Best guess on aging by the jaw

[rjtkdplus]

In all of the alive pics, his hair is standing up which makes him look bigger/older. I’ve been fooled by that before too.

[coop2564]

He is just puff up in pics 3.5

[TheHammer]

3.5 from the jaw bone, but man he looks older on the live pictures.

[AntlerCollector]

In all of the alive pics, his hair is standing up which makes him look bigger/older. I’ve been fooled by that before too.

Yep. He was very dominant and would run better bucks out of the pen.

[tbgascorer]

3.5. Piloerection in every picture. Baby faced. I don't know when the pics were taken, but almost zero tarsal staining.

[AntlerCollector]

Pics were from October, before the rut. Tarsals were dark when I arrowed him.

[AntlerCollector]

Killed him on December 16th to be exact. I don't have any pics of his tarsals after I shot him though. Do you use the color of tarsals to help determine age?

[Smith2001]

Killed him on December 16th to be exact. I don't have any pics of his tarsals after I shot him though. Do you use the color of tarsals to help determine age?

Just off reading different things many big management ranches use them as an indicator and when you see it dark farther down the leg it is a good sign to be an older deer

[AntlerCollector]

Just off reading different things many big management ranches use them as an indicator and when you see it dark farther down the leg it is a good sign to be an older deer

I can see that being true. It doesn't determine age I guess as much as dominance. The darker the tarsal, he's probably doing most of the breeding?