Mule Deer Age Thread

[Cubby]

Looks like a stud!!

Just a big old 3x4 with 8" bases.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

Worthless w out pics...but I am not gonna put my friend's pics up on the Net w out his permission.

But he shot a lab aged MD in Montana at 11 years old. Think this was listed in the most recent published study.

Pretty crazy.

 

[Hunt4life]

Idaho otc
153 gross
Lab aged 5.5

 

[Traindriver]

Arizona
7.5 Years old

 

[tttoadman]

my avatar pick was scored 153 and was 5.5 old. My brother tagged his partner the same day. scored 160 also 5.5

 

[rodrydavis]

My Colorado buck from unit 55 taken November 9, 2025. I gross scored him just over 160” The taxidermist tooth aged him at 5.5 years.

 

[tkhuntsman]

This buck was 6.5. I've got a couple others from the same small area that were 6.5 and 8.5. Wish I had the pics available one was 181 and the other was 218. Pretty incredible how those older mature deer will gravitate and rut in the same areas.

 

[littlebigtine]

My Colorado buck from unit 55 taken November 9, 2025. I gross scored him just over 160” The taxidermist tooth aged him at 5.5 years.View attachment 969510

Did your taxidermist just look at his teeth or did he actually get the cementum analyzed?

Only reason I ask is because the turn around time for Matsons lab to analyze cementum is typically 2 months…

Not saying your taxi is wrong, I just think that in this thread when people are saying “tooth aged” or “lab aged” they mean having a lab analysis.

 

[Plainsman79]

A few from the last 5ish years. All bucks lab aged through Matson’s

Years are approximate.

2021-Wy general 143 gross 7.5 years old
2022-Co 2nd choice 5.5 years old
2020-Nebraska archery-public 4.5 years old
2023-Colorado 181 gross 2nd choice 4.5 years
2024 Wy general 3.5 years old (really wish I would’ve passed him up for another year)

What’s just as interesting to me, is out of approximately my last 10 bucks my average shot distance is under 200 yards, most between the hours of 10-2 and very close to or in the heavy cover.

 

[robby denning]

Did your taxidermist just look at his teeth or did he actually get the cementum analyzed?

Only reason I ask is because the turn around time for Matsons lab to analyze cementum is typically 2 months…

Not saying your taxi is wrong, I just think that in this thread when people are saying “tooth aged” or “lab aged” they mean having a lab analysis.

great point. Molar tooth-wear aging is not as accurate. I tested it on my taxi. unknowing to him. He'd always tell me what the age was by the molars, then I'd lab age the incisors-- he was never right--off at least a year and I think this was over 3 bucks.

Molar tooth-wear aging is for a rough estimate IMO

 

[idelkslayer]

I was planning to revive this thread in January but you guys beat me to it. If you have some lab-aged deer from past years post them up. Include scores if you have them and any other interesting details like OTC vs LE. I'm holding onto a batch of teeth until the end of the year before I send them all in.

 

[littlebigtine]

I was planning to revive this thread in January but you guys beat me to it. If you have some lab-aged deer from past years post them up. Include scores if you have them and any other interesting details like OTC vs LE. I'm holding onto a batch of teeth until the end of the year before I send them all in.

I just sent in 3 bucks and a bull, all otc Idaho. Will update in January. Best thread on the slide

 

[Bull_n_heat]

Cousin Shot this buck on a general tag in Wyoming in 2024. Lab Age (Game and Fish) was 5.5, and he was I suppose in the 160" range


These bucks were from 2022 and came back at 2.5, 7.5, and 5.5 (L to R). the bucks were approximately 80"*, 175", and 166".
*Anything goes when you're 70+!!

 

[24valve]

2023 buck lab aged at 7.5, 160ish, 27" spread.

 

[wytx]

All our deer are aged by the WG&F lab.

7.5 yrs



8.5 yrs


6.5 yrs



6.5 yrs



7.5 yrs



5.5 yrs



7.5 yrs

 

[Bull_n_heat]

All our deer are aged by the WG&F lab.

7.5 yrs

These are great deer and also very illustrative examples that not every deer is going to be a giant*, even if we let the age class get really old. Would be really cool to know what size these bucks were in the years preceeding your harvest (I'm guessing pretty close to what they were in these pictures).

*Although these are all excellent deer in my book

 

[littlebigtine]

These are great deer and also very illustrative examples that not every deer is going to be a giant*, even if we let the age class get really old. Would be really cool to know what size these bucks were in the years preceeding your harvest (I'm guessing pretty close to what they were in these pictures).

*Although these are all excellent deer in my book

I think the more time somebody spends looking at deer out in otc units around the west, the more they would probably realize how awesome all these bucks are in this thread.

 

[Pistolpete28]

I was convinced this buck was 3 or 4 years old, but after tooth data came back he turned out to be 9.5 years old. Small antlers and not an overly big body. Must of been a rough winter.

 

[freezerfull]

View attachment 973972I was convinced this buck was 3 or 4 years old, but after tooth data came back he turned out to be 9.5 years old. Small antlers and not an overly big body. Must of been a rough winter.

Or the samples got mixed up at the lab. I think your assessment of the 3.5 guess is much more likely, maybe even 2.5. One picture is hard to judge but that face, skull to ear ratio and nice complete ears doesn’t look like any old buck I’ve seen.

 

[S.Clancy]

View attachment 973972I was convinced this buck was 3 or 4 years old, but after tooth data came back he turned out to be 9.5 years old. Small antlers and not an overly big body. Must of been a rough winter.

This is why I like to take pictures of the jaw/molars and send the teeth in. A 3.5 yr old deer is gonna have sharp molars. A 9.5 yr old deer molars are going to be heavily worn and likely influence his ability to maintain good body condition.