Age?

[phil@thesidehill]

i now call this buck Lucky. I'll fill in the blanks on the name later. I'm following the lead of Chummer i believe....i think he was the one that posted a pic of a buck with the antlers "blacked" out.

Pic was taken on December 22nd here in NE PA.

 

[Turkey Creek]

3.5

 

[dipper]

These Are always so much fun. I'll go 2.5, with the possibility you are playing games with that black marker.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

These Are always so much fun. I'll go 2.5, with the possibility you are playing games with that black marker.

I knew you would like this one. No comment on the size or location of the black "blob"....i'll leave that to the imagination of the guesser.

 

[willy]

I'll play, 4.5 perhaps plus, short stubby legs and looks like a good sized neck for Dec. 22

 

[chummer]

I guess 2.5 but it is hard to account for weight loss from the rut.

 

[dipper]

I'll go out on a limb and put him between 80"-110" based on the body structure.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

I'll go out on a limb and put him between 80"-110" based on the body structure.

Well that covers 30" of score range.....isn't that like saying he could be anywhere from a fawn to a 3 yr old? And the lower half of your score range would most certainly be in line with the top end of bucks in this area that fall in your age guess.

 

[foggy]

I'm going with 3.5. (revised from 2.5 after a second look)

 

[phil@thesidehill]

I'm going with 3.5. (revised from 2.5 after a second look)

What was the deciding factoring on changing your mind foggy?

 

[Jordan Selsor]

I'm on the fence between 2.5 an 3.5

 

[phil@thesidehill]

I'm on the fence between 2.5 an 3.5

So what features have you hung up?

 

[dipper]

Well that covers 30" of score range.....isn't that like saying he could be anywhere from a fawn to a 3 yr old? And the lower half of your score range would most certainly be in line with the top end of bucks in this area that fall in your age guess.

Phil it's really only a guess, that buck could be a 3.5 just as well. I shot a 3.5 back in the day that scored 167". I worked on a mid150"s 6.5 today. I've seen 6.5 in the upper teens. Unless you have the teeth, it's a toss up.
Mass is one pretty good indicator of age though. At 4.5 they start getting thicker. Every 5.5 plus I've seen has mass, even those in the teens.

 

[shawnv]

I'll say 3.5

 

[foggy]

What was the deciding factoring on changing your mind foggy?

That deer is getting a bit of a belly and his body is large, filled out nicely, and "deep".

 

[Jordan Selsor]

So what features have you hung up?

Well he looks like he has a thick winter coat which I think is throwing me off. His face an neck say 2.5 but he is pretty stocky.
I officially go with 2.5

 

[phil@thesidehill]

Phil it's really only a guess, that buck could be a 3.5 just as well. I shot a 3.5 back in the day that scored 167". I worked on a mid150"s 6.5 today. I've seen 6.5 in the upper teens. Unless you have the teeth, it's a toss up.
Mass is one pretty good indicator of age though. At 4.5 they start getting thicker. Every 5.5 plus I've seen has mass, even those in the teens.

I agree with the mass observation to an extent. The oldest buck ever known to be killed in the state of PA was 10.5 yr old that had no mass to speak of. If he ever grossed p&y min I would have been shocked. I have a pic of him somewhere.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

That deer is getting a bit of a belly and his body is large, filled out nicely, and "deep".

Thanks for expounding on your guess!

 

[phil@thesidehill]

Well he looks like he has a thick winter coat. His face an neck say 2.5 but he is pretty stocky.
I officially go with 2.5

See now that is funny....I think his front end (from the shoulders up to the nose) looks older.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

I have a 5 year old that is a regular visitor at my place that has no mass but his tines are very tall. He has busted his rack up 2 years in a row due to this. I'm not in Ag country. This is a big woods acorn buck