Judging TX whitetail deer age

C4Ranch · Aug 21, 2013

Ive hunted for years but this is the first time I've owned a place and could put cameras out to really take a good look at the wildlife. with the long term dought, seems like I'm seeing smaller deer.

What would you gage the age of these? Maybe 3 yr?

teejk · Aug 21, 2013

I can't opine on Texas deer. Genetics and food vary greatly around the country. By Wisconsin standards the horns would say 4 years old but the bodies would say 2-3 years old.

Just a point...are you in a "trophy zone"? I've heard that our CWD "problem" might be related to protein supplements given to deer to aid antler growth in the "trophy zones". Dunno how it is in Texas but deer hunting in Wisconsin is BIG business (licenses, motels, bars and restaurants) and if that disease continues to spread, a lot of people are going to be hurting.

C4Ranch · Aug 21, 2013

Donno about trophy zone. I know I'm in a county that requires the spread to be 13", outside the ears to be legal. I don't have a big place so it's hard to "manage" them because some other neighbor/yahoo may shoot anything and I'm not a fan of high fences.

Hunting is so big here, I read somewhere that is why they created an Ag Exemption for Wildlife Management. To promote the population growth.

Hope CWD can get under control.

teejk · Aug 21, 2013

If you have a 13" spread rule then I guess you are in a trophy zone. The CWD thing (it's related to "mad cow" disease)...rumor has it that it might be related to sheep/cattle spines and bones used in feed to encourage big horns. The trophy zones here started as a relatively small area put together by landowners...culling of inferior bucks was allowed with controlled killing of does. But some of those deer liked to "wander" so we are starting to see isolated cases around the state. It's not nice to fool with mother nature (and old margarine commercial).

Western · Aug 22, 2013

They look , 2-1/2 to 3-1/2, but sure have nice looking genetics (considering the drought the last couple years) One on the left looks a bit older, but then the photo is just one "look"

The "13" rule, has nothing to do with "trophy status" here in Texas, it is an attempt by the Texas Parks and Wildlife to build the buck age structure in a good portion of Texas. Most popular "trophy free range areas", are mainly in the South Texas region. High fenced "farms" are very common now and their genetics can be from anywhere, anymore.

MacLawn · Aug 22, 2013

Oh me, here we go again, making carnivores out of our vegetation eating crits!! I hate that! I don't mean you, C4, unless you'd be feeding ye crits that ground up animal mess like they do with cyattle, thus causing mad cyow mess. Making cannibals out of herbivores - hey, it ain't right I tell ye. I done about thread jacked ye post!

Anyway, I'd say about 2 - 3 years for them. Deer antler is the fastest growing animal tissue there is, ye cain't go by antlers for age.

teejk · Aug 22, 2013

MacLawn said:
Oh me, here we go again, making carnivores out of our vegetation eating crits!! I hate that! I don't mean you, C4, unless you'd be feeding ye crits that ground up animal mess like they do with cyattle, thus causing mad cyow mess. Making cannibals out of herbivores - hey, it ain't right I tell ye. I done about thread jacked ye post!

Anyway, I'd say about 2 - 3 years for them. Deer antler is the fastest growing animal tissue there is, ye cain't go by antlers for age.

Agree with age/antler growth but by Wisconsin standards the horns look out of proportion with the bodies. Again I can't speak for Texas but a poor food supply leading to underweight bodies will show up in the horns as well. Perhaps they bred in superior genentics without "fooling with mother nature".