Blacktail age?

[floatinghat]

I am trying to get an age on my 2014 blacktail trying to guess if he was on the way up, at the top, or sliding down hill.

[lokidog]

Those are some pretty worn down teeth.

A Google search for "deer age teeth chart" will bring up lotsw of pictures to look at.

[Smokepole]

INteresting photos!

[fishnfur]

I couldn't begin to guess his age, but as a retired dentist, I'd say he had moderate periodontal disease, needed several crowns and a good cleaning.  Please schedule that skull at your earliest convenience.

[Smokepole]

 

[floatinghat]

Can I video the hygienist and post it here? 

[tonymiller7]

I would guess at 6+ years.  Its been a long time since I've aged teeth, and it's harder without being able to touch them.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Do you have the lower jaw? 

[floatinghat]

No I don't have it anymore.  It's now a Euro mount, if I had to do it over I still would have done the Euro but would have saved the cape.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Reason I asked is most aging progressions are done with cheek teeth of the lower jaw.  This guy has enough wear that he was definitely a mature deer, especially the one where all of the dentine lakes have been worn into a single surface.  The uppers wear more slowly than the lowers, so I am going to say he was near the top - quite a bit of wear, but still a fair amount of enamel remaining.  Since blacktails have a longer wild maximum lifespan than mule deer or whitetails, I would guess age is somewhere between 6-9 years.

[floatinghat]

Just an update to this thread, I still have the lower jaw from this buck (and mine). WDFW sent me some envelopes so I will be sending the teeth out to be aged. They quoted me about 6 months, so it will be awhile until the official results are back in. Unofficial I will say they were both older.

Cool, I thought those went out in the "bucket".