Age This Deer and Will He Make AR?

[TUCO]

OK, Ok! I was sure hoping some of the gurus popped in on this one! He is a deer I have known since 2007. Now this is an East tx deer. He has never seen cactus thorns to swell his knees. Never had to pick up corn out of the sand to wear teeth, never had to bed on rocks to make a boob on his chest.

In 07 he was a decent 10pt that I thought had potential and I figured 3.5. 08 he was a little better and maybe 135. 09 just the same but started looking old and I realized he would never do anything. 2010 He was about 120 like this year. 2011 he was about 110 and so old and decrepid I knew he couldn't make it through the Winter. I wanted one of the kids to shoot him but it just never worked out.

Last year, I didn't think I had pics of him and figured he was surely dead. When he showed up on camera this year I was shocked and recognized him instantly. Today, I looked back at last years pics and realized I had hundreds of pics of him last year but fro the first time he had an 8pt frame. Honestly I didn't look twice at his pics last year because I just thought it was a younger unimpressive 8pt.

This year he is once again a ten pt frame 16 2/8 inside. Yep he has long ears! I once read a post by TUCO about having an ancient deer start looking young again. I really think what happened here was the fantastic Spring and then the crazy Beauty Berry crop. I think he put some body weight back on his old frame since they are so easy to pick and digest.


I cut his jaw out and his teeth were mostly still there but worn weird. His top teeth were fairly flat and to the gum line. His bottom teeth were all past the dentine and worn to a little sharp ridge that just wouldn't have worked for crunching corn or acorns. If I was aging just from his bottom jaw I would have called him 8 because he looked like he had just reached that point where I cant tell anymore. The pic of him dead showed his age a little better. Sure makes me wonder how often we miss it judging from trail cam pics.

Thanks for the guesses. 16 2/8 and likely 10 plus years old is the answer. I thing a few of yall saw it but just couldn't come out and say it before the LDP. Those of you that called him 13 inches and 3.5.......hehehehehheheeeeee!

This is a great story/history on this buck.

I really concentrate on the face when aging, so this buck had me dead to rights.

I would have taken him for 4½ all day long.

Maybe even 3½ if his hocks would not have been stained in the first set of photos.

Just goes to show you there are always exceptions to the norm, and this is a prime example of that.

Good lesson(s) to be learned here.

Thanks for posting GarGuy!

[jooger17]

This is a great story/history on this buck.

I really concentrate on the face when aging, so this buck had me dead to rights.

I would have taken him for 4½ all day long.

Maybe even 3½ if his hocks would not have been stained in the first set of photos.

Just goes to show you there are always exceptions to the norm, and this is a prime example of that.

Good lesson(s) to be learned here.

Thanks for posting GarGuy!

That is exactly right James. Exceptions to the "norm" go either way too.

I hate TV, I keep it on for static noise but one show I do watch a lot is Major League Bowhunter. Jeff Danker killed a monster 170-180 class typical on there that he called Lucky. He got the name when Chipper Jones came to full draw on him at 15yds, mouth grunted, he stopped behind a tree (cam angle), and he spooked.

What they didn't know at the time was that he is a massive bodied 3 year old in the 140-150 range. Later when they killed him, he'd blown into full potential and was a giant!.

I've also heard Gary Schwartz of Teomate Seed Co. say, "I couldn't cross the fence and go to my neighbors property and accurately age his deer heard."

There are things and signs that we all look for when aging a deer. Thank God for trail cams because we used to have to make this decision in a matter of seconds and antler size a lot of times "dictated" the deer's age in that split second decision.

I think the exceptional deer are as great of a trophy as the ones with giant racks. I also read the story Steve posted about with the deer starting to look young again. It makes me wonder how many I've misjudged over the years, especially with a rifle in hand and watching them at 200 yards.

The saga continues with this deer Steve killed.

[perfectstorm]

It pays to have multiple years of trail cameras and knowledge of bucks. We had the same thing happen with a 6 year old+ spike this year. People wouldn't believe it, if they didn't see it with their own eyes. Sounds like you keep good records- mental or otherwise on all the bucks roaming around. Congrats on the kill. I would not have guessed 16"

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=413996

[thorshammer]

3.5 and he'll meet AR's.

[clintb]

15 inches wide. 3-4 years old.

This

[GarGuy]

3.5 and he'll meet AR's.

Hmmmmm

[hog wild]

Garguy some ppl just make me laugh so hard. They just dont wont to learn anything to become a better hunter. i would love to meet ya one day an learn a few things and talk about them ol wise houston county bucks.

[Saltgrass Mikerr]

3.5
13 1/8

Yep...me too

[lovemylegacy]

look a CLUE!

I would never have guessed that. Looking at him he meets none of the criteria for an older buck. Straight back, not overly large belly, small antler bases, no scars or ragged looking ears, doesnt look unhealthy or "battle worn". Completely fooled me.

[GarGuy]

Bump for fun.

[JeffK]

Got me once but not twice. 3 years of dust on his horns

Edit..you got me again. I thought this was the 8 point thread.

[Dudley]

Yep, this was the deer I was reminded of when you posted that other one.

[GarGuy]

Got me once but not twice. 3 years of dust on his horns

Edit..you got me again. I thought this was the 8 point thread.

LOL! i updated the 8pt thread with pics. These deer behaved almost exactly the same as they reached post, post mature.