Guess the Ages

ICMDEER · Apr 7, 2022

I got back the ages from some mule deer bucks this week. I thought it would be fun for you to guess their ages. This is in the Wyoming forum because the G&F lead biologist in Laramie has said there are no 4+ year old deer in this area. And as a result, we need November seasons to curtail CWD. (That's a hint on the ages of these deer.)

Two of the bucks are the same age, one is younger.

I'll put a couple of pics of each so you can see them better. Some of the pics are not the best quality; sorry.

I'll post the ages in a day or two.

This makes for good discussion since G&F is adamant that all of the deer over 3-4 are dead because of CWD. Yet I get this result back from their lab this week.

Interesting........

SS! · Apr 7, 2022

Nice bucks thanks for sharing!

wytex · Apr 7, 2022

6 1/2 and 8 1/2. I wouldn't be surprised if they are 8 1/2 and 10 1/2 though.
Congrats to your hunters sir, those are nice bucks.

We have 20+ years of 4 1/2 - 10 1/2 yr old bucks form across the highway from you. Had an interesting convo. with a biologist about this very issue.

Founder · Apr 7, 2022

It sounds like I’m wrong, but I’d probably throw out guesses of 5.5, 4.5 and 5.5.

I already know how extremely difficult it is to guess a deer’s age by looking at their face, body or antlers.

Bookhead · Apr 7, 2022

5.5 4.5 7.5.

SS! · Apr 7, 2022

Interesting guys add the .5 in there should be more like .325

Bookhead · Apr 7, 2022

SS! said:
Interesting guys add the .5 in there should be more like .325

Nah most are born end of May early june pretty close to .5

WVHUNTER · Apr 7, 2022

5.5, 7.5, 5.5
I think that second one is an old deer.

Bookhead · Apr 7, 2022

Bookhead said:
5.5 4.5 7.5.

I didn't read it all the way through so I'm gonna change my guess to 6.5, 4.5, 6.5 lol

SS! · Apr 7, 2022

Bookhead said:
Nah most are born end of May early june pretty close to .5

Close but unless you’re getting them in late November Dec it’s closer to .325

How old are you? Do you say you’re 38.5? I rest my case.

nfh · Apr 7, 2022

1st -5.325555455444445446444

2nd- 7.3245533556445

3rd- 6.325346764442828848383

Your welcome SS.

In rounding up 5.5, 7.5,6.5

jm77 · Apr 7, 2022

SS! said:
Close but unless you’re getting them in late November Dec it’s closer to .325

How old are you? Do you say you’re 38.5? I rest my case.

You do know the lab ages are on big game are to one decimal point, right?

jm77 · Apr 7, 2022

Founder said:
I already know how extremely difficult it is to guess a deer’s age by looking at their face, body or antlers.

Yes it is. Show me the teeth and I'd get it down to a year, one way or the other.

SS! · Apr 7, 2022

jm77 said:
You do know the lab ages are on big game are to one decimal point, right?

Yep. I've been sending teeth in. The bull in my avatar just came back at 10.

muleyslayerwa · Apr 7, 2022

Top to bottom: 5.5, 6.5, 6.5

rmanwill · Apr 7, 2022

4.5 - 4.5 - 6.5

Bookhead · Apr 7, 2022

SS! said:
Close but unless you’re getting them in late November Dec it’s closer to .325

How old are you? Do you say you’re 38.5? I rest my case.

True lol

BuzzH · Apr 7, 2022

7, 6, 7.

PRCnut · Apr 7, 2022

7.5, 6.5, 4.5

HiMtnHntr · Apr 7, 2022

I know better than to give an age based on a pic, but I'll play because it's fun and this forum needs some....

1. 6.5
2. 6.5
3. 7.5

Cool deer and thanks!

jm77 · Apr 7, 2022

7.5, 7.5, 5.5

Cahunter805 · Apr 7, 2022

8.5,7.5,8.5

Awesome bucks by the way. Did you send them to the lab in Montana?

nfh · Apr 7, 2022

While on this topic. Many many years ago i came across this wolf kill. Barely a 200 inch bull of that. Cant see in the pic but his left horn at the base was funky. His ivories were worn off. Had more gums then back teeth. Front teeth were worn down and missing with one front tooth with a hole. Makes me wander what his age was? His antlers size were definitely due to his old age.

HiMtnHntr · Apr 7, 2022

Hard to say. My son found a nice bull back in June, molars worn smooth, bout a 340" set on him... I was guessing 10+. He was only 7.5. I've seen 7.5 yo bulls with sharp molars yet...

Soccerdude · Apr 7, 2022

5.5 top
6.5 middle
5.5 bottom

link · Apr 7, 2022

5 5 5

ClearCreek · Apr 7, 2022

1 is 6
2 is 6
3 is 5

Sallaberry · Apr 7, 2022

7,8,8

elks96 · Apr 7, 2022

6.5, 6.5 and 8.5… all of them are over 4 east.

Pinlard · Apr 7, 2022

6,9,6

SS! · Apr 8, 2022

5 5 7

IDbullz · Apr 8, 2022

2, 3, 2 just ask the biologist.

jm77 · Apr 8, 2022

"Two of the bucks are the same age, one is younger."

ICMDEER · Apr 8, 2022

Seems like the guesses have slowed down, so here are the answers:

Buck 1 - 7.5
Buck 2 - 7.5
Buck 3 - 5.5

I don't usually add the decimal either, but that's what the G&F lab sent so you have the whole story.

I had watched these deer for a few years. We should have shot the buck with the extra main beam as a 4 year old as a management buck. He was still a three point on both sides as a 4 year old. He was a 4X3 as a 6 year old but that year he did grow that extra main beam. He finally for to be a 4X4 as a 7 year old deer. He was affected with EHD and was a good one to harvest.

The buck with the drop tine had another cheater off his top left side as a 4 year old, but his drop tine was 3-4" shorter.

I am like Founder in that I find it very tough to guess the ages of these bucks. I know when they are 4+ and when they get really old, but those that are 5-7 (or maybe more) are really difficult for me to know.

We hunt in different ecotypes and it is interesting to see the teeth, too. Deer that feed primarily on alfalfa seem to have less wear and better teeth. Deer in sandy soil that are primarily brush eaters seem to have more wear on their teeth. Nothing scientific there; just observation.

Thanks to everyone for playing. I'll try to come up with some other stuff to keep us entertained and share something positive.

Congrats to JM77. He was the only one who got all three ages correct.

BradA · Apr 8, 2022

4,5 and 7 but tough to really know from the pictures.

BradA · Apr 8, 2022

I mean 7.5,7.5 5.5 haha

jm77 · Apr 8, 2022

Here's an interesting story of my oldest grandson and his first two mule deer bucks. I will tie this in to what is being said by the OP. In 2020 I had my eye on a group of muley bucks in our area. Without a doubt, for him there were several shooters. Two in particular looked to me like older bucks and based on their antlers, they would never become true trophies. He took the best buck in the group opening day in the afternoon. After examining the buck's teeth, I guessed he was at least 5.

The following fall, once again, several bucks to shoot, but one gave me every impression he was an older animal, but he had very small mass for an older buck. Carter got a chance and took this buck for his second muley.

It turns out both bucks were negative CWD. The first was 6.5 and the second was 7.5 which means the were both born the same year, 2014. From some research I hear that when a doe is rough shape, carrying a fawn through the winter, it may affect the bucks antler size for the rest of the buck's life. The winter of 2013-14, near as I can tell was a tough one and the prior year of 2012, was the worst drought in central Wyoming I can remember.

This also brings me to what ICMDEER is saying about older bucks and CWD. We've taken 11 bucks since the last positive CWD test we got on a deer in 2008, all mature 5+ year old bucks in the same part of the area, all negative tests. We are told our area has a prevalence rate in the upper 20% and we have had CWD for decades. It makes absolutely no sense to me to target and kill older bucks to try and control CWD.

HiMtnHntr · Apr 10, 2022

Here's one for you internet tooth aging experts. What's the age on this old bull? Let ya know in February 2023

Sallaberry · Apr 10, 2022

Hmm 11?

ICMDEER · Apr 11, 2022

Really old. A gummer.

gundog2 · Apr 11, 2022

6, 5, 8

Sallaberry · Apr 11, 2022

gundog2 said:
6, 5, 8

Beautiful shorthair but answers above you.

HiMtnHntr · Feb 26, 2023

HiMtnHntr said:
View attachment 73757Here's one for you internet tooth aging experts. What's the age on this old bull? Let ya know in February 2023View attachment 73756

12.5