Ageing Rams In The Field

[dallen]

Pass on the right. The left ram looks like a maybe 8 but his curl is gonna be close. The one further down with the stone looks to be 7-8 ish.

How about this one (left).

 

[medvedyt]

Here is one for you with a little story.

I passed on this guy a few years back, I wasnt able to make him full curl with absolute certainty. He was shot the next day by another hunter up the drainage. Two years later I found out. Biologist aged him at 6 and after a very long deliberation with levels, guages, vices, etc... decided he was full curl. He didnt give me much opportunity to study him before he went out of sight after I made my decision. Maybe I would have changed my mind if he did, but thats how it happened. What do you think you would have done in the heat of the moment without being able to see annuli for age?View attachment 1048301

if not sure you do not shoot and your decision was the right one. it is only a 5 min for the biologist to make a decision and plug so the longer to find the full curl the longer it is to be questionned so in doubt do not shoot.