Had our bucks aged??

[mich buckmaster]

Dads big one was 4 1/2 scored just over 140"

My brothers was a toss up of 2 1/2 and 3 1/2, but then after seeing the antlers the DNR said 2 1/2, scored about 115.

My first buck was 2 1/2 and scored 130"

My second buck was 2 1/2 and scored 117"

So we can get bucks over 2 1/2 but man its hard to pass up a 130" 2 1/2 year old??:yikes:

[SMITTY1233]

What method was used to score those bucks?

Man a 130" 2 1/2 year old is great! He would have been a whopper at 4 1/2 not that 130" isn't a whopper because it is.... COngrats always nice to see what age you guess them at and what they really are.

thanks

[uptracker]

I wouldn't pass a 130" 2 1/2 year old. Maybe after I got about 10 of them under my belt. Some people in certain areas can go strictly for age, but......you know.

Great Deer! Congats!

[farmlegend]

Tooth-wear aging is highly erratic. You'd be amazed how often even experts are wrong, even at differentiating a 2.5 v. a 3.5 year old.

Annuli cementum is the way to go.

FWIW, a neighbor killed a 142" 10pt. a few years ago, which was aged at 2.5. I believed it, too; saw it a couple times during the early archery season, and it had a classic 2.5 year old body.

[NorthJeff]

"Tooth-wear aging is highly erratic. You'd be amazed how often even experts are wrong, even at differentiating a 2.5 v. a 3.5 year old.

Annuli cementum is the way to go."

And without cementum....I'd trust "on the hoof" more than tooth-wear!

[live2fishdjs]

Well Dave you proved me wrong. That was a great first buck you shot and I thought for sure it was 3.5. Congrats on another good season and hunting with your family!

[M1Garand]

Sounds like you had a great season!

[Nimrod1]

So we can get bucks over 2 1/2 but man its hard to pass up a 130" 2 1/2 year old??:yikes:

I hear ya!!! I keep thinking that I should start to pass these bucks, that used to be the minimum, but man it's tough. I have a personal goal of 18" inside spread, 8pt min. Thinking it's time for a change, but finding that quitting smoking, after 20yrs, was alot easier.:(

[HunterHads]

Congrats on some great deer!!!......... More mistakes are made ageing deer that are between 2.5 and 3.5 than any other... just thought I would toss that in there.

[ThumbBum]

FL, NJ
If I want to feel stupid I will have my 8yo godson show me how to program my cell phone

For anyone else following this post who has been neglecting thier latin studies
http://www.deerage.com/