Mature Two Point Mule Deer Challenge

[Jonathan_S]

I will donate $20 to the forum for qualifying pictures.

Rules:
-photo must be your own
-photo must include a mature two point mule deer buck (4+ years)
-photo/video must be clear enough to determine age class (i.e. a fourteen inch wide, spindly two point with a "huge body" probably aint going to count)
-photo/video may not be taken in a wildlife refuge or otherwise non-huntable area
-photo/video must be taken in Washington
-photo/video must be recent (let's start off with last couple of years and go from there)

Honorable mentions are welcome for.  Any controversy on age class will be turned over to @boneaddict, @Karl Blanchard or whomever else is identified as interested and trustworthy on age class.

Lastly and most important, I reserve the right to stop paying at any point over $100 

[Kvw4x4]

Im not great with aging bucks,  but took this with my spotter and phoneskope last Saturday in eastern Washington

[Doublelunger]

I have nothing to contribute but I cant wait to see where this goes!!!

[Karl Blanchard]

What a beautiful buck! Great picture! I'd say 2.5

[BULLBLASTER]

I don’t see a drastic size difference over the doe in the second picture.
Far from a mule deer expert but I would guess 2-3 years old?

[Jonathan_S]

Cool deer. They are get heavy between 1.5 - 2.5 don’t they?

Thanks for the contribution!

[boneaddict]

What a beautiful buck! Great picture! I'd say 2.5

Yep

[mburrows]

This might be derailing the thread but what are some give aways that differentiate a 2.5 year old from a 3.5 or 4.5 year old buck?

[Jonathan_S]

This might be derailing the thread but what are some give aways that differentiate a 2.5 year old from a 3.5 or 4.5 year old buck?

Not a derail at all.  Some people might say it's the point of this thread 

I'm far from the mule deer expert but generally speaking, long heavy bodies, hanging gut, massive neck, antler mass.  Also the way a mature buck walks around is just "different"

[boneaddict]

This might be derailing the thread but what are some give aways that differentiate a 2.5 year old from a 3.5 or 4.5 year old buck?

It’s not an exact science and none of us are perfect.   It helps if you look over more than 500 bucks a year for the last 4 decades.   It becomes second nature, sorta like if you were single and checking out the ladies.   You can differentiate pretty well without knowing for sure. 

[7mmfan]

I also look for a deeper, more pronounced brisket/chest, and a slightly bowed back behind the shoulders as well. Also, their heads don't get much longer as they get older, but they get wider. Often a big mature deer will appear to have a short head, but it's just wide and heavy.

[mburrows]

Makes sense. Im guilty of probably thinking every buck I see is older than he is and bigger than he really is.  Thanks for the info!

[Karl Blanchard]

This could be a fun thread.  Great education tool and could raise a few bucks for the site.

Like bone said, if you observe enough deer you just kind of "know" without really breaking it down.  Sort of like field judging antler size

Gut, back, proportions of the body, and face and head are all tell tale signs of rough age.  Its definitely not a science though.  Only way you absolutely cant tell is by the antlers.  Width, height, and number of points wont tell you a thing.  Even mass doesnt really work.  Obviously a buck with 36+ inches of mass is gonna be a mature buck but I've shot bucks over 4.5 that were on the "spindly" side.

I have a 183" buck from Colorado that was aged by fish and game at 3 5 years old.  I knew he was younger but couldn't believe it.

[boneaddict]

I think this thread has opened a fantastic discussion about antlers, genetics, even weather (drought).

Here is an example of what Karl was discussing about age and points.   This a 2.5 year old buck.   Most in this state would shoot him in a heartbeat.  He was harvested last year at 4.5 and substantiated by a biologist.   He was unreal.
At 2.5

[B4noon]

Not the best picture, his Walker and oxygen tank were behind the brush, and almost needed dentures