How old was this Bull?

[SC Living Outdoors]

I was looking through the pictures on my phone and I found some pictures that I took of the teeth from the bull I killed last year. I know he had a massive body, but the teeth look like he could’ve been incredibly old. I was able to find this chart online showing ages based on tooth wear and I was wondering how old you guys think he was and how accurate the chart is?

 

[seeth07]

I think it depends a lot on the habitat the animal came from.

For example: The elk my wife shot last year had teeth that looked exactly like that. Its a very sandy environment so maybe that has something to do it with it. The aging came back at 5.5. Given the size of the bull and the condition of the teeth we were expecting more like 7.5 to 8.5.

 

[TheTone]

Old

 

[Mallardsx2]

17

 

[SC Living Outdoors]

I think it depends a lot on the habitat the animal came from.

For example: The elk my wife shot last year had teeth that looked exactly like that. Its a very sandy environment so maybe that has something to do it with it. The aging came back at 5.5. Given the size of the bull and the condition of the teeth we were expecting more like 7.5 to 8.5.

Mine was a NM bull and I feel like he was pretty old just based on what he looked like, but I was curious what others thought. I would send off his ivories to get aged, but I have no idea where they are. I don't think they ever made it home.

 

[seeth07]

Mine was a NM bull and I feel like he was pretty old just based on what he looked like, but I was curious what others thought. I would send off his ivories to get aged, but I have no idea where they are. I don't think they ever made it home.

I'm putting my money on the environment because I don't see any cracking of teeth. They are really worn down, no doubt. I don't know much about how elk compare to WT so I'm speaking only from WT knowledge but when you look at an old whitetail, not only will they be extremely worn down but you will find cracked and missing pieces of teeth once they start to get that worn down. The fact that they are worn down quickly (over 5 years rather than 10) I think points to lack of ability for plague and bacteria to break down the enamel and tooth. I'm not a dentist either though so what do I know Maybe our local tooth man will help? @kansasdad

 

[IEATELK]

This bull was 13.5 yrs old… living a long ways from any road eating mountain things. You can send an Ivory to Matson Labs in MT and they will send you a report and your ivory back. (Just pay shipping)

 

[kiwi hunter]

They look a lot like mine, I'm 74(very soon)

 

[HiMtnHntr]

All you can say from the molars is the bull had some age. I’ve seen molars on bulls about like that with a wide age spread according to the lab results.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Mine was a NM bull and I feel like he was pretty old just based on what he looked like, but I was curious what others thought. I would send off his ivories to get aged, but I have no idea where they are. I don't think they ever made it home.

You can send us any of those teeth if you don’t have the ivories or incisors. If you just have the one elk you can send 2-3 from that bull and the cost is the same and will help get a better age as those tooth types are generally more difficult to get a single age from but with multiple teeth can help.

 

[SixPoint]

There’s definitely some substantial tooth wear on that fella. Looks 10+ to me. Here’s a really old one I found in MT that was likely consumed by a wolverine.

 

[rogerthat]

I think your bull is in the 10.5-12.5 range which is damn old for a non park bull.

 

[rogerthat]

Here is the jaw from the oldest bull we have sent in for lab aging. 12.5 years old

 

[seeth07]

Here is the jaw from the oldest bull we have sent in for lab aging. 12.5 years old

Notice the missing/cracked teeth. I don't see any of that at all from his bull

 

[rogerthat]

Notice the missing/cracked teeth. I don't see any of that at all from his bull

I think your right in the fact that those are more likely to happen to an old critter(lose a tooth or crack one) however the actual tooth wear is what I have been trained to key in on. You are right in that the environment plays into the tooth wear exhibited but I have found that variation to be a year or two at most. I’m fairly confident this bull was at least 10.5 years old.

 

[seeth07]

I'm very upset right now that I didn't take any photos of my wife's bull from last year. No joke his teeth were as bad as the OP's. I was floored when I saw the age at 5.5.

 

[rogerthat]

I'm very upset right now that I didn't take any photos of my wife's bull from last year. No joke his teeth were as bad as the OP's. I was floored when I saw the age at 5.5.

Yeah I would have really liked to have seen that. You sure could be right. My brother shot a bull in a Wyoming high desert unit. Most wore down ivories I have ever seen. We didn’t send the tooth in back then but I remember joking about how when all there is to eat is rocks that’s what your teeth look like

 

[Caseknife]

Every time I see pictures like that, I think, "looks like a helluva tooth ache!"

The big bull I killed in Wyoming in '16 was aged by Matson's as 10.5. His ivories were almost flush with the gums. I have the euro hanging in my shop, will have to go inspect the molars.

 

[kansasdad]

I'm not a dentist either though so what do I know Maybe our local tooth man will help? @kansasdad

It is my professional opinion that your bull has not been wearing his recommended night guard!

It is amazing the beating that teeth take on a daily basis. Tougher diets and destructive habits (ice chewing, clench/grinding, bulimia, holding objects such as pipe stems, sewing needles, 16d box nails with their teeth) in humans will cause wear to the point that unsupported enamel will calve away like glaciers creating icebergs. Reflux in humans is quite acidic, which also contributes to erosional tooth loss. I don't know for sure, but imagine that ruminants cud is less acidic than human stomach secretions, and what wear we are seeing here is mostly due to physical stresses on the biting surfaces of the teeth.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

You can send us any of those teeth if you don’t have the ivories or incisors. If you just have the one elk you can send 2-3 from that bull and the cost is the same and will help get a better age as those tooth types are generally more difficult to get a single age from but with multiple teeth can help.

Your matsons???