Buzz
Being able to determine a deer's age while hunting is essential for managing deer populations and ensuring a diverse range of ages among them. It's important to note that deer characteristics can vary based on their location. By taking the time to observe local wildlife, you can easily age a deer by examining it or studying its teeth.
Follow these steps
Aging a Whitetail Buck Based on Its Size
Understand the appearance of female deer. Female deer, or does, lack antlers like fawns. Fawns can be mistaken for young males but can be distinguished by their flatter heads and shorter necks compared to does.
Understand the appearance of fawns. Baby deer, known as fawns, have small square bodies, square heads, and large ears. They have thin bodies and legs without much muscle definition, and sometimes they lack antlers, making them easy to mistake for does.
Examine neck width for age. Young bucks have thinner necks compared to adults. Around 3 to 3.5 years old, the neck starts to develop more muscle. By 4.5 years old, bucks have muscular, proportionate necks, especially noticeable during breeding season or rut when their necks swell.
Observe leg changes. Young deer have long, thin legs relative to their bodies, maintaining this appearance until about three years old. Older deer around 4.5 years old tend to have shorter, stockier legs. Look for dark tarsal glands at leg joints, which darken with age.
Evaluate body size. Young deer have smaller stomachs and torsos compared to fully grown deer. A mature deer will have a stocky or bulky stomach and a larger area between the neck and chest as it ages.
Aging a Buck Based on Antlers
Assess antler length for age. View the deer from the side to see how far the antlers extend past its face. Older bucks have antlers that reach about the length of their nose or more, typically 20 inches (50.8 cm) or longer. Younger bucks will have shorter antlers relative to their face.
Evaluate antler spread. When facing the buck, estimate the distance between its antlers. Bucks younger than 2.5 years old usually have antlers less than 14 inches (35.56 cm) apart. Antler diameter increases to over 15 inches (38.1 cm) in bucks aged 3.5 years or older.
Understand local deer characteristics. Deer antler size is influenced by habitat health. Learn about typical antler sizes for adult and young bucks in your area by consulting local hunting associations or park rangers.
Determining Deer Age Based on Teeth
Count teeth in the jaw. Fawns have five or fewer teeth, while 5 to 6-month-old deer typically have four teeth, and those aged 7 months to one year have five. Deer older than a year will have a sixth tooth.
Examine the deer's third tooth. A tricuspid third tooth indicates a deer younger than a year. As it wears down, it's replaced by a bicuspid in older deer.
Check the coloring of the third tooth. A lighter color or just beginning development indicates a deer slightly older than one year. If it matches the rest, the deer could be between 2.5 years to fully mature.
Inspect tooth enamel. Aging deer will have worn enamel, with mature deer often having most enamel worn away. Worn-down teeth suggest a deer over five years old.
