My brother shot a big 8-pt.buck.We estimated at 5-7 years old because of the teeth and it had some gray hair. But the taxidermy

[garyguy]

My brother shot a big 8-pt.buck.We estimated at 5-7 years old because of the teeth and it had some gray hair. But the taxidermy said it was about 3 years old. We know you tell with the teeth,but what do you look for to determine the age?

[hlmcclu]

A deer that old might have had a noticeably sagging belly whereas a younger deer would have a more fit/streamlined physique, if you can remember what he looked like before the shot. The measurement from the nostril to the corner of the eye should be a lot longer than most deer. I believe measurements regarding the average distance can be had by contacting the your dnr office and might also be available on line. I hate to say that antlers can determine age because as a buck gets older it can shrink. But generally a deer that age will sport its biggest rack it can grow (should be at least 150 pts) and will show quite a lot of mass compared with other deer you are used to seeing. That being said, I have a feeling a taxidermist would have quite a bit of experience judging the age of a deer, especially if he is a professional. Trust his opinion. Congrats on the deer