Age This Buck

[Trophy Specialist]

Here are two photos, outside and inside, of one of the jaw bones from a buck I killed last week in the U.P. I plan to have a biologist look at it and I'll post what he or she says. I'm curious to see how the members age this buck.

http://www.trophyspecialist.com/photos/IMG_3031.JPG
http://www.trophyspecialist.com/photos/IMG_3032.JPG

[boatless]

4 1/2

[OTIS]

4.5

[flinch]

3.5

[Blueracer]

You should put the deers mug up with it so we can just see this deer you got

[Buckrookie]

5.5 teeth worn pretty good in back..

[Ranger Ray]

Old! That is a awesome buck you killed. Congratulations.

[Trophy Specialist]

You should put the deers mug up with it so we can just see this deer you got

http://www.trophyspecialist.com/photos/IMG_2959-1.jpg

[upstraightshot]

My guess is 4.5 I would take the front 2 teeth out and send them in to have them aged no questions then.

[Grouse Hunter]

It would be better if we could have a shot looking more down on the teeth. From the pics it looks 4.5 maybe 5.5. Awesome!!!!

[Gramps]

4.5, Nice Buck

[fish_head]

2.5-3.5. The molars are not worn very much, they still have very sharp cusps. It is at least 2.5 since all of the molars have erupted, the premolars show a little wear but the molars don't. Let us know.

[walleyechaser]

I would think in the neighborhood of 4 1/2 or 5 1/2.

[JDH]

I would say 2.5, 3.5 at the most. Molars have sharp cusps. Pre-Molars show some wear and are still rather white on the outside of the jaw bone. Need a view looking down to see the dentine, that is the most telling thing to look at.

[deathfromabove]

I would say 2.5, 3.5 at the most. Molars have sharp cusps. Pre-Molars show some wear and are still rather white on the outside of the jaw bone. Need a view looking down to see the dentine, that is the most telling thing to look at.

:yeahthat: cograts on yer buck.......

[Ol Mucky]

5.5 teeth worn pretty good in back..
my guess

[freebirdmike]

Yeah looks like 5.5, thats one old man there. Beauty too. Congrats

[4x4_Hunter]

I guess I am not the one to age deer. The top pic looks like the cusps are pretty darn sharp yet. The bottom pic looks much more like an older deer. However, I read the post as both pics are of the same deer. :dizzy:

I'll guess somewhere between 1.5 - 5.5 years old! :D


4x4

[yooperkenny]

Nice buck, Mike - Congrats!

[4x4_Hunter]

Aging deer is getting tougher for me every year anyway. Look at this buck below. This was taken last year. I would have guessed this buck to be between 2.5-4.5 years (probably 2.5). I was amazed when my brother shot it and found out it was 1.5 years old. That is the biggest year and a half old I have every seen. Nice genes, I guess!

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/medium/P8180032.JPG

[Trophy Specialist]

I would say 2.5, 3.5 at the most. Molars have sharp cusps. Pre-Molars show some wear and are still rather white on the outside of the jaw bone. Need a view looking down to see the dentine, that is the most telling thing to look at.
According to the source I use to age deer, the tooth wear indicate a three year old, but the dentine says it might be a four year old.

[Blueump]

I'm not sure how old he is now, but can say with pretty much certainty, he won't be getting older!:lol:

[mwp]

:yeahthat:He's a big en"

[Trophy Specialist]

I got another big U.P. buck on Sunday. I'm at the Escanaba Library, so no photos. I did stop at the DNR field office on the way into town and had them examine the jaw of the 11/4 buck I shot. The techs in the parking lot that were checking deer at first estimated the age to be 7-8 years old, which I chuckled at. I then went inside and had Craig Albright look at it. He is one of the best biologists working for the DNR IMHO. He agreed with me that the wear indicated a 3.5 but the dentine showed a 4.5. The last molar wear did indicate a 4.5 though and that combined with the large antler base diamiter had him leaning twards a 4.5, but it could also be 3.5 he admitted.