Elk Age Guess

[slim9300]

And the answer is... 7 years old.

Do you have a screen shot of what they provide on age data? That blows me away.


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[tmitty]

Do you have a screen shot of what they provide on age data? That blows me away.


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I'm really curious to know if he was just genetically always going to be a 5-point, or if the dry year last year stunted his antler growth.

 

[5MilesBack]

His coat, mane, and face look way too clean and almost groomed to look like a 7 year old. At 7 I would expect him to be in his prime for antler growth as well.

A great trophy though........especially for your first. Elk are just so cool. I'd hunt them every month of the year if I could, and they were always in the rut. Thanks for sharing this. Makes one think about these things........now I'll be wondering every time how old they are (were).

 

[Ross]

Some bulls antlers just stay the same or not much growth as the years stack up here is bull in back to back years he is hefty on the hoof and pretty is all

 

[Laramie]

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I'm really curious to know if he was just genetically always going to be a 5-point, or if the dry year last year stunted his antler growth.

There is a bull here in Nebraska that has been photographed year after year. He has stayed a smallish 5 point his entire life. He has a couple unique markings that make it easy to distinguish him from other elk.

I think there are a lot of factors but genetics are #1. Great nutrition helps but some bulls just never get big.

 

[tmitty]

His coat, mane, and face look way too clean and almost groomed to look like a 7 year old. At 7 I would expect him to be in his prime for antler growth as well.

A great trophy though........especially for your first. Elk are just so cool. I'd hunt them every month of the year if I could, and they were always in the rut. Thanks for sharing this. Makes one think about these things........now I'll be wondering every time how old they are (were).

He was definitely acting like he was in his prime. He had fought off a satellite bull just 10 minutes before I put an arrow in him. I snuck within 10 yards of his cows during the chaos, waited for him to come check on them, and he gave me a shot.

While we were field dressing him, the other bull was screaming below us, probably stoked that he just picked up 20 cows.

 

[PNW bow hunter]

Awsome story, that’s what it’s all about for me.

I used to think about hunting late season black tail deer 24-7.

About 10 years ago it switched completely to hunting elk. Really fun animals to hunt.

 

[slim9300]

View attachment 276367

I'm really curious to know if he was just genetically always going to be a 5-point, or if the dry year last year stunted his antler growth.

Incredible! I know this is common on Coastal Roosevelts but didn’t realize it was possible in a Rocky to this extent. I would have guessed that his antler mass would have been MUCH greater if he was stunted or had poor genes. That was a great bull to take out also. It also must have been like you said, the drought could have shrunk his growth that season. He likely could have been much larger the prior season (albeit he never would have had typical genes I don’t think).

Here is an example of a Coastal giant where I hunt in WA. Probably only a 230” elk (why measure him? Lol). I haven’t had him aged but his live body weight was around 750# on the hoof, and was easily 6-8 years old based on his size compared to some of the bulls I have had aged. But our elk on the coast have absolutely terrible genes from years of 3 point antler restrictions and rainforest ecosystems. I have watched a few thousand bulls over the last 30 years in this general area, and only witnessed 3-4 that might have been bigger. There is basically no such thing as a 6 point bull. They simply don’t grow that last point 99% of the time regardless of age. I have seen many bulls from one year to the next not change in tine length or points, and only get slightly more massive.

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[Cody_W]

I’ll be darned. I would have figured 5 on this guy. Congrats on the bull.

 

[coast range]

Incredible! I know this is common on Coastal Roosevelts but didn’t realize it was possible in a Rocky to this extent. I would have guessed that his antler mass would have been MUCH greater if he was stunted or had poor genes. That was a great bull to take out also. It also must have been like you said, the drought could have shrunk his growth that season. He likely could have been much larger the prior season (albeit he never would have had typical genes I don’t think).

Here is an example of a Coastal giant where I hunt in WA. Probably only a 230” elk (why measure him? Lol). I haven’t had him aged but his live body weight was around 750# on the hoof, and was easily 6-8 years old based on his size compared to some of the bulls I have had aged. But our elk on the coast have absolutely terrible genes from years of 3 point antler restrictions and rainforest ecosystems. I have watched a few thousand bulls over the last 30 years in this general area, and only witnessed 3-4 that might have been bigger. There is basically no such thing as a 6 point bull. They simply don’t grow that last point 99% of the time regardless of age. I have seen many bulls from one year to the next not change in tine length or points, and only get slightly more massive.

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I have to be honest. That does not look like a 6 to 8 year old Rosie. Small rack or not. I only know rosies, but am no mean an expert.
He is a beautiful bull I’d be happy any year to take but I doubt he is that old


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[slim9300]

I have to be honest. That does not look like a 6 to 8 year old Rosie. Small rack or not. I only know rosies, but am no mean an expert.
He is a beautiful bull I’d be happy any year to take but I doubt he is that old


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I am certainly no expert in their ages but I have killed 30 of them so far (not all being Roosevelts). I use their body size, meat weight, antler mass, and teeth to make a determination. Plus, when you kill a bunch of them in the exact same area you can really start to get an idea of age I feel like.

I need to get him aged but SW WA elk are unique animals in my experience. Even Coastal OR bulls seem to have far bigger antlers in my experience (probably a result of the lack of antler restriction).

I have hunted the NW portion of the state also, and they are very different when it comes to antlers/body size. Killed a 4 point and 5 point up there.

I also killed an 8x7 bull just east of I-5 up north by the Canadian Border. He was likely in the 900# live weight range and the biggest I have seen dead, while my average 6-point Rocky has been more like 550-600#.

I figured this bull from the same spot was either 3.5 or 4.5 when I killed him in 2018. The second one from the same area in 2019 was likely 2.5 years old but could have been 3.5 based on the amount meat. I have never seen a bull down there go from calf to 3 point (unless it was 12-14” tall and the tiniest 3 point you can image). There are spikes everywhere. I have also never seen a bull calf with spikes.

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[slim9300]

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[slim9300]

This one from 2019 we figured to be either 4.5 or 5.5 years old. My bull this year was clearly older. But either way, this has motivated me to have their teeth aged. I need to do a bunch.

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[tmitty]

I am certainly no expert in their ages but I have killed 30 of them so far (not all being Roosevelts). I use their body size, meat weight, antler mass, and teeth to make a determination. Plus, when you kill a bunch of them in the exact same area you can really start to get an idea of age I feel like.

I need to get him aged but SW WA elk are unique animals in my experience. Even Coastal OR bulls seem to have far bigger antlers in my experience (probably a result of the lack of antler restriction).

I have hunted the NW portion of the state also, and they are very different when it comes to antlers/body size. Killed a 4 point and 5 point up there.

I also killed an 8x7 bull just east of I-5 up north by the Canadian Border. He was likely in the 900# live weight range and the biggest I have seen dead, while my average 6-point Rocky has been more like 550-600#.

I figured this bull from the same spot was either 3.5 or 4.5 when I killed him in 2018. The second one from the same area in 2019 was likely 2.5 years old but could have been 3.5 based on the amount meat. I have never seen a bull down there go from calf to 3 point (unless it was 12-14” tall and the tiniest 3 point you can image). There are spikes everywhere. I have also never seen a bull calf with spikes.

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Man, the red color of these Rosie's antlers is so cool.

 

[slim9300]

Man, the red color of these Rosie's antlers is so cool.

Yep. They are either black in color, or most are reddish orange from tearing up Alders. They are neat animals. Even a 3-point acts like a mature bull when challenged. Their ‘complex’ makes them real fun to bow hunt.

This was my first Roosevelt bull killed back in 2010 up on the Olympic Peninsula. It’s the most orange-antlered bull I have (even if the picture dulls its color).

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[PNW bow hunter]

This one from 2019 we figured to be either 4.5 or 5.5 years old. My bull this year was clearly older. But either way, this has motivated me to have their teeth aged. I need to do a bunch.

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Have you got any of the bulls tooth aged?

I was just curious. Seems like you have a guess of age on them all.

I’ve never got an elk or deer tooth aged, just deer.

 

[7Bartman]

I've posted this before, but the top herd bull was 7.5 and the second bull was 5.5. Both by cementum annuli aging.

 

[Felix40]

I’m always surprised when people still think they can age deer and elk by looking at them. Considering nobody was even close on this one.

Nice bull.

 

[slim9300]

I’m always surprised when people still think they can age deer and elk by looking at them. Considering nobody was even close on this one.

Nice bull.

Looking at a picture is nothing like looking at an animal in person. You can look at their teeth, body size, antler mass, hide color, belly, etc. It’s not hard to be in the ballpark. I have had one bull tooth aged and it came back exactly what I expected. He was a decent 5 point for a Roosevelt. I’m sure I could be wrong by a year or two in my guesses, but just figured it didn’t matter that much.

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[wre280]

3.5?