Author: Hunter

This buck is making use of someone’s feeder, but old how is he?

Aging this Buck

First, this buck is not giving us the best angle for making an age determination, but this is often the reality. Sometimes we only get one or two photos of a buck and we have to used what we have.

Hunters also have to make a split-second decision when a buck they have never seen before steps right out in front of them. Shoot or don’t shoot?

This buck is definitely not young. The brisket area looks to be deep and his belly definitely has some sag going on. A deep belly automatically puts this deer at 5 1/2 years of age. He could be another year beyond but that’s about it.

A 5 1/2 year old, 8 point buck is one that I’m tagging, given the opportunity.

This nocturnal buck wants to put on a show for the camera, as in show off that nice set of antlers on top of his head. This photo was taken in Union County, Pennsylvania. How old is this good looking buck?

Aging this Pennsylvania Buck

Let me start by saying that this photo does not capture the buck in the ideal position for making the best possible age determination. I’ll also say that not many game camera photos do capture bucks in that “just right” position, so we will make our best assessment.

This photo was submitted after the hunting season—way after actually. The photo reads 2018. The photo was taken in mid-February so we need to keep in mind that the buck is worn down from the breeding season and winter.

The buck looks to have a belly on him, which immediately makes me think 5+ years of age. His front legs appear on the short side, another indication that this buck is getting long in the tooth, so to speak.

If this was a pre-rut photo I would call this buck 5 1/2 years of age, but since it’s post-rut and well into winter, I’d say this whitetail is at least 6 1/2 years of age, possibly older. His antlers may even be on the decline, as nutrition starts to drop off with excessive tooth wear.

If he’s still alive, he’s a shooter!

I’ve always wanted to tag a buck in the snow, but is this guy old enough to shoot? I’d say he is …

Aging this New Yorker Buck

This northern buck is a beast by all standards when it comes to the body size! Regardless of where this photo was taken, any buck that carries this much bulk throughout his body is not a young deer.

Notice that the buck’s heavy neck meets up very low on his brisket, another tip that this New York native does not take crap from nobody. The real give-away is the buck’s head.

The head of a mature whitetail buck should look short. It’s not actually short but it will appear short. This is because an older buck carries a lot of mass around the back of his jowls, the area where the head meets up with the neck.

With all of these physical features in mind it’s easy to estimate this buck on the far end of the age scale. Since he’s a northern buck he’s going to appear heavier than most, but even with that in mind this buck is at least 5 1/2 years of age.

How about this dude? This one should not take long, right?

Aging this Buck from a Camera Photo

I see a very young buck. This is actually a 1 1/2 year old buck with his very first set of antlers. Bucks that are 1 1/2 years of age appear smaller than adult does. Using antler size to age young bucks is actually quite effective most of the time.

Rarely will there be middle-aged or old bucks running around with such tiny antlers. This guy would be off limits in my book. Give him at least another 3 years before putting a tag on him.

Check out this buck from Louisiana. How old is this guy?

Aging this Big Buck

I see a mature whitetail buck that is well-developed. The deer has a big body. The front-end of this buck is deep and the muscled neck comes into the brisket low. The legs of this buck look relatively short compared to the length of his body, a sure sign that he is not a young deer.

Depending on when this picture was taken during the season, this buck is likely 5 1/2 years old, possibly even a couple of years older. Without question, he would be on my hit list!