Can I assume a deer with 8inch spikes or maybe a small forkhorn is a one year old deer generally speaking of course.

Quailman is the resident expert on this topic

You know what they say when you assume. There is a possibility of it being 1yr old. Lots of variables go into what a young bucks first set of antlers will be. Was it born early, foos and nutrition, and genes. Don’t judge his age by the antlers. His body type will tell you age better.

If im correct in my first assumption, then how old is this deer? I have several spikes and small forkhorns I assume are 1yr olds, then I have several deer like this one I was assuming is a 3yo. I dont have anything in between them. I do get occasional pics of deer I can tell are a little older than this deer because of muscle structure but their antlers are close to the same, maybe just a bit more mass than this deer.

I think you’re spot on at 3. Maybe some more experienced agers will prove us right or dead wrong.

I think he’s 3

Im also seeing a few spikes with maybe 2inch spikes lately I am assuming are this years because they werent around a month ago. Again im assuming their little horns were still growing and theyve just shed their velvet, is that possible? Anybody with any knowledge about any of this feel free to speak up. Im not sure im right about any of this. Just trying to get it straight in my head.

I'd say 2, maybe 2 1/2 . The half coming into play as to when he was dropped. I don't think that a 120 is a 4 year old buck and that is where ya'll are going. JW once the velvet is shed, the growth is over.

I think that a 2-2.5 ye old

Perch, im not going anywhere with all this. Im just trying to figure out what ive got running around here. It makes more sense to me that the deer in the picture would be 2yo because theres nothing between him and what im fairly sure are 1yo deer. That would leave us with fewer 3yo deer which makes perfect sense because theyre bad about getting shot.

answer your pm's JW.(goober)

If you are seeing visible bone that is just barely above the hide then it is last year's buck.

Just born a little later than the 8inch spikes?

Correct. Most places have at least two rut cycles. I have hunted and seen trail camera evidence that showed fawns born from three rut cycles.