In last night’s “Question of the Night” on the Wired To Hunt Facebook Page I asked … “Do you feel that you can accurately age a buck “on the hoof ” ?

The answers we got back ranged from a tentative yes or  clear no, to more tepid answers – such as “fairly close for my local area” or ” I can identify the difference between a shooter or not”. Or my favorite, “its super easy here in michigan, 90% chance they’re 1-1/2″. (haha, shake my head)

That all being said and given other feedback I’ve received - it still seems like a large percentage of folks out there are still completely unaware that they can age bucks on the hoof or feel somewhat skeptical about the accuracy of this aging method.

If you’re looking to try and practice some form of deer management or are just looking for a new challenge, targeting mature bucks should be a goal. And in order to do that, you must be able to determine whether or not a buck is in fact mature before killing it! Spoiler Alert – this is accomplished by aging a buck “on the hoof”.

So with that in mind – I wanted to offer up three quick ways that you can improve your ability to accurately age a buck just from viewing physical characteristics of the deer.

Read on for my 3 steps to more accurately aging bucks on the hoof!

1. Watch “Bear Archery Webisode 11: Aging Bucks on the Hoof”: This video, embedded below, features Kip Adams of the Quality Deer Management Association doing a great job of explaining some of the keys to aging bucks on the hoof. This is the most visual, and easy to understand representation I’ve seen yet of this practice. If you read no further, at least give this a watch and you’re guaranteed to learn something.

2. Buy The “Selective Buck Harvest Poster”: This poster – pictured at the top of this post – details visually and in words the physical characteristics of each different buck age class. It’s an incredibly useful poster that would make for a great addition to any hunting camp, and actually adorns the wall of my office as well! Pick up a copy of this poster, study it before heading out in the field hunting – and you’ll be applying your new found knowledge before you know it. Link to the Selective Buck Harvest Poster

3. Read The Following Expert Articles: Rather than me rattling on about how to age bucks, I’d recommend you head straight to the real experts. The following articles from Dr. David Samuel, Bob Zaiglin and Kip Adams feature some of the most in depth and helpful explanations for properly aging bucks on the hoof. Take 10 minutes and give these pieces a good read.

Aging Bucks On The Hoof Part I – Deer & Deer Hunting 

Aging Bucks On The Hoof – QDMA.com

Do you have any other good resources or tips for aging bucks on the hoof? Please let us know in the comments!

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