don't put a lot of stock into any of it.