How old?

[Deleted member 28227]

You guys do realize you can age up to 4.5 simply by counting adult incisors, right? After that you have to rely on tooth wear or cementum analysis.

I did not realize that... honestly I’ve never really looked at the teeth nor known what to look for, if I had.

Is only the bottom helpful or can you glean anything from the top?

 

[TheJason]

I did not realize that... honestly I’ve never really looked at the teeth nor known what to look for, if I had.

Is only the bottom helpful or can you glean anything from the top?

Bottom only. They get one new adult incisor per year until 4.5, at which time all the incisors are adult teeth. After that you look at the third molar for wear.

 

[Bambistew]

These ones had cementum analysis done.. 2016 bucks for my son and me.
View attachment 162719View attachment 162722View attachment 162724View attachment 162725

I'd guess 8+/-, and 4+/-.

Here's the jaws of a couple WT bucks we killed a few years ago. I asked a bio friend, and he said maybe 8+ and 6+ just looking at the tooth wear.

 

[antlerradar]

This buck had probably the best antler potential of any deer I have ever seen. At 2 1/2 he was in the 150's. At 3 1/2 he was in the 170's and in the picture at age 4 1/2 he grosses 194 and nets 186. Bucks that have it get big at a young age and stay big for the rest of there life.

 

[npaden]

Bottom only. They get one new adult incisor per year until 4.5, at which time all the incisors are adult teeth. After that you look at the third molar for wear.

Are you sure? I thought their teeth were fully erupted at 3.5. From then on you are just guessing based on wear.

My oldest buck that I have had aged using cementum annuli was aged at 8.5 and he for sure had regressed from when he was 7.5.

 

[antlerradar]

The old tale of an old buck going down hill after age six is for the most part a myth. Those old bucks with small antlers were likely never big even in their prime. From what I have seen by age five or six a buck is for the most part done getting bigger and antlers stay the same size give or take maybe 5% depending on conditions. When they get to very old they lose growth it is usually there last year.
I found the antlers from this buck and was given the dead head. There is not a lot of difference in size in his four best years. Even though he lost a good twenty inches the year he died his still better than most bucks will ever get.

 

[golfer]

The old tale of an old buck going down hill after age six is for the most part a myth. Those old bucks with small antlers were likely never big even in their prime. From what I have seen by age five or six a buck is for the most part done getting bigger and antlers stay the same size give or take maybe 5% depending on conditions. When they get to very old they lose growth it is usually there last year.
I found the antlers from this buck and was given the dead head. There is not a lot of difference in size in his four best years. Even though he lost a good twenty inches the year he died his still better than most bucks will ever get.View attachment 162760

Did you find his sheds each year relatively close to the same area? Thats an impressive deer.

 

[TheJason]

Are you sure? I thought their teeth were fully erupted at 3.5. From then on you are just guessing based on wear.

My oldest buck that I have had aged using cementum annuli was aged at 8.5 and he for sure had regressed from when he was 7.5.

You could be right, I was always told a full complement of incisors was a 4+ year old animal b

 

[antlerradar]

Did you find his sheds each year relatively close to the same area? Thats an impressive deer.

All but the big unmatched single were in an area of bit more than a square mile. The big single was maybe a mile from the others. Spent a lot of time looking for the match but that is one that got away.

 

[antlerradar]

This whitetail grew his best set the year he died of EHD at age 9 1/2. Second best set at age 8 1/2.
I just noticed that the five and six year sets are in the wrong order. He lost quite a bit of growth at age six likely dew to the very tough winter of 96/97, but regained antler size in the years to follow.

 

[antlerradar]

I truly believe that the vast majority of the "big" deer getting killed in Montana are 3.5 or sometimes 4.5 year old bucks with great genetics. The majority of hunters just can't pass up anything with extra points or a decent frame. I see a lot of pictures of baby faced bucks with extras that people refer to as "giants". The bucks that get to 5 years or older are usually bucks that don't have the genetics to ever get big. Bucks that have both age and good genetics are unicorns in this state.

I want to get better at judging age so I have started to keep the teeth off everything I kill to get lab aged. In the past I have had a couple disagreements with people about the age of a buck that they killed and when that happens in the future I am going to ask them if I can have the teeth to send in.

Worth reading twice.

 

[The Hedgehog]

This whitetail grew his best set the year he died of EHD at age 9 1/2. Second best set at age 8 1/2.
I just noticed that the five and six year sets are in the wrong order. He lost quite a bit of growth at age six likely dew to the very tough winter of 96/97, but regained antler size in the years to follow.View attachment 162772

Most impressive photo of the month on this place.

 

[antlerradar]

Most impressive photo of the month on this place.

Sadly I sold his three year old set and a neighbor found the dead head and I could not talk him out of it. Last I saw of it his dog had all the points chewed off. Still kicking myself on that one.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Sadly I sold his three year old set and a neighbor found the dead head and I could not talk him out of it. Last I saw of it his dog had all the points chewed off. Still kicking myself on that one.

Did I run over that dog?

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Bottom only. They get one new adult incisor per year until 4.5, at which time all the incisors are adult teeth. After that you look at the third molar for wear.

This is true for pronghorn, but not mule deer. They will have all their adult incisors and canines by age 2.5.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

When I took this picture, I assumed this was a pretty old buck. Definitely not close to B&C.

 

[antlerradar]

Did I run over that dog?

No, other side of town.

 

[antlerradar]

I have only seen two bucks that lived more than two years with regressed antler growth. This is one of them. I don't know how old he lived but he is clearly in double digits judging by the number of years I saw him. I don't have pictures from the early year as I didn't have the better camera back then. The second year in the picture is his best year and I found him dead last year. I am going to miss him. I should go back and see if I can find a jaw and send it in. I clicked on the one picture too may times and can't figure out how to edit it.

 

[bigsky2]

I have only seen two bucks that lived more than two years with regressed antler growth. This is one of them. I don't know how old he lived but he is clearly in double digits judging by the number of years I saw him. I don't have pictures from the early year as I didn't have the better camera back then. The second year in the picture is his best year and I found him dead the last year. I should go back and see if I can find a jaw and send it in. I clicked on the one picture too may times and can't figure out how to edit it.View attachment 162783View attachment 162784View attachment 162784View attachment 162785View attachment 162786View attachment 162784

Awesome buck

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I always learn something in threads like this. If it had a subtitle it might be “the burden of knowledge”.