Black Teeth???

[wastickslinger]

Man my buck this year had the blackest teeth I have ever seen. What causes that does anyone know? This is after soaking and peroxide, they were all jet black before.

Also how do you age a buck by his teeth. How old does he look. Or can you really tell?

[rock]

its hard after they are 2 years old. i would say 7 or 8 though we age our sheep the same way

[Huntbear]

Looks like he just never went to a dentist.  Deer do not believe in brushing obviously.   

[DOUBLELUNG]

I can give you a reasonable idea.  Could refine it with top-down and profile shots of the lower jaw, better wear indicators than the uppers.  

Based on what I see here, this guy is around 1/2 way through the useful life of his teeth (if nothing else kills them first, deer and elk starve to death when their teeth wear out).  That useful life varies from 8-9 years in low elevation resident bucks in the sagebrush, to 13-14 years for mountain migratory bucks.  Based on where you killed him, the latter applies.

I think Rock is spot-on, though I'd be less surprised if he was 6.5 than if 8.5; I would estimate he is most likely 6.5, next 7.5, and less likely to be 5.5 or 8.5 - but more likely to be 8.5 than 5.5.  I'm highly confident in the no less than 5.5, no more than 8.5 range.

If you have the lower jaw, I would be pretty confident in estimating age +/- 1 year.  To get closer than that, you'd have to send the two center front incisors to Mattson's lab in MT; it's worth the $40 or so to some guys to have the most precise estimate possible.    

[wastickslinger]

I think I threw out the jaw already.

Thanks for the help!

[509er]

He was a smoker, 2 packs plus a day.  Probably had advanced stages emphysema which would have made it impossible for him to walk quickly let alone run.  Probably the only reason you got a shot at him.     Which would explain a lot after seeing your shooting skills on the Wii last night.   

[Austrian Hunter]

He smoked to much

[CAMPMEAT]

My wife is a hygienist and said the deer was a low life, trailer trash livin' dipstick...

[wastickslinger]

you guys crack me up.

[IBspoiled]

He was a redneck with buck teeth, was he wearing overalls with a straw hat?

[nchaput]

Damn meth head deer

[rasbo]

backy chewer with suspenders

[Boss .300 winmag]

Way to go nchaput, now the WDFW will have to start a drug rehab for all the wildlife who are meth heads. May be the deer can get the wolves hooked on meth so we can lock them all up!

[charlesbearden1]

Halloween candy!!!!!!

[boonerboy]

I can give you a reasonable idea.  Could refine it with top-down and profile shots of the lower jaw, better wear indicators than the uppers. 

Based on what I see here, this guy is around 1/2 way through the useful life of his teeth (if nothing else kills them first, deer and elk starve to death when their teeth wear out).  That useful life varies from 8-9 years in low elevation resident bucks in the sagebrush, to 13-14 years for mountain migratory bucks.  Based on where you killed him, the latter applies.

I think Rock is spot-on, though I'd be less surprised if he was 6.5 than if 8.5; I would estimate he is most likely 6.5, next 7.5, and less likely to be 5.5 or 8.5 - but more likely to be 8.5 than 5.5.  I'm highly confident in the no less than 5.5, no more than 8.5 range.

If you have the lower jaw, I would be pretty confident in estimating age +/- 1 year.  To get closer than that, you'd have to send the two center front incisors to Mattson's lab in MT; it's worth the $40 or so to some guys to have the most precise estimate possible.   

Interesting, I would think that the higher elevation bucks would have a shorter lifespan than deer in the foothills. Why is that? More grass rather than tough sagebrush? never even thought about it.