Aging mule deer bucks!

[ImBillT]

Unfortunately, my conclusion on all of this is that either my bio has been classing almost everything as 3.5 and 4.5 unless it’s pretty worn and then be shoots really high, OR, MORE LIKELY, I just can’t figure out what is telling me that one deer is older than another deer while it’s still alive. I would have guessed 3-4 of my 3.5-4.5yr old bucks as 5.5 or 6.5. I never thought I killed any really old bucks, but I haven’t thought that 3.5-4.5 year old bucks were the only thing I was killing either. I thought that one of mine, and my wife’s were 3.5(at least the bio confirmed that), but after that I thought I had one at 4.5 and the rest 5.5-6.5.

When app season is over I want to send teeth from 10-12 deer to Matson Labs, and update when I get results.

 

[rogerthat]

Finally got some more time. Last buck that I’ve had aged.

Deer 3. 8.5 years old. Definitely the most tooth wear of any of my bucks, but still nothing extreme. Makes me wonder if the bio over shot a little. It also has the most pronounced Roman nose on the euro mount.

Going off tooth wear I would say younger than 8.5

 

[ImBillT]

Going off tooth wear I would say younger than 8.5

I agree.

Of all the jaws I have and looking at tooth wear charts online, I can’t really argue with any of the bio’s declarations except this one. That said, all the charts I’ve seen are for whitetails, those teeth looked different with gums on them, and it’s the only jaw I have with no crests on any of the teeth. Still, it looks substantially healthier than the charts show at 6.5.

 

[rogerthat]

I agree.

Of all the jaws I have and looking at tooth wear charts online, I can’t really argue with any of the bio’s declarations except this one. That said, all the charts I’ve seen are for whitetails, those teeth looked different with gums on them, and it’s the only jaw I have with no crests on any of the teeth. Still, it looks substantially healthier than the charts show at 6.5.

My experience has been mule deer wear a little slower than whitetail. I think 5.5 to 6.5 is right in there on this one. If I had to guess I would say 6.5