How to age bucks on the hoof

[Grouse]

Edited September 14, 2022 by Grouse

[suburbanfarmer]

i dont think I have ever seen a 5yr or older buck in life or on cameras in NY in 8N

[phade]

8 minutes ago, suburbanfarmer said:

i dont think I have ever seen a 5yr or older buck in life or on cameras in NY in 8N

They're amazing to see in person and even in a side by side comparison with say a 3 year old. The scale of the head alone is big time. Pretty rare in NY though. Even by DEC's data collection standards, you're talking less than a few percent points of all bucks taken in a season.

[Grouse]

There are a few that get pretty old in the Adirondaks.

[BizCT]

3.5+ always looks like a thoroughbred racehorse to me compared to a 2.5. and 1.5 look like stick figures

Edit to add pics. 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 or older. Tooth will visually prove 2.5 vs 1.5. But beyond that is likely a guess.

[Swamp_bucks]

44 minutes ago, phade said:

They're amazing to see in person and even in a side by side comparison with say a 3 year old. The scale of the head alone is big time. Pretty rare in NY though. Even by DEC's data collection standards, you're talking less than a few percent points of all bucks taken in a season.

Yea last years gun buck I took was 6.5-7.5 based on people sending me photos of him over the last 4 years and I new as soon as I saw his body he was old.  His head looked like he was crossed with a horse. 

[G-Man]

They are around  more die of old age then most realize.. after 2 years old the know how to evade hunters and cameras

[heavuser]

On 9/14/2022 at 7:39 PM, G-Man said:

They are around  more die of old age then most realize.. after 2 years old the know how to evade hunters and cameras

You really think they understand to evade cameras? What experiences make you think that?

Not harping on you in any way or even disagreeing with you, I just am curious as to why you think they know to evade cameras. 

[The_Real_TCIII]

Theyre evading mine this year lol


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[G-Man]

4 hours ago, heavuser said:

You really think they understand to evade cameras? What experiences make you think that?

Not harping on you in any way or even disagreeing with you, I just am curious as to why you think they know to evade cameras. 

I get a large buck on camera  1 or 2 pics then they dissappear.. so i put 2 camera back to back and low an behold there it is walking behind original camera..  even the no flash emit a glow.. old buck learn to avoid the  ir flash.  Happens many timea a year. Benefits of running almost 30 cameras  have option to place back to back.   

[The_Real_TCIII]

I get a large buck on camera  1 or 2 pics then they dissappear.. so i put 2 camera back to back and low an behold there it is walking behind original camera..  even the no flash emit a glow.. old buck learn to avoid the  ir flash.  Happens many timea a year. Benefits of running almost 30 cameras  have option to place back to back.   

No one can deny that they spot that cam, or hear it. My second pic is typically nostrils


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[Nomad]

They always know .

[heavuser]

2 hours ago, G-Man said:

I get a large buck on camera  1 or 2 pics then they dissappear.. so i put 2 camera back to back and low an behold there it is walking behind original camera..  even the no flash emit a glow.. old buck learn to avoid the  ir flash.  Happens many timea a year. Benefits of running almost 30 cameras  have option to place back to back.   

Ah ... very interesting interactions. 

Do you think raising them higher and pointing them down would have any benefit? Or do you think they would be able to see the IR Glow even above their heads? 

[Robhuntandfish]

This doe is giving me the wink..... She's onto me....

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[G-Man]

4 minutes ago, heavuser said:

Ah ... very interesting interactions. 

Do you think raising them higher and pointing them down would have any benefit? Or do you think they would be able to see the IR Glow even above their heads? 

I use to like the white flash camera  up high... think  they figured it was lightning... the ir makes everything glow..  so i dont see it as natural at all. Always seem to look up at ir cameras no matter where they are..