Aging by body

Here is a series of photos for aging that are cropped to show mainly body....not antlers, not all of the head and not much of the tarsal glands. These photos are all post rut....middle of December or after. It will be difficult with out the whole body in the photo but there are keys that I look at when aging deer. At the end I will uncrop the photos and show the same photos in the same order. I will give my thoughts on age. This to me is as difficult as aging late summer trail cam pics.
Do you think this are the different age bucks or all the same age?
Do you think they are the same buck or several bucks?
What age or ages do you think they are?

THIS IS AWESOME. Thanks for this. I will have to study and post later but for now, thanks.
So please check out my thread just below about aging by just looking at the head. Or start your own if you want.

I’ll give it a go.

Same Age
Same Buck
4.5

You can tell he has lost a lot of weight so I’m ignoring the stomach. His neck is big, not huge, and his brisket isn’t completely blended in the cleanest shot (pic 4). It looks like it is in the last pic but his head is lower giving that impression. Knees are still straight and don’t have scabs so definitely not 6+ or otherwise has had a cushy bed. I’m not super in tune with facial markings so can’t comment there, but jaw still looks tight and isn’t noticeably saggy. If I’m off, I would say he’s 5.5, but going with 4.5 without seeing the tarsals.

A lot look like moving photos making it impossible to judge!

1) young or very old
2)4.5
3)3.5
4)5.5
5) n/a
6) 2.5
7) looks post mature
8) idk
9)3.5
10) same deer as 7

Im learning so I’m sure I’m extremely wrong, but also have to learn deer in an area. Deer are different throughout the state!

Looking back I can see the same two deer throughout the year.

I'm thinking same buck because of the throat patch. His body is different thru the rut. 4.5 or 5.5 years old.

The quote ‘it’s a trap’ comes to mind at least looks to be some repeats

You need to look closer then

8 and 10 have different knees so not the same buck atleast not in same year. 1 is young with patch missing off its back. I maybe blind though

8 is younger then 10 and 1 is young

Could all very well be of the same buck as the hair patterns are very, very similar albeit different colors and that could just be due to lighting and also being wet and or dry.
I'm leaning to it being 2 different bucks though and both being middle aged 3.5-4.5 but a couple pics suggest older to me.

I would guess 1 & 3 are the same deer. 2 and 4 are the same deer. 7 and 10 are same.

2/4 and 7/10 appear mature.

I think it's the same deer 4.5 - 5.5

Hint: some of the photos where taken 2 yrs before the other photos.

With the hint: I’ll still say they are the same buck, but the pics are of him at 3.5 and 5.5 then

Yep I was right it’s a trap lol

Hint: There is more than one deer in those photos.

I just ask grandma doe and she tells me. Keeps the guessing out of the picture

How old are they now? Here is the same order as above.

Old enough on some ranchs, not old enough on others...I'm not very good at judging pictures. Sure are some nice bucks at any age.

I'll bite I don't think either is over 5yrs old.

my guesses before looking at the second set of pics:

Deer 1: 4-5
2: 5-6
3: 3-4
4: 3-4
5: old, post mature
6: 5-6
7: 3-4
8: 5-6
9: 4-5
10: 5-6

Now going back and looking at whether they were same deer or different deer, there are two deer, different ages for the second one, but the first one is all the same year it appears. I am basing that off the antlered pics.

Just goes to show how aging off single photos can be difficult. Aging off multiple photos of the same deer is better, but aging in person is best while watching the deer and seeing how it acts, interacts, and responds to other deer around.

Amazing pics. Great exercise. I hope you post your ideas about these deer soon. Love reading your takes on things.

Also, do you happen to have any pre-rut pics of these deer to show just how much body mass they lost over the course of the rut? I see some saggy skin on the one deer for sure!

Buck in pics 1,3,5,8 and 9 are all the same buck and in the same year. Here is a pic of him in Oct prior to the rut and a pic of him from the year before these pics(for another body comparison).



The other buck is in pics is all the same buck. Pics 2 and 4 are 2 yrs before the other pics....pics 6, 7 and 10. Same buck just 2 yrs apart.

Dang, those pics make me jealous. Amazing deer, love those frames and their look.

Based on the newest pics shown, would you age the first deer at 4 and the second at 5-6 now? Those first deer pics from last year sure has the appearance of a 3yo buck (could even argue 2) in the body, with some amazing genetics to create those antlers. The second buck early pics show a 4yo body to me.

Where visible the ear notch gave away it was the same deer.

This to me proves that unless you know the deer from year one, it’s an educated guess at best

Same buck, either young or very old and ran all his fat off!