Age Data - Let's See Some Bucks

[BuglinBulls]

A while back there was an entertaining thread in the "elk" forum with pictures of bulls and their tooth data. Now that a few states have released last year's age data, let's see pictures of bucks with age data (both old and new).

I'll start it off. Here is my 2011 WY buck: 5 1/2 years old

 

[hunt4130]

solid deer! hes stout! congrats hunter.

 

[SSakitas]

BuglinBulls I am Almost 100% positive I got a shed off of your buck. I will post some pics here soon

 

[eldorado]

Nice, heavy rack.

Eldorado

 

[tchoate3]

Here's my 2010 hybrid mule/blacktail, 3 1/2 yr old. Not as nice as your buck!

 

[JakeH]

Here is my Utah LE buck, 5x5, 193 gross, 27"outside from cheater, 25" on the frame, aged at 6 years old.

Here is my sisters buck same unit, 28" 160 gross aged at 6 years old.

My Niece with my dads buck killed on the same hunt as the other 2. He is a 4x5 21" wide and 182" gross. he was aged at 5 years.

another of my dads buck.

Mine and my dads had huge bodys, and my sisters was just average sized even though it was the same age as mine, shows you how genetics isnt just controling antler size.


Jake H. SHED OR DEAD IT DONT MATTER TO ME!!!

 

[ridgetops]

This buck was aged at 5 1/2 and scored mid 150's. It was shot on the vernon unit in 2002. One of the driest and hottest summers on record. As you can see, the antler growth was lacking and it was that way for most of the bucks I saw that summer.

 

[Mass4x4]

Here is my 2011 Utah Muzzy Buck aged around 6-7yrs old. He hardly had any teeth left.

 

[nonet]

Az strip buck killed in 08. 5 1/2 years old verified by AZGFD. Born in one of the worst drought years ever, which was backed up by his body size (smaller than normal). Obviously he rebounded when it comes to antlers??? (or what could he have been)

 

[Tikka]

Nice bucks guys keep em comin!!!!

 

[JoshJ]

I was shocked to say the least when the tooth data came back on my wifes buck at 4 1/2 years old. Huge body, big blocky head. I was thinking he was 6 or 7 and hoping for him to be older. His teeth looked young but with the size of his body, head, and antlers I thought for sure he was an older buck. Even if I knew he was only 4 years old she still would have had to shoot him. I guess body and head size doesnt really factor in as much as we think.

 

[JoshJ]

Sorry I thought I posted the pic in the last post.

 

[Robiland]

My 2011 buck had basically no teeth. Worn down almost to gums. I did not think about sending it in at the time, but wished I did now.

We had been watching this deer and chasing for a few years now. Never got smaller, always good tall tines and mass.

 

[Robiland]

Oops, this was supposed to be the bottom pic.

 

[passthrough]

Had my dads buck from New Mexico aged by Matsen Labs in Montana. They do a cementum analysis to determine age with 95% accuracy. Because mule deer from different regions of the west have such different diets this is the only way to be completely accurate on the age of a specific animal.

He was aged at 5.5 years old with 93% accuracy. His teeth showed some wear but were not even close to the gum line. Here is another buck from New Mexico as well that we had aged. He was a 3.5 year old buck, from an area about 50 miles as a crow flies from the 5.5 year old buck. His teeth were worn down, by looking at them we thought he was at least 5.5. The buck looked young, and he was in good body condition, just had really worn down teeth. I wonder if genetics have anything to do with tooth wear? Any ideas? or is it just diet?

Cool topic!

 

[skipbuck]

Passthrough is correct about true age data. The bucks aged by game and fish could be off by years.

 

[JoshJ]

>Passthrough is correct about true age
>data. The bucks aged by
>game and fish could be
>off by years.


Even when they cut there teeth? I was under the impression Utah f&g sent them off to a lab and it was pretty accurate. If he was 4 1/2 years old I sure would have liked to see him when he was 7 1/2. Too bad, makes me feel kinda guilty. Kinda

 

[pauns08]

Awesome genetics down on the pauns josh j if that bucks only 4 1/2 sweet buck

 

[cache]

I have one I killed from two years ago that was cementum aged at 8 1/2 years old .this is the only true way to determin age.I will try and get some pics of the teeth and the deer when I have some exta time.To me age is just as much of a trophy than the horns.

 

[SDBugler]

Here are some older bucks from "years ago" both shot within a mile of each other in South Dakota.
They used to send a tooth envelope with the license for sampling the herd ages. You could send a stamped evelope if you wanted them to tell you the age of the deer. These were the only two deer that I ever requested a response for. Sorry for the bad quality pics, they are pre-digital era and just scanned photos. I wish the Game & Fish would have continued the tooth aging here in SD.

This non-typical was shot in 1995 and was aged at 8.5 years old. I have his shed from a couple years prior and hunted him for 3 years with both archery and rifle before I finally connected. He actually delined in quality over those 3 years.

This typical was shot in 1999 and was also aged at 8.5 years old. At the time he was the #8 P&Y for South Dakota. (Hard to believe that kid on my lap is now 6" taller than me and going to graduate in a couple years!!!)

 

[tx_packmule]

6.5

5.5

5.5

 

[nripepi]

I was wondering about this as well. In Utah I sent in the the front incisors, so I am assuming they are doing cementum annuli on them to determine age. No one looked at the jawbone except for me.

I was surprised that this 2011 Books buck was 5 years old. His teeth are not worn much at all. I would have guessed him at 3-4.

And this bigger one was 6 years old. I guess I should have let that one live a year longer!

 

[mmwb]

Tooth wear is affected by diet. Differing browses in different areas have varying degrees of coarseness. Deer eating tougher browse will have accelerated tooth wear.


"To me age is just as much of a trophy than the horns."

Hey Cache, I'll start sending you the teeth from my bucks and you send the antlers off yours to me... lol

 

[cache]

mmwb I should have mentioned that the buck was taken off a general unit and i had some history with him.I would think hunting a limited entery hunt would be a little differnt.

 

[JoshJ]

>Awesome genetics down on the pauns
>josh j if that bucks
>only 4 1/2 sweet buck
>


Thanks man it was alot of fun. Maybe it stings me a little more cause I got my butt kicked by a 4 year old. I had always thought of him as a crafty old bugger, but turns out he was just a lucky crafty young bugger.

 

[mmwb]

Well regardless, the offer still stands!

 

[BOHNTR]

This is a buck I arrowed in the CO high-country in 2009. When I began to dress him out, I noticed he had two dime sized ear tags with some numbers on them. After packing him out of the wilderness, I gave the information to CDOW per requirements.

About a month later, I received an e-mail that the buck was tagged 5 years earlier on the winter range about 70 miles from where I arrowed him. At the time of tagging, he was aged at 4 years old.....which made him 9 years old when I arrowed him! Unreal, but it would explain the mass, short tine length, width, and HUGE body and head.

BOHNTR )))---------->