Age this

Bill

Administrator
N. Missouri deer. pic taken today 12/4.
Not to steer anyone but mature bucks around here can go north of 220 live weight without trying.

I know what I see but I'm curious what others think.
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2.5 year old, maybe 3.5 because post rut.
 
We get a fair amount of bucks that are 3.5+ that don't have hulking bods. Your buck has pretty long legs yet and not much tarsal staining, therefore my guess would also be 2.5/3.5. Antler bases look fairly substantial. Following.
 
2.5
 
Here's one pre rut Oct 7. Should have posted this also. The rut didn't affect him much

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2.5 is my guess as well.
 
He looks 2.5, but as you know, the rut changes everything. The drop tine buck that I think was 6.5 was killed on Thursday evening and gutted. Got home Saturday evening and weighed him, 153#, on a very accurate scale. I know he lost some moisture weight, but surprising. Here is a pic from summer, looks like more than a 150# dressed deer!
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2.5
 
Got home Saturday evening and weighed him, 153#, on a very accurate scale. I know he lost some moisture weight, but surprising. Here is a pic from summer, looks like more than a 150# dressed deer!

Not to derail my own thread but have you ever the theory’s in MO about Dakota bucks and Canada bucks?

Local myth (and I can’t argue with them) says when MO reintroduced deer some came from the Dakota’s and some from Canada. They say most of the Dakota genes have been bread out because the big Canadians out fought them. Local lore also says the genes pop up once in a while and you get a muscular little deer with a good rack. Timid personality?

Just a thought. :).

Bro killed a field dressed 120 lb heavy antlered buck a few years ago. Trail cam pics made him look like a beast.

Sorry for the derail everyone.
 
3.5
 
2.5 long legs short nose. And yes, trail camera picture can be deceiving. Our deer must be much longer than some because If that drop tine buck was shot in my neck of the woods it would have been over 200# easily. Field dressed that is.
 
Cameras can be wickedly deceiving... first pic I would have guessed him at a younger age, 1.5 years, small hind, guts still tappering up to the rear, chest is nice but not thick and squared up, neck looks small and face is not blocky. he has a young looking face - Ears looks small too.... antler bases seem to indicate an older deer 2.5 ish plus; I would have said your fall pic isnt even the same deer that one looks older gut line is squared up and neck looks fuller (rut I know) but he still has small quarters not well muscled and long legs which make it look like the body is not filled out with age yet.

Ive got a good small eared deer story with massive ground shrinkage of the rack, a kind of 325 yard oops I got him post shoot thing... if you stare at a deer long enough you can actually watch the antlers grow and the ears shrink.

They (deer's racks) can look huge in velvet with summer coats, look small in early fall hard horned with a thicker coat and then look smaller yet again rack wise when bodies are fat and pumped up during rut, then look big again while trying to speed score them through a rifle scope. Camera pics often lie. I tend to under estimate just to compensate for ground shrinkage

NOW swat1018's pic looks like a tank, a pig of a deer even if in his summer coat - the neck alone is scary thick I would have guessed him at 190 plus dressed.
 
I'd put him at 2.5 on my farm in MN. I don't think MO is much different. He might be 3.5, but my guess would be 2.5.
 
Id agree, 2.5 or 3.5... id probably lean towards 3.5 as theyre still pretty "lanky" at that age.
 
2.5 year old, maybe 3.5 because post rut.

Exactly what Scott said.

I'm afraid to see what his antlers look like.
 
2.5
 
2.5 long legs short nose. And yes, trail camera picture can be deceiving. Our deer must be much longer than some because If that drop tine buck was shot in my neck of the woods it would have been over 200# easily. Field dressed that is.

If you look at the trail cam pic, I'd venture to say he would dress over 200. Even when I saw him on Nov 2, he looked huge. Thanksgiving was the latest I've ever killed a trophy type animal, I think the non stop moving for 6 weeks chasing does definitely played a role in his weight loss. I've killed several 200# plus bucks there.
 
I see 2.5, That's why I asked. Maybe wishful thinking on my part. Most 3.5 year olds seem to have more rump and chest from my observations.

Can't control neighbors but my guys were told "Do Not Shoot This Deer"!

Pics with antlers may push guesses to 3.5 but even seeing anlers I'm still leaning towards 2.5.
Either way if this guy can pull a few more years out of his butt he is the kind of young dear that dreams are made of.....
Young main frame 12. I'd love to see him make it at least two or three more years.

I actually watched this deer bumping a doe during rifle season near the road and had two guys pull over and jump out of thier truck. When they saw me barreling towards them they hopped back in their truck and got out of there.

80 mph chasing them and flashing my lights but they wouldn't stop. I hope the young fellow wises up, he won't live long acting like an idiot. :)

I call him Bob, because something took half his tail.

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Heck of a 2 1/2 would love to see you holding him in 2 or 3 years
 
Can I play? What about this guy, Bill? He looks 2.5, and it's mid September pic, when they are at about their biggest.

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