I'm trying to get better at judging the age of deer in my area, so I thought I would post these and see what y'all thought about these deer I got on camera this year. I'll put how old I think they are, and y'all can say if you think I'm correct. I'm trying to learn all I can, and this site is a great resource. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

All of these are at the same location, so I can divide all the bucks on my camera into groups based on common appearance, which makes them easier to age.

1.5 years


This buck is thin, has a small neck, and is definately 1.5. He is the same size as all of the spikes. I just put him because he looks a lot better.

2.5 years



This buck is a little chubby, but he still has a thin neck and long legs. He is bigger than the 1.5, but not as big as the next age class.

3.5+ years




This is the same buck in both pictures. He has a thicker neck and fuller body, but he still has a thin, athletic waste. I don't thick he could be 4 or older due to that, but I could be wrong.

That is the oldest buck I have on camera, so I can't do any more than that for now. The 3.5 year old made it through the season, so maybe he'll be a nice 4.5 next year.

Thanks

I think you are a year off on all of them. Looks like a 2, a 3, and a 4 yr old to me. What part of the state are you in?

I'm in Lauderdale County north of Florence. I'm about 3 miles from the Tennessee line. I think the deer here have a little bit bigger body than in some areas, so it's kind of difficult to figure out ages sometimes.

Here are a couple more 1.5 year olds for comparison. Both of these are peak of the rut, so the necks are a little bigger than they would usually be:

In your original post, the first one is 2.5, the second and the third are both 4-4.5. The spike in your second post is at least 3.5 if not 4, and the 4pt is 2.

I saw the spike about 7 times in person. I know it was him because of the way they curve. He stayed with his mom until the rut and then left her. He smelled me twice and kept coming by me anyways. If he's older than 1.5 he's the dumbest deer ever . He's the same size as all of the spikes. I'm 100% sure he's 1.5. I saw the 4 point twice. He and the 4 point and the first 8 point are all about the same size. The pictures are just deceiving I guess.

The second buck weighed about 175 (don't have a scale, that's just what I guessed) dead without field dressing. Judging by other pictures I have, the 9 point in the third picture weighed 210ish. I killed a 3.5 year old (done with jaw bone) 7 point 2 years ago that weighed 215, that's why I thought the 9 point was probably 3.5. The "2" year old 8 that I killed also didn't appear as "mature" as the 3.5 year old 7 point. He was thinner, had a much less broad head, and just looked younger.

Here's a button buck for more comparison:


Aging deer is a lot harder than I thought it would be.

[quote=Ben2]I think you are a year off on all of them. Looks like a 2, a 3, and a 4 yr old to me.

I agree with this^^^^^^^

I concur

This would be my guess also.

cool project-we are all just guessing anyway, but it is fun to think about.

night pics are often times misleading. They tend to make the deer look bigger, including antlers. The position the in changes it as well. Take for instance the first and second pic you posted. From the 2 pics you posted there's very little difference in body size, too me.

I agree with Ben on this one. As far as the spike being 3-4 that's way off. That's a normal body shape and size for a young one.