Can anyone help me age this deer. It is a south texas buck.

Head, neck and belly says 5 1/2 to me. It helps to know a little about the place he is on as far as the food supply goes. For instance, if he's a high fenced, protein fed deer without any survival worries he could possibly be younger.

Welcome to the forum, 4 1/2. Nice buck though!

While I fully admit that I am far from being an expert on aging deer...this good lookin' feller looks like he has had a few too many Shiner Bocks, but hasn't developed the old man's sway back paunch or roman humped nose yet..and I'd guess him at about 4 1/2. I have never learned to score B&C points but would also guess him at about 16-17"s wide. Looks like he has a serious case of viagra poisoning
Shore a lot of fat deer in that bottom picture.
Depending on the circumstance if I were hunting this place often and paying for a Life Time Trophy I'd let this guy walk...and shoot that fat doe in the foreground of the 3 rd picture.
This guy'll be a keeper next year or the year after for the Freer contest. JMHO
Ron

Just looking at weight, body, color & horns. I'd say 4 1/2-5. It just depends on his living conditions...high fence, if he's being fed protien, supplements..?!?!

If you got him locked up and no one else can shot him , let him walk, most of the signs of a mature deer.The horns may get bigger? What if he is over the hill? It must be nice!!!

Guessing 5-1/2. Average horns for South Texas.

That deer is 5 or 6 years old.
Pot Belly
Sway Back
Giant Neck
Looks like a steer brisket.

SHOOTER

I would say 4 1/2 he might be 5 1/2 but I dont think he is any older. He will make a nice buck next year but it is hard to let one walk like that. How my points does he have it looks like 9 or 10 but the picture is a little fuzzy.

5 1/2 years old, he has a short fat face, shoulders as big as rump, pot belly and a little sway in his back.

After watching the Bass Pro Shops program about aging deer last night on the Outdoor Channel, I am now a certified expert. He is a 4-1/2 year old deer. You can end this thread now. That's the answer.

without a doubt he is over 5 for sure!

That deer is between 5 1/2 and 7 1/2 years old. Just looking at those pictures, my best WAG would be 6 1/2. First of all, it's tough to age a deer to it's exact age...sure there are all kinds of videos, etc, etc but bottom line even after they are dead on the ground even an expert can't tell you with 100% accuracy how old they are based on their teeth or any other physical characteristic.

For general management purposes deer are put into three categories, young, middle aged, and old. 1-3 is young, 4-6 is middle aged, and 7 and up is old. Since that deer isn't a "Trophy" in South Texas terms then your question must be geared towards the "cullability" of the animal. Personally, I'd say that isn't a cull or management buck. He's in the upper range of middle aged or the lower range of old. Either way we are only looking at one year of antler growth which isn't enough to judge a cull or management buck. He definitely has a proclivity to grow more than 8 points and therefore I would let him breed and take my chances.

4 1/2

Without a doubt that is one of the biggest bodied South TX deer I have seen and I hunt in Uvalde every year. His huge body size is very misleading here. I would put him 4.5 to 5.5 max in age. Although his rack is average for South TX it is still a very nice deer. Depending on the quality of deer you see there this may or may not be a shooter. If you have bigger and better deer running around you may want to take this deer now and he would be a great management deer for the wall. If you don't have better deer running around I would let him walk another year at least. I would really like to know what that guy has been eating cause his body is huge. Notice how young his face looks and the tight chest in the face on picture. A deer 6+ will tend to have loose looking brisket and start to develop wrinkles around the ear and there is no evidence of that here. JMHO If you want me to come down and take a better look I would be more than happy too!!!

That deer is at least 5 1/2. He might be 6 1/2. His neck appears to be one muscle connecting into brisket and has a big ole gut. Has flacid skin under chin. Legs appear short and a sway in his back. Tarsals should be darker but he just might not scrap alot.

he will be between 4 1/2 to 5 1/2....are you feeding protein? Of course when you look at the jawbone....you have to understand that it can be off by at least a year and it is a best guess situation.....wear patterns on teeth can be different.

If you are high fenced...I could argue to shoot this one at 5 1/2 cause he is no more then a managment buck.....if he is 4 1/2...you might let him go another year just to see as it has been dry there....

Really tough to tell the thickness of his bases by this photo...but spread is probably no more then 18 and more like 17. He does have a big belly and a sway back...but I am not convinced he is really showing signs of being too old......if he was 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 you would really see more of a roman nose on him and also the legs would seem so much shorter compared to the thickness of the body.

If you just saw him recently.....then I would for sure wait around for a bigger one as they should start rutting soon.....this is why I go to S. Texas for week right before Christmas.....

Thanks for all the replies. This deer is not highfenced, its in maverick county. Was just curious on its age it is the biggest bodied deer i have seen in person in a while. Its not big enough to be considered a true trophy but its not small enough to call it a management.

Easiest way to age that deer would be to look at his teeth....after he is field dressed.

I AGE THIS DEER AS DEAD OR SHOULD BE THE BODY SHOWS PLENTY OF OVER DEVELOPMENT TO RACK RATIO SO HES MAXED OUT OR OLDER AND LOSING POINTS AND MASS GREAT BUCK THOUGH SHOOT HIM.