Haw Id thread

[dipper]

There is a lot of age this threads from trail cams. I say lets kill these deer and start aging jaws. This jaw was off a hefty doe I shot a couple days ago. I wish I had my age jaw collection but it at my buddies cabin. I'm saying 4.5

 

[j-bird]

Dipper - I suck at aging jaw bones, can you explain why you think it is the age you do? I am not being critical or questioning - I am trying to learn. I understand the whole tooth replacement thing, its once the deer get past those stages I have a hard time.

 

[dipper]

I think you are not the only one j. Everyone wants to be an expert aging deer on the hoof, but there is very little chatter on jaw aging. There is a certain subjective degree of technique, but I read a QDMA article that lab testing is subjective as well.
I just noticed damn spell checker label the thread haw.
I skin out a lot of heads for my taxidermy friend. A good share of high fence deer that the ages are already known. The deer are in a 400 acre pen so the teeth wear is consistent with wild deer. I also shoot a lot of does, so I get to play more.
There is a ton of info on the net. I think QDMA has some pretty good tutorials. I would suggest you go there. You basically need diagrams to educate yourself.
I put together a jaw collection on a sting. I gotta get that back. I'd suggest you compile one, it's been a game changer for me. I have fawn to confirmed 6.5. Past 6.5 it gets very gray.

 

[Tree Spud]

I am a complete newbie to jaw bone aging ... looking to learn something here ...

 

[bryant]

I will go with 3.5

 

[Bill]

This is why I don't like aging the teeth myself.

To me the back cusp is pretty worn which would lead me to say 4.5.

But the denting lines are still thin enough that I would say 3.5.

So if it's a doe that lived in a heavy agricultural area I'm going with 4.5
If she lived in big timber eating sticks and stones I'll say 3.5

 

[dipper]

:)What if it's a pen raised buck in an ag area? Does that effect teeth wear?

 

[Bill]

:)What if it's a pen raised buck in an ag area? Does that effect teeth wear?

Yea then it's a 5.5 year old doe cause she's been eating soft purina deer chow :D

 

[j-bird]

I suck at aging on the hoof as well. I do the age this in the QW and sometimes I am way off! I tend thave it stuck in my head that all deer are like deer from the midwest - I suck especially at southern deer and deer in the more extreme northern ranges. I try to age bucks to 3.5 at myplace and once they get to that point in most cases - they are getting shot at anyway! Any adult doe is fair game as well.

This is why I asked you to sort of explain your position on the age you gave. This may sound bad, but an answer is one thing - how you got to that answer is where the knowledge lies! Like I said I have no idea if your wrong or right (I'm not questioning that) - I'm looking for the "process" to speak. Why isn't this deer 3.5 or 5.5?

I have read the QDMA suff - I feel that it is wise to seak several sources of information relying on a single source can lead one astray - I'm astray enough as it is!

Sorry if I'm being pushy - just tring to learn something.

 

[bueller]

3.5

 

[dipper]

Where's more?? I got a couple heads to work on but that stuff stays frozen until I get my own buck.

 

[bueller]

Where's more?? I got a couple heads to work on but that stuff stays frozen until I get my own buck.

I haven't even been out hunting yet. I have photos (not the best though) from a doe I took two years ago. Some may recall seeing them on another site.

 

[bueller]

Sorry for the poor cell phone pics.

bottom is tooth #1

top is tooth #1