How old is this Buck?

[Elkslayer]

I think the deer from 2011 is a different, older buck.  He's bigger up front for sure...shoulder/neck is way heavier.

Pretty neat photos, definitely looks like a similar buck, amazing to me he's not putting on more mass as he regresses. His body and face sure don't show his age. Do you have any color photos of him from this year?

My thoughts exactly, I figured he would start getting a little trashie as well. 2008 and 2009 he was completely nocturnal, in 2010 he cruised through one day at about 3:30 in the afternoon and last year one day at 12:20, approximately 20minutes before I went and climbed inmy stand. I have tried everything to pull him in during legal shooting light but he's a smart one. 

[DOUBLELUNG]

Sweet!

I was going to guess 2.5-13.5.  What do I win?

You win a 1 week paid vacation! Just send me your boss's number and I'll let him know.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

I am not sure how old but he is certainly a mature animal.

[daydreamn]

Your too nice.  Five years of playing with this guy is enough.  Its time to put him down!!!  Good luck!

[buck man]

Your too nice.  Five years of playing with this guy is enough.  Its time to put him down!!!  Good luck!

Come on elkslayer ....tell them you missed him once. 

[boneaddict]

Time to remove him from the gene pool.  He is watering down some good genetics in the area.

[Hunter Dug]

First of all you CANT judge a deers age base on his antlers in any way shape or form except in the first year in a half.  You can clearly see a pot belly and a swayed back in several of the pictures grant it his head and face look young.  Body shape and size is the only way to judge a deers age unless you have the teeth analized.  I love these treads because it just shows exactly what people dont know about animals.  I would have never guess 7 1/2 but also would have never guessed 3 1/2.  Clearly a mature ready to harvest animal.  Asking the question when you know the answer is great.  Love it.   

[Elkslayer]

First of all you CANT judge a deers age base on his antlers in any way shape or form except in the first year in a half.  You can clearly see a pot belly and a swayed back in several of the pictures grant it his head and face look young.  Body shape and size is the only way to judge a deers age unless you have the teeth analized.  I love these treads because it just shows exactly what people dont know about animals.  I would have never guess 7 1/2 but also would have never guessed 3 1/2.  Clearly a mature ready to harvest animal.  Asking the question when you know the answer is great.  Love it.

  I agree Hunter Dug, I think alot of deer are actually older than people think, or realize. This was a great example and that's one of the reasons I started this thread.

Your too nice.  Five years of playing with this guy is enough.  Its time to put him down!!!  Good luck!

Come on elkslayer ....tell them you missed him once. 

Buckman you are correct, I did put an arrow at his feet in 2010, but I did it in best interest for you and Beeman. You see, had I not missed him you would have come over the next day to look at him and thus you would have not been sitting in your stand the next day when your biggest to date buck came in. Then I would have not had a reason to go sit in my other stand and I would have not pulled the card out of my camera for another week or two then Beeman would not have know about that 170" monster I had coming in and you both would have had to settle with those little 130" 4x4's. So see, I did you guys a favor! 

[baldopepper]

Just kind of a follow up - but, what would you guess the weight of a big deer field dressed.  ( I kind of know the answer to this as I know the results of 5 years of "heavist deer contest"  results by a major sporting goods dealer in Utah-of course it was Mule deer only)

[Elkslayer]

Just kind of a follow up - but, what would you guess the weight of a big deer field dressed.  ( I kind of know the answer to this as I know the results of 5 years of "heavist deer contest"  results by a major sporting goods dealer in Utah-of course it was Mule deer only)

I have never weighed any of my dressed out deer so this is just a guess, but I would say a large mule deer dressed out with hide off would probably be right around 200lbs give or take. Whitetail I would say around 150. 

[baldopepper]

You're pretty close, Slayer.  Invariably they weighed betweed 260 and 270, but that weight was just field dressed with hide and legs on. (as a perspective of how big these deer were, they,  Wolfes sporting goods, ran a big buck contest at the same time which was based on width only-usually the winner was 38" to 45"-grand prize was a new jeep) I get a pretty good laugh at some sports magazines pictures of small three and four points they say weigh over 300lbs. 

[boneaddict]

First of all you CANT judge a deers age base on his antlers in any way shape or form except in the first year in a half.  You can clearly see a pot belly and a swayed back in several of the pictures grant it his head and face look young.  Body shape and size is the only way to judge a deers age unless you have the teeth analized.

I agree 100%.   He doesn't have what I normally see in a chest of a 5.5 year old buck, nor does his head shape appear that way to me.   I would have guessed the 2011 deer as older and more mature.  I would never have guessed his age at this.   This indeed is an interesting thread.

[bonkellekter]

Not to high jack your thread.... But I would like to get some of your opinions on the age of this buck... These are the only pics I have of this buck, I do have his shed from last year. I was guessing him to be 5 or 6 - What are your thoughts?

[hambone]

I would say 5  to 6 years old

[Kola16]

Not to high jack your thread.... But I would like to get some of your opinions on the age of this buck... These are the only pics I have of this buck, I do have his shed from last year. I was guessing him to be 5 or 6 - What are your thoughts?

  And who says eye guards don't count as a point(s)