Aging this Nocturnal Buck
Okay, we can say with certainty that this is not the ideal camera angle when it comes to determining the age of this buck. But, we can say with certainty that the deer is not young.
The buck’s body is just too deep from the front end to the back end. The neck does not come in at the very bottom of the brisket, but we have to keep in mind that the photo was also taken in August. This deer will muscle-up prior to the rut and that muscling could literally change the picture.
That said, this buck looks to be a solid 4 1/2 year old deer. Come hunting season, however, he may have changed enough to warrant adding on another year.
I can make a case for shooting this buck this year form a management standpoint. He’s at least 4 1/2 years of age and only has 6 points, so he fits my criteria of a management or cull buck. This may not be the case for every person or every property, but for me, this deer has lived long enough.