Trying to age This buck

[ZachW]

Here is a picture, sorry for the quality, of a deer that I have on camera this year. What do you think the age is and the next photos are from the deer I shot last year, would you say that they share the same genetics? Also what age do you think my deer from last year is?

[PoppinPiggies]

Deer in the first pic looks young to me probably a really nice 2.5yo I'm guessing, legs still look pretty long. It's hard to gauge age based on the angle of the buck pics from last year but I'd guess it was 3.5-4.5yo

[Big Lee]

Deer in the first pic looks young to me probably a really nice 2.5yo I'm guessing, legs still look pretty long. It's hard to gauge age based on the angle of the buck pics from last year but I'd guess it was 3.5-4.5yo

https://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=738839

[sweldo73]

Toughest time to get a good fix on a buck's age (especially without prior history) is in the summer. The best time to age is leading up to the rut when they're in peak physical shape and all of the usual aging characteristics are in place.

Having said that, the buck in the top pic is probably in the 2 to 3yo range. It does have a similar shaped frame to the one you killed last year, but hard to say if it's the same genetics. If it starts to show some of that same blading and splits this or in subsequent years, then probably some of the same genes.

The one you killed last year is a great deer with good character! Hard to get an exact fix without seeing him on the hoof and I can't see his tarsals, but it looks like he was probably at least 4yo.

[ninemile]

2.5 on the first pic. 4.5 on the one you shot.