As a member of the Quality Deer Management Association I receive the Quality Whitetails magazine six times a year and boy is it an exciting day for me when the most recent issues hits my mailbox. It truly is one of the best hunting/deer related magazines in publication, if not the best. Across all of the great content provided within it’s pages, one of my favorite sections is titled “Age This”. In each issue the “Age This” section features pictures of several different bucks from around the country and a set of details regarding nutrition available, location of the deer, management practices, etc. Then from that picture and information, a handful of experienced hunters/managers/biologists estimate the age of the deer and share their reasons for this decision. For anyone interested in learning how to better age deer on the hoof, this is a terrific exercise to go through and I’ve found it both fun to read and very educational. I personally like to take a stab at aging the buck myself and then compare my thoughts and estimations to those of the experts. That being said, I’m excited to share with the Wired To Hunt Nation a sample straight from the “Age This” archives! I’ve got to send a big thank you to the QDMA for sharing this with us. That being said, take a good look at the buck above, see the details about him listed below and then check out the expert estimations from the panel. It should be a great way to test your “aging chops”! Once you do that, let us know what your guess was in the comments!

Age This – Kentucky

Owner: Tom Roby, Philpot, Kentucky

Location: Hancock Co. (on the Ohio River in western KY)

Date: September 18 (rut peaks in mid-November)

Notes: 170 acres, under QDM for eight years; 13 acres in warm- and cool-season food plots; 10 acres in warm-season grasses. Corn, soybeans and alfalfa grown on surrounding farms. High hunting pressure in the area, but most neighbors protect young bucks. Herd was hit hard by HD in recent years.

Kip Adams • 2½ • “This young buck hails from some of the best habitat in the country. He has a thin neck, long legs and overall lanky appearance. He has little muscling in his shoulders, a sleek torso, and a tight waist. Most of his body characteristics suggest he’s only 1½ years old. However, this is a good example of when to consider antler size, as yearlings can grow eight or more points but they rarely grow numerous points in combination with long tines and/or main beams. This buck can really be something special, so unless he crosses paths with a youth hunter, he’s a great one to let walk.”

Erich Long • 2½ • “What a great picture of a 2½-year-old. His front and rear end are about the same height and same size (a yearling’s rear end tends to be higher). His stomach and waist are tight, and his neck is thin and appears to be Photoshopped onto his body, since it doesn’t join the shoulder or chest. This deer should be a giant given a few more years and the continued support of the neighborhood!”

Joe Hamilton • 2½ • “Sometimes being familiar with the quality of deer in a specific area puts me at odds with the other panelists when aging a buck. I do have experience with deer from along the Ohio River in western Kentucky and have learned that the occurrence of Pope & Young bucks is as high as one per 150 acres. In this area bucks exhibit great potential for antler and body development at a very early age. Although this buck has two months of development before the peak of the rut, he is long-legged, slim necked, and sleek from stem to stern, so I would be inclined to put him in the 2½-year-old age class.”

Dave Edwards • 2½ • “This deer lives in the big buck country of western Kentucky. Abundant agriculture and fertile soils in this area have produced some giant whitetails, so it is not surprising to see a very respectable rack on this young buck. He demonstrates what I consider textbook characteristics for a 2½-year-old. His body is more developed than a yearling, but still has a somewhat lanky appearance. To me, the body of a 2½-year-old buck takes on a rectangular shape, similar to a 4½ but less developed, whereas a yearling’s chest is very thin compared to the rump, and a 3½-year-old buck’s chest is deeper than his stomach. This buck also has a relatively thin neck, but I suspect it will fill in some as the rut approaches. Great young buck with lots of potential!”

Jason Snavely • 2½ • “Note this buck’s clearly underdeveloped shoulders and hindquarters and an awful lot of space between hooves and chest line. Given the quality soils under him, this buck will be an incredible animal if given a few more years! He has a lot of characteristics of a yearling, so if your harvest guidelines are based on age, definitely enjoy the observation but don’t shoot! I ultimately decided 2½, and not yearling, because of his main beam and tine length. You should also note the smaller diameter of his bases, a characteristic of an immature buck. Don’t get caught up trying to decide 1½ or 2½… either way, he’s an awesome buck to have in the pipeline!”

BuckScore • 2½ • (100 percent confidence)

If you’d like to learn more about the Quality Deer Management Association or to sign up for the Quality Whitetails magazine visit their site here.

If you are interested in harvesting a mature whitetail buck or are hoping to implement Quality Deer Management principles on your land, you have to be able to properly age deer on the hoof. This is easier said than done, but with experience you can train your eye to find the key characteristics that can help you age that buck cruising in front of your stand. So let me throw you a few of my own quick tips and then I’ll offer some more in-depth resources.

So here are a few of the key things I consider when trying to age a deer in the field….

1. Body size and shape is more important than antler size.
2. Look at the deer’s face and nose. A long nose means an old deer. Fawns and yearlings typically have short stout faces, so don’t shoot those lil guys!
3. A mature buck can be keyed out pretty consistently by taking a look at their neck and shoulder/stomach area. A big mature buck will have a very thick neck and broad muscular shoulders that almost seem to be a continuation of that massive neck. Look for a sag in the stomach on those older deer.

These are just the first three things I consider when aging a deer, but there’s a lot more to it than that if you really want to dig in. So check out these great explanations of typical characteristics for certain deer age ranges from a Texas Parks & Wildlife article.

1 1/2 Year Olds

As you can see, 1 1/2-year-old bucks appear dainty, with baby faces and thin necks. Their legs appear long and slender, and their torso is slim like a doe’s. In a photo of a 1 1/2-year-old buck, cover the antlers with your thumb and you will see that the body resembles a doe. Yearling buck antler development is highly variable, ranging from tiny spikes to 10 or more points. But even super 1 1/2-year-old bucks with multiple points will have small, thin antlers, and the lengths of the main beams will be short compared to older bucks.

2 1/2 Year Olds

The best way to describe the bodies of 2 1/2-year-old bucks is gangly and awkward. Their legs appear to be growing too fast for their body. Their bodies, while thicker than those of 1 1/2-year-olds, still have legs and necks that appear stretched in proportion. The head will appear long from the side. For the first time, their antlers will begin to catch your eye, which is probably why 2 1/2 is the average age of whitetail bucks harvested in many areas. Most 2 1/2-year-olds are big travellers during the rut, because they typically are not active breeders in herds with balanced adult sex ratios and good buck age structure. During the rut, their tarsal glands may be dark, but the very darkest area is usually very small and round in appearance.

3 1/2 Year Olds

A fuller neck and deeper chest are characteristics of a 3 1/2 year old. Their neck muscles are expanding from increased hormones and use during the rut but are still not as large or thick as a fully mature buck. Their chest is beginning to appear larger than their rump, but their back and stomach are still straight and taut. Also, their neck is still distinct by four or five inches from their brisket. Their tarsals will be dark during the rut but usually will appear small, and the dark staining from the urine usually does not extend down the leg to the hoof.

4 1/2 Year Olds

When bucks reach 4 1/2, they attain skeletal maturity and begin exhibiting many characteristics of full maturity. Their bodies have reached full size but are muscular and lean. This is the first time their legs do not appear longer than they should for their body. Their legs may even appear slightly short for the thickened body. The majority of 4 1/2-year-old bucks will have a significant increase in antler growth over the previous year. Focus your attention on the body and face when aging, especially if the buck has very good antlers. Bucks at this age can grow very respectable antlers, making them difficult for hunters to pass.

5 1/2 Year Olds

At 5 1/2 years old, most bucks will be carrying the largest set of antlers they have ever grown. Their bodies also exhibit some noticeable changes. Typically, their stomach and back have a noticeable sag. Their neck will swell considerably during the rut, making the neck and brisket appear to be one continuous muscle. Also, their neck, while being very big, will appear muscular and firm and not flabby. The tarsals will be noticeably large and very dark with many bucks having staining down the inside of the leg to the hoof. And 5 1/2-year-old bucks’ legs will appear short almost to an exaggerated extent, due to the fuller and fatter bodies.

A few more good articles you might want to check out…

Aging on the Hoof – Petersen’s  Hunting

Aging Bucks on the Hoof – Quality Deer Management Association