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Any guesses on Age of my doe

chrisw

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chrisw Mentor

chrisw

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Yesterday I shot a decent sized doe, not the biggest I've killed for sure, she scaled in at 98lbs dressed to be exact. When I was gutting her I noticed she had strange "bone spur" type things on both hind feet which stuck out quite a ways and kept her toes spread wide apart. I just finished breaking her down and decided to take a quick look at the teeth just for the hell of it, wow, I would've never guessed this deer was over 2.5 at the high end judging by appearance. Here's a few pics of the feet and the teeth. Any guesses on age? 3b47b6078f74199f2fe70edd352eef35.jpgebfdcb33e44c06f894ee8e972e9b71fb.jpgfcc0c56ae5c5f4bba7bf879b1f130e72.jpgc02f6132ae7cd8cca8457bf822320d71.jpgc2e053363d2ca0ae8ae71cd5fd971489.jpg6a5d3497d52a80755c937bff43548b07.jpg457d751132f2623ef84bcfc203453a38.jpg

 

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chrisw Mentor

chrisw

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Curious   Any fawns in doe ? Was she dry ?   I shot a big ole dry doe a couple years ago
Yep, all alone and dry. This big chunk is bow only so the deer tend to get more age on them, I shot a big doe last year, she weighed 120# dressed and her teeth were no where near this doe's.

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chrisw Mentor

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Dont ALL CAPS reply to me lol but she has that boxy head look of a fawn. But no way a fawn would weigh that much. Im agreeing with 1.5
She can't be 1.5 with teeth like that unless she lived on sugar sticks and soda the last year and a half, I was thinking 1.5 based on weight alone. The teeth tell a far different story.

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dbHunterNY Proficient

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people are different shapes and sizes.  they do develop the same though as they age.  same can be said about deer.  another real question was how big was her frame? still might be just a small deer.  teeth indicate she's definitely mature.  if you look at the first molar or 4th tooth back it's the oldest tooth in the deer and the prime spot to grind things up like acorns, etc. with the damage on the one side she'd favor the her right side when eating once that happened.  dentine width versus enamel puts her at least 5.5+ years old, as 4th - 6th tooth back all have wider dentine.  at that point hard parts of the tooth are mostly gone and wear can vary but only the 1st molar (4th tooth back) appears flattened to where the infundibulum (space between the sections of a tooth) is non-existent. which would put it at 6.5 or so.
I've shot a 12.5 year old doe that had all molars flattened out.  she only weighed 95lbs dressed but had the frame of a small horse!  15.5+ year old doe have also been shot around here in NY with the same but incisors (front teeth) were basically down to just nubs at the gum line.  you should pull the center two incisors and find someone to send them in.  just save them in a paper envelope and not a sealed up, as they'll rot.

we're sending some in but i don't know if you're in the Albany/ upper hudson valley area.  keep that jawbone, as it's a trophy!  unless doe are lightly pressured where you are then it's seen as much as a fully mature buck.

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chrisw Mentor

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people are different shapes and sizes.  they do develop the same though as they age.  same can be said about deer.  another real question was how big was her frame? still might be just a small deer.  teeth indicate she's definitely mature.  if you look at the first molar or 4th tooth back it's the oldest tooth in the deer and the prime spot to grind things up like acorns, etc. with the damage on the one side she'd favor the her right side when eating once that happened.  dentine width versus enamel puts her at least 5.5+ years old, as 4th - 6th tooth back all have wider dentine.  at that point hard parts of the tooth are mostly gone and wear can vary but only the 1st molar (4th tooth back) appears flattened to where the infundibulum (space between the sections of a tooth) is non-existent. which would put it at 6.5 or so.
I've shot a 12.5 year old doe that had all molars flattened out.  she only weighed 95lbs dressed but had the frame of a small horse!  15.5+ year old doe have also been shot around here in NY with the same but incisors (front teeth) were basically down to just nubs at the gum line.  you should pull the center two incisors and find someone to send them in.  just save them in a paper envelope and not a sealed up, as they'll rot.

we're sending some in but i don't know if you're in the Albany/ upper hudson valley area.  keep that jawbone, as it's a trophy!  unless doe are lightly pressured where you are then it's seen as much as a fully mature buck.
I was thinking that same age range, her frame was very stocky, she just didn't have the extra long features (face) I expected. Her feet were large. I've killed quite a few deer in the same area and some that were 2.5+ for sure and although a bit heavier, none had extensive wear on their teeth. My guess is her weight was going back down due to older age. I do agree that deer are a lot like people, they can vary greatly in shape, size, potential etc. I just threw her jawbone in the freezer, I'm going to send in the incisors for sure. Mature old does are underrated trophies for sure, especially public land.

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dbHunterNY Proficient

dbHunterNY

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3 minutes ago, chrisw said:

I was thinking that same age range, her frame was very stocky, she just didn't have the extra long features (face) I expected. Her feet were large. I've killed quite a few deer in the same area and some that were 2.5+ for sure and although a bit heavier, none had extensive wear on their teeth. My guess is her weight was going back down due to older age. I do agree that deer are a lot like people, they can vary greatly in shape, size, potential etc. I just threw her jawbone in the freezer, I'm going to send in the incisors for sure. Mature old does are underrated trophies for sure, especially public land.

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rock your knife between each of 2 center teeth on each side to loosen them first then you can use pliers or pry them foward and free with the knife.  not tooth you can see that's important but the root below it needs to be undamaged.  send in booth center I1 incisor teeth in case one does get messed up.  You'll want to send them in with others though or it'll be expensive ($60+).  there's usually a minimum flat rate depending on which of (2) labs you use.  teeth for one deer costs the same for teeth for a handful of deer.

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chrisw Mentor

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rock your knife between each of 2 center teeth on each side to loosen them first then you can use pliers or pry them foward and free with the knife.  not tooth you can see that's important but the root below it needs to be undamaged.  send in booth center I1 incisor teeth in case one does get messed up.  You'll want to send them in with others though or it'll be expensive ($60+).  there's usually a minimum flat rate depending on which of (2) labs you use.  teeth for one deer costs the same for teeth for a handful of deer.
Thanks for the info! I have a jawbone from a monstrous doe I shot 4 years ago too I still need to send in so I'll look into the rates and details more.

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Marion Proficient

Marion

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Yesterday I shot a decent sized doe, not the biggest I've killed for sure, she scaled in at 98lbs dressed to be exact. When I was gutting her I noticed she had strange "bone spur" type things on both hind feet which stuck out quite a ways and kept her toes spread wide apart. I just finished breaking her down and decided to take a quick look at the teeth just for the hell of it, wow, I would've never guessed this deer was over 2.5 at the high end judging by appearance. Here's a few pics of the feet and the teeth. Any guesses on age? 3b47b6078f74199f2fe70edd352eef35.jpg&key=97af8bd11e33ab04de229f86b19fc73d8023af18d7e82debace87a8869829052ebfdcb33e44c06f894ee8e972e9b71fb.jpg&key=c875e47ebbb7cdaccd3845377eb6fdba576d84d5f1aca8273b7b277a1dc3cd54fcc0c56ae5c5f4bba7bf879b1f130e72.jpg&key=7b5bc050366faa28c315c514985834b368f82d591d1ef8f3d3a7c0c8aa9b36cdc02f6132ae7cd8cca8457bf822320d71.jpg&key=92ddfde05d927d869510625cd241bb24c9883dcff59b6522dda6877a0d5b8f1dc2e053363d2ca0ae8ae71cd5fd971489.jpg&key=0c8ef24bc0b2bb1777f4e560ceceb220b62df5219b9a0b7a2bb89a1498599d846a5d3497d52a80755c937bff43548b07.jpg&key=0befac1c16c75b72d102a99cd1ab22f8fab9f4ee5eb2af87e1080fba1caa32c2457d751132f2623ef84bcfc203453a38.jpg&key=8babbbf8f4147652de73e2cb13d414545609a6c6142952638be34e44c6806f39
 
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28. I know this because that's how all my teeth looked before I got them all capped. All that time chewing my food all day long really does a number to your teeth.

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E J Rising Star

E J

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Based on tooth wear that's a really old doe! Weight really means nothing on some does. I've seen 2 1/2 year old does field dress at far greater weights than much older lighter weight does. Congrats to you for out smarting her

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