Age? Don’t care about score

[across the river]

For this if you saying 5+, I realize that is a big deer to you if you haven’t hunted there and are hunting the coast or many places above the fall line, but he said he is in the “extreme” south central part of the state. That deer isn’t big enough to be 5.5 there. Not even close. He is 3.5 tops.

 

[alwayslookin]

4.5-5.5

JMO

 

[Kev]

Prolly 4 or 5

 

[doenightmare]

I'll take 4.5 for 100 Alex.

 

[buckpasser]

Not entirely sure all 3 are the same deer...but the first pic is definitely older...sway in the back, legs look shorter, big belly, well developed shoulders at this time of year...

Not that it’s definite proof, but you’ll notice the little split tip on the right brow tine. It’s the same buck I can assure you. Some angles do make him appear to be a bit stockier than others. He hasn’t changed much since last year. It’s funny how much genetic diversity is in this area. We have mature bucks from 140 lbs to over 250 lbs. A 135” rack on a 140 lb mature buck will make your jaw drop...until you walk up on his corpse.

 

[Tight Lines]

Not that it’s definite proof, but you’ll notice the little split tip on the right brow tine. It’s the same buck I can assure you. Some angles do make him appear to be a bit stockier than others. He hasn’t changed much since last year. It’s funny how much genetic diversity is in this area. We have mature bucks from 140 lbs to over 250 lbs. A 135” rack on a 140 lb mature buck will make your jaw drop...until you walk up on his corpse.

So what's the age based on your pics from past years? I hunt lower North GA.

 

[buckpasser]

So what's the age based on your pics from past years? I hunt lower North GA.

4th or 5th rack now.

 

[Tight Lines]

4th or 5th rack now.

Nice I figured he was older...

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

3 1/2 year olds don’t look built.
That buck has been built for a while.
With a smaller rack he probably is an old feller by now yet still healthy too.
His butt looks square/cut and that only comes with older aged deer.
Next year I don’t see his rack much better. I assume his rack is why most say 3 1/2 but that’s an older bodied deer by several seasons.

 

[Wifeshusband]

Only his jaw will tell for sure. They used to age deer by teeth on West Point WMA decades ago, (for biologist reports) and it surprised many hunters how wrong they are about the age of deer. I saw some well rounded, supple looking deer that I thought were young but turned out to be much older.

 

[madsam]

That deer is 2 t0 3 yrs. old. Closer to 2 side.

 

[justus3131]

2.5-3.5

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

3.5

 

[across the river]

Only his jaw will tell for sure. They used to age deer by teeth on West Point WMA decades ago, (for biologist reports) and it surprised many hunters how wrong they are about the age of deer. I saw some well rounded, supple looking deer that I thought were young but turned out to be much older.

It can be tough to age a deer in the area you hunt, and it is very hard to age a deer from somewhere else. A guy from north Georgia will almost always overestimate the age of a deer from South Georgia and a guy from South Georgia will nearly always underestimate a deer from North Georgia. Before marriage, parenthood, and grownup life in general, I had plenty of time, and I hunt both a tract above the fall line with no ag around, and another track way south of there in age country. There would be deer on the North Georgia side that my buddy would have pictures of for multiple years, that were 3 or even 4+ and looked younger than 2.5 an even some 1.5 year old deer at the other tract. In early season, I have killed young deer in South Georgia that had eaten so many soybeans they looked like a sheep when you skinned them due to all of the fat. Overall, I've killed more deer in the Northern part of the state during that same time frame, and I have never seen a deer, regardless of age, completely covered in fat like that. It is often comparing apples and oranges, and unless you have a reference point it is tough to age deer from others areas based on a picture.

 

[oldugahat]

I may be wrong, but I think he’s too long-legged to be 4. He’s pretty tight through the middle and tapering toward the back end slightly. There’s still a point showing on the brisket below where the bottom of the neck meets the body—looks 3 to me.

 

[buckpasser]

The employee that was working the place before I arrived thinks he’s stalled out. Some angles I would agree. With no personal history I’d think 3 is the safe bet. Either way, I don’t think he’ll ever be a super high scoring trophy buck, but he might be lucky enough to die of old age since my “hunter” doesn’t want him. Haha