This buck is best classified as “camera shy.” He’s a long ways from the camera, barely in the frame, and he’s also looking the wrong way. Here are some background details on this Ohio buck:
- Findlay, Ohio; Hancock county
- Photo actually taken October 2, 2019
- Deer numbers are good. Observed 25 deer in a 60 acre field that butts up against the woods. This pic was taken a night later. Management is minimal. Most bucks getting shot 2.5-3.5 yrs. old. Fields are rotated yearly between soybeans and corn, with cover crop in the winter months (usually rye).
- Rut is typically 1st or 2nd week in November with November 7-10 roughly the peak.
What’s the Age of this Ohio buck?
If you’re out during normal hunting hours and this is the only look this buck gives you, go ahead and take the shot! We can’t make out the details but this photo gives us enough to estimate the age of this Ohio brute.
The physical characteristics that I notice on this buck put this deer beyond the average age of buck harvest in the area, which was stated to be 2-3 years of age. I believe this Ohio buck is at least 5 1/2 years of age.
First, the front end of this buck is very deep. So deep, in fact, that the front legs look short. That’s always a reliable sign of a mature deer. The buck still looks flat across the back so I don’t believe he is any older.