Osage not by the points. I learned alonggggggggggg time ago and its all way on going learning.
First let me say ageing deer your using a generalized realization. Deer are like people there all different. Yet all the same.
There's a dozzen ways to help you deside just how old that buck is. If I get a good 10 second look at the deer. I can tell you at a fair saying how much old he is. If he lets he get a really good look. No problem.
Here's 3 questions you always ask yourself when you see a deer.
(1) why he's there
(2) where he come from
(3) where's he going.
Simple thing to do. Do it for years you shortly you'll see a patteren.
In grade it unto your hunting. You'll see why to do it.
A 3 year old looks like a young staltion smooth and slike. Is the same as young man just out of his teens and has moved into his early 20's His mussle's are starting to look more definded. He looks the part. No belly sag or back sag straight back. He'll start to gave a brisket. Same as a young mans chest. But it won't be to notisable in front of his front legs. Here a 3 year old will weight 160 to 180#'s. Most will look darker with age. That will range where your at. ALL CORN,BEANS,ALFA around here.
I watch all of my bucks in the beans in AUG.SEPT. I KEEP TRACK OF THE BUCKS I'LL BE HUNTING. So I can watch and see the age of the bucks Around me. Lots of summers I vidio and see over 100 bucks. Last year I saw 65 bucks with in a mile in 4 bean fields.
At 4 you start seeing single mussles well definded neck, shoulders,hind quarters. Like a 35,40 year old man. He'll have a start of a belly and back sag. His face,jaws well also start to sag. His brisket will look more developed. And look big, well see between is front legs. Again maybe a little darker after summer sheding.
A 5 year old well look the part of say a 50 year old man. Big sag in his back and a big pot belly. His whole face and jaws will be sagging. His bristet big look big and stick out well past his legs and it will look like it well up on his heck. Older the buck longer the black area of his brisket.
Just like sue gravity starts to take over. Around here And this has happened a a dozzen farms I hunt or have manged. When bucks hit 5 1'2 they seam to disapear. I only see then in the beans in late summer.
Not many areas that can produce 6 year olds without some sort of protection. Somewhere he can grow old. This is what I try to do in areas I buck hunt. I set up sankurys and never go in them.
A wild deer at 61/2 will start to look older say a 60 year old man. He'll look the part with a lot of saging. 6 1'2 he'll look grayer in the face maybe not as dark as he use to be.
nt or let anyone shoot any bucks younger than 3 1/2's. I have 2 sons that I made them let young bucks walk. If I let you doe hunt, no fawns. It could be a button buck I might arrow 4 or 5 years from now.
You boys can laugh all you want because they ar''t mid west bucks. But I kill what we have. But every horn you see I killed it. You hunt the way you want I do. You'll keep shooting those doe's. I'll keep arrowing bucks when they reach 3 1/2.
If you like to learn to age bucks you'll never do by seeing a buck or 2 a year. Watch hunting shows no better way of see mature buck after mature buck.
Osage I glass bucks for hours on end and have did the same for so many years it's just some thing I do. Not sure if that quifie's me to age buck's or not but it worked for me for the 25,30 years I arrowed mature bucks.
Gun doc your right I do sound like that when I type. I learned that a long time ago. I'm not saying you have to do it my way. Just that my way works for me. Sorry to me it's not braging. Again in person I'm nothing like the way I sound typeing.
When I type my alter ego comes out.
One other time people on here don't seam to put my buck hunting into prespective. I don't go and wait out bucks. I hunt beding areas in the evening. Either by thir design or mine makeing sankurys. Mature learn to bed in quicky.
I know where their at (bedding areas). So I have a starting area, I know where he's already at. Bucks only move for food,doe's, water. I set up ground sites the year or years before. Wait on right wind ,time. My sites are as close as I dare to bedded buck.. I need him to get up and get to me in the day light.
MY HUNTS ARE NEVER OVER A HOUR unless the ruts involed. I know he's not likely to get up and move until that last 15, 20 min's before dark anyways. But I have to be close enough for him to get to me in the day light. LONGER YOUR THERE THE MORE LIKE'Y HE'LL KNOW YOUR THERE.
There's the bases of one tactic I used for unteen years. And it dose work.
GUN DOC my old lady has said the same thing for years. She says as soon as we get in ROYS WORLD things well be alot better.
