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What's amazing is your buck was born in 2016. Only a fraction of that cohort made it through their first winter. A true white unicorn!I've always been fascinated by the stories we can learn about the animals we take. I think that is what intrigues me most about antlers, hides, scars, etc.
For the last few years I've been taking the teeth of animals to Matson's Lab in Manhattan, Montana. They can age animals for you and it gives you an idea of what that animal has lived through.
The two Wyoming bucks I shot in 2019 and 2020 both survived the brutal winter of 2016-17. I have confirmed that via aging of the animal by dropping off the teeth at Matson's. Now I am even more fascinated that I took one on its way to the winter range and one near the summer range, both from the same herd that makes huge migrations through some very difficult conditions. Amazing that they make this trek for the risk-reward benefits of better summer forage up high and better wintering conditions down in the edges of the Red Desert.
Here is a video that goes into a lot more details.
If you are interested in learning more about the animals you take, go to this link on their website - https://matsonslab.com/age-your-game/
Thanks for the reply AJ. I killed a bull a few years ago with some wicked cavities in his ivories and I've been curious how old he was.Yes we can! You would get the ivory crown back and a small portion of the root, the root tip is cut off of the ivory just like the tooth in the video. (I’m AJ from Matsons in the video by the way).
How similar did you think tooth wear was on them?Two 8 year old EHD victims, again I didn't have the teeth cut, but when you find nearly all the shed you can get a good idea.
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Good question. But I can not answer because I did not pay attention to that detail and do not have the head from the first buck.How similar did you think tooth wear was on them?
Did you work with Dennis by chance?@Big Sky Guy do you guys age fish as well? I worked with some guys at the University of Idaho that used to age a ton of paddlefish from MT...those things were old! Anyways, would be cool to age some of the paddlefish marcus and michael and crew catch! $.02.
We do not age fish, just mammal teeth. Paddlefish are a really neat fish and knowing the age of some of those would be interesting!@Big Sky Guy do you guys age fish as well? I worked with some guys at the University of Idaho that used to age a ton of paddlefish from MT...those things were old! Anyways, would be cool to age some of the paddlefish marcus and michael and crew catch! $.02.
Yes, never did the aging stuff but saw the lab a few times.Did you work with Dennis by chance?
I as well worked with him over processing the fish. That guy knows that species of fish I better than anyone else.Yes, never did the aging stuff but saw the lab a few times.