Found this guy last winter. age??

[sapperJ24]

Found this guy last winter outside of town, I figured he was past his prime and on the down turn based on the mass and number of tines. Based on some recent threads, I'm wondering if he ever had it in him (the area isn't known for good genetics). I thought the teeth were pretty worn and guessed he was 8+ (10?). Wondering what you guys think, and unfortunately at this point there's no way to verify, so I suppose that makes me the jerk...

 

[sapperJ24]

As they lay...

 

[2rocky]

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks :: Aging Elk From Their Canine Teeth

Checking the age and sex of elk by canine teeth

fwp.mt.gov

 

[2rocky]

detailed article:

http://matsonslab.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Cementum3.pdf

 

[2rocky]

Matson's Laboratory - Experts In Deer Teeth Aging

We use cementum age analysis to age your game. We are the leading experts in deer teeth aging and aging other mammalian game species.

matsonslab.com

 

[Griztrax]

That's a really old bull based on the premolars and molars. Don't think I have ever seen a bull with that much decline in antler though. A bull I shot a few years ago was aged at Madson's lab and came back at 13 and his rack was still in the 330 range. All bulls are different though. He lived a long life. Thanks for sharing a cool find.

 

[sapperJ24]

@2rocky Thanks for the info and links. I'll have to check out Madson's in the future.

@Griztrax I thought he was just a young raghorn when I came up on him, but was pretty surprised when I saw how smoothly worn his teeth were.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Did you keep the bottom jaw? If so you can send an incisor in for cementum aging. If not, the ivories work as well, although not as well.

 

[sapperJ24]

Did you keep the bottom jaw? If so you can send an incisor in for cementum aging. If not, the ivories work as well, although not as well.

I did not keep the jaw, but I did find the ivories.

 

[Bambistew]

Looks old as hell. I'm sure if he could have just lived another year he would have had bigger antlers...

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Not much left of those. Definitely old!

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Looks very old. We aged a 21 year old bull from Washington a few years ago, guy had pics of sheds from previous year and found it dead the following spring. Reminded me of the movie Benjamin Button. If I remember correctly the bull was similar to this one in year 20, with the sheds, and in his last year he was basically a rag horn with more mass from significant regression.

We can age the ivories as mentioned above, although the lower incisors provide the best ages. We can also send you the crown back as we only process the root.

That's a really old bull based on the premolars and molars. Don't think I have ever seen a bull with that much decline in antler though. A bull I shot a few years ago was aged at Madson's lab and came back at 13 and his rack was still in the 330 range. All bulls are different though. He lived a long life. Thanks for sharing a cool find.

I have noticed this with several bulls we have aged in the 11-13 year range scoring well above 300, as high as 350-380. Makes me curious what they score as a 6-8 year old as the archery record Felix bull from a few years ago we aged as 6.

 

[Griztrax]

Looks very old. We aged a 21 year old bull from Washington a few years ago, guy had pics of sheds from previous year and found it dead the following spring. Reminded me of the movie Benjamin Button. If I remember correctly the bull was similar to this one in year 20, with the sheds, and in his last year he was basically a rag horn with more mass from significant regression.

We can age the ivories as mentioned above, although the lower incisors provide the best ages. We can also send you the crown back as we only process the root.



I have noticed this with several bulls we have aged in the 11-13 year range scoring well above 300, as high as 350-380. Makes me curious what they score as a 6-8 year old as the archery record Felix bull from a few years ago we aged as 6.

Big Sky Guy - do you work at Madson's Lab? I will be sending at least one tooth in for aging this winter and FWP has teeth off of my son's elk and deer that will get sent in for aging also. A couple buddies and I always send our teeth in together for aging and I compare the cementum age with the age I estimate from the jaw. With regard to antler size, I really wish I knew what my 13 year old bull looked like as a 6-8 year old. I'm guessing there was some regression in the antlers.

 

[sapperJ24]

I'll get these shipped off this week. In three months we should have an answer. I'll update at that time.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

For comparison, this bull was aged at 11.5 years. I scored him at 318 gross, 285 net. Over 30 points of deductions.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Big Sky Guy - do you work at Madson's Lab? I will be sending at least one tooth in for aging this winter and FWP has teeth off of my son's elk and deer that will get sent in for aging also. A couple buddies and I always send our teeth in together for aging and I compare the cementum age with the age I estimate from the jaw. With regard to antler size, I really wish I knew what my 13 year old bull looked like as a 6-8 year old. I'm guessing there was some regression in the antlers.

Yes I work at Matson’s. Look forward to aging your all’s teeth and the teeth from this bull!

 

[sapperJ24]

For comparison, this bull was aged at 11.5 years. I scored him at 318 gross, 285 net. Over 30 points of deductions.

Nice bull! Pretty worn down teeth. Did you take that picture of the wolverine in the tree?!

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Nice bull! Pretty worn down teeth. Did you take that picture of the wolverine in the tree?!

Negative

 

[antlerradar]

For comparison, this bull was aged at 11.5 years. I scored him at 318 gross, 285 net. Over 30 points of deductions. View attachment 163309View attachment 163310View attachment 163311

I'm looking at that mule deer shed and wondering what the rest of it looks like.

 

[antlerradar]

I have noticed this with several bulls we have aged in the 11-13 year range scoring well above 300, as high as 350-380. Makes me curious what they score as a 6-8 year old as the archery record Felix bull from a few years ago we aged as 6.

well above 300, as high as 350-380, but may be less, not more.

A few years back neighbor shot a big bull in the 370 to 380 range. He was aged at 16. I had been watching him for seven years. His best year was at age 14 when he scored 390. The first year I saw him he was solid above 350. Back before I had a good wildlife camera or I would have pictures. I do have some of his sheds but not all of them and would have to dig them out of the pile to get pictures of them all together. The white antler is from age 13 and the brown is from age 14.