Got this video off my trail cam. This buck made it through the rifle season here in South Dakota and I was just interested in how old he might be. To me he doesn't look that old and has great potential, but I have been wrong before. Mainly I'm just interested in seeing what you all think.




Thanks

I guess you have to click on the picture and that will take you to photobucket.com and it will play.

He does come into the IR flash, just be patient.

Here is a video of what I think is a 2.5 year old sparring with a 1.5 year old. Am I right?

First deer is in the 4.5-5.5 range. Look at his brisket and the size/shape of his head. Not much potential compared to the one you killed earlier in the season.

Perry

Sparing deer I would say you are spot on.

Thanks Perry, I was hoping he wasn't that old... but you are most likely right.

I'd put that first buck at 3.5, neither of the others is 1.5, probably both are 2.5.

troy

Thanks Troy.. Wow I am having way too much fun with this. I would call both these deer 1.5 years old??? It is amazing how active this scrape was.



Thanks

I feel the first buck is 3.5.

I've personally seen the best jump in our deer from 2.5 to 3.5, after that it seems they put on alittle more mass, a few stickers, and alittle length. In two years he'll probably be a very nice buck, but I doubt he jumps more than 15-20 extra inches. Could be wrong and I feel there are exceptions, just going by what we see on our place.

Great video, thanks for sharing.


Reloader

If I had to guess I'd say 3 years old on the original buck posted. It's also possible he's older and just in poor condition after the rut, but he doesn't have all the body markers of a 4 or 5 year old deer in that video.

3.5-4.5 on the top buck. Trying to distinguish bucks between those ages on the hoof is difficult at best. You can bet he won't be any smaller next year though.

I'd say the first deer is 3.5 years old.

I think you're also spot on with the ages of the other deer.

First deer: 3.5. Sparring deer: 1.5 and 2.5.

I have a little reference tool I use for aging deer. My primary reference points are the shoulders and the rump. I also reference the neck.

If the rump / hind end is larger than the shoulders and the deer has a long, skinny neck, the deer is definitely less than 3.5. I call these deer "rear heavy"

If the rump/hind end and the shoulders are the same size (like the deer in the first picture), and the back and belly lines are basically straight (like a brown rectangle), you are looking at a 3.5 year old deer.

If the shoulders are larger than the rump and hind end, neck appears short and stocky, you are looking at 4.5. These deer are "front heavy".

For 4.5 and up, the "front" of the deer continues to outsize the "back", the neck disappears into the shoulders, the belly sags more and more and the back sways.

That's my tool.

Sounds like the first buck is shaping up to be about 3.5 years according to most. Thats about how old I originally figured but knew it was inexact science. Hopefully in 2 years or so I will be posting some pictures of him. Thanks everyone for your opinions, it helps.

1st buck isn't older than 3.5 IMO. I've killed enough whitetails in the midwest for 15 years and have aged most every buck. He's not getting pot-bellied yet at all. If he's over 4 I'd be shocked.

2nd video: could be 2 deer same age one with much better genetics. I've seen a 1.5 year old with 11 points on a deer urine farm that looked to be the same size.