Do you think ages are correct?

[TopGun270]

 

Rough ages only have history with one of these deer. (The oldest one)

 

Let me know your thoughts on age.

 

 

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[BizCT]

Agree


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[First-light]

Yup

[grampy]

Spot on. Good luck with that big un!

[JRod 8G8H]

i would agree. good luck

[TopGun270]

Thanks guys. I know you are curious of their head gear. Top left is oldest, then top right, then bottom left....


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[TonySkyline]

This is exactly why i wish we had antler restrictions. Look what a couple years does to a buck! You got some awesome deer where you are hunting. Good luck on that big boy

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[Marion]

That bottom one looks like a cow. Almost looks photoshopped how fat it is! Hope you smoke him!

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[G-Man]

well i can old age accuratly to 3.5 after that its a guess.  5.5 4.5 6.5 all look the same unless you have photo history to compare after 3.5 its a buest guess. i killed one 8.5 had sheds from previous years.. dec said 3.5 till i showed shedsgoing back 6 years...    after 3.5 they are mature.. good and bad winters at that point affect body size and antlers  but stay pretty similar imo

[8s or Better HC]

On 11/2/2018 at 8:36 PM, TopGun270 said:

Thanks guys. I know you are curious of their head gear. Top left is oldest, then top right, then bottom left....


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I see the 2 on the left are same buck, but are you sure the one on the right is the same as the prior year?  Only asking cause brow tine on his left has a peculiar curve that’s not present on the other picture same with overall curvature of his antlers. good genes on that property either way, good luck

[dbHunterNY]

top two seem right. bottom one is older than 4.5 years old. how much older is pointless. it's mature. the antlers make sense but wouldn't effect my decision unless i was really on the fence, which i'm not. keep the legs down to the hooves in the photos though. helps with aging.

[dbHunterNY]

On 11/5/2018 at 8:35 PM, G-Man said:

well i can old age accuratly to 3.5 after that its a guess.  5.5 4.5 6.5 all look the same unless you have photo history to compare after 3.5 its a buest guess. i killed one 8.5 had sheds from previous years.. dec said 3.5 till i showed shedsgoing back 6 years...    after 3.5 they are mature.. good and bad winters at that point affect body size and antlers  but stay pretty similar imo

use of "mature" being subjective. it's my opinion that they still have a lot more growing to do after 3.5 yrs old. they can add on 40lbs or more of weight and 25+ inches out this way where they top off compared to the other end of the state. what you've seen is what you've seen out that way is what it is though.

[chas0218]

use of "mature" being subjective. it's my opinion that they still have a lot more growing to do after 3.5 yrs old. they can add on 40lbs or more of weight and 25+ inches out this way where they top off compared to the other end of the state. what you've seen is what you've seen out that way is what it is though.

I consider 5.5 mature maybe 4.5 i have seen deer mature much more afyer 3.5.

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[dbHunterNY]

31 minutes ago, chas0218 said:

I consider 5.5 mature maybe 4.5 i have seen deer mature much more afyer 3.5.

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in all fairness most hunters don't have all the pieces to the puzzle to know or see the difference. many 3.5 yr old bucks are killed and mounted on the wall. 3.5+ just becomes a "big buck". only in the past several years have a really figured out the difference.

[G-Man]

1 hour ago, dbHunterNY said:

use of "mature" being subjective. it's my opinion that they still have a lot more growing to do after 3.5 yrs old. they can add on 40lbs or more of weight and 25+ inches out this way where they top off compared to the other end of the state. what you've seen is what you've seen out that way is what it is though.

just as man ages an puts on weight.. but at 21 he is considered adult though a 40 year old can look bigger or smaller individual deer will age and develop differently. unless i have a photo of previous years to tell hin at 3.5 4.5 or 5.5  or older is near impossible when looking at a single photo.. 

[WNYBuckHunter]

On 11/5/2018 at 5:59 PM, TonySkyline said:

This is exactly why i wish we had antler restrictions. Look what a couple years does to a buck! You got some awesome deer where you are hunting. Good luck on that big boy

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How would have ARs have helped that deer get to 5.5? he would have been legal under any ARs when he was 2.5, Id venture to guess he was probably legal when he was 1.5 as well.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Biologically, a buck is not mature until he hits 5 years old. Thats when his skeletal structure is done developing. After that, its body can put more energy toward antler development than it could before, which is why most bucks "blow up" at 5.5 and 6.5 years old.

[dbHunterNY]

5 minutes ago, WNYBuckHunter said:

How would have ARs have helped that deer get to 5.5? he would have been legal under any ARs when he was 2.5, Id venture to guess he was probably legal when he was 1.5 as well.

ARs will get more deer to see a season or two to kick the ignorance and better elude some hunters. i agree though antler restrictions whether minimum regulatory ones or more restrictive voluntary ones won't really get you beyond 3.5 yrs old. the traditional outfitter with a B&C score restriction might be different but it really just takes self control/will power and a buck's ability to stay out of trouble to get that old.

[TopGun270]

I see the 2 on the left are same buck, but are you sure the one on the right is the same as the prior year?  Only asking cause brow tine on his left has a peculiar curve that’s not present on the other picture same with overall curvature of his antlers. good genes on that property either way, good luck

None of these are the same buck. These 3 are all different and from this year I only have history of the oldest.


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[TonySkyline]

The AR just gives them a way better chance to get to that "mature stage". They are stupid when they are young which is why scrubs are killed 20-1 around here. I hold out and it has worked out at least every other year. No they aren't all these pope and young/boone and crocket bucks but they are also not scrub bucks. 200+ hours on stand this year and it finally paid off. My buddy goes out once, put him in a good spot and shoots a scrub 4 point after 3 hours total hunting. What an accomplished hunter. When i shot mine he said "wish i still had my buck tag" . Can't teach em all.

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