How to Estimate a Buck's Age Before Deciding to Shoot

A nice buck steps forward from the trees and into view. He stands in the open, surveying his surroundings. He’s toting a great rack that spreads out past the ears. However, he’s a bit thin through the neck, and the back doesn’t sway or sag at all. The shoulders and rump are roughly proportionate in size. No doubt, he’s a decent-looking buck, but is he mature enough to be a shooter?

The best way to age is buck is to analyze its teeth, but that’s not happening from a treestand. Those who wish to target mature bucks must know how to age one on the hoof, and there are many reasons to learn to do so. First, recognizing younger bucks allows them to reach an older age class and results in more mature bucks on the landscape. At full maturity, bucks express their biggest and best sets of antlers. Plus, letting bucks reach older age classes results in better buck age structures and buck-to-doe ratios—and a healthier deer herd overall.

Body check

A buck’s physical composition changes over time, and there are several things to study when aging a buck on the hoof. These include the back, chest, legs, neck, rump and stomach. Use the antlers as a secondary aging factor, as rack size can be deceiving when it comes to aging. Of course, fall is the best time to age bucks, as this is when their body composition is in peak form.

1 1/2 Years

A buck of this age class with its first set of antlers looks like a small doe with headgear. Generally, these deer are spikes to small 8-pointers, but the spread is always well inside the ears. The neck, legs and other body parts are very slender with no swelling. Even so, the deer has more weight in the rear legs than in the front, and the back line slopes downward from rump to shoulders. Tarsal glands have no staining.

2 1/2 Years

A 2 1/2-year-old buck looks like a big doe with antlers. Usually, the antlers have 6 to 10 points, with antler spreads at or just inside the ears. Its head, neck and legs are all still slender. At this point, the rump is still larger than its shoulders. Furthermore, the back line still slopes downward from back to front. Its legs still appear too long for its body, and there is low to moderate tarsal gland staining.

3 1/2 Years

At 3 1/2 years old, a buck usually grows an impressive rack (up to 80 percent of overall antler genetic potential), but without much mass. Generally, the rack is at or outside the ears, and expresses at least 8 points. The buck will showcase moderate neck swelling, and the shoulders will begin to increase in size, too. Generally, the rump and shoulders appear to be the same size now. The back line no longer slopes from rump to shoulders and is relatively parallel to the ground. Its legs appear proportionate to its body, and tarsal glands showcase moderate to heavy staining.

4 1/2 Years

A 4 1/2-year-old buck tends to grow a large set of antlers (up to 95 percent of antler genetic potential), and it starts to add moderate antler mass. Unless the deer expresses tight-rack genetics, antler spreads are always outside the ears. A buck usually expresses at least 8 points, and extra, non-typical points might appear. (Most deer have the genetics to express non-typical points but typically don’t reach the age classes necessary to express them.) By this age class, neck and shoulder swelling are significant, and the shoulders appear noticeably heavier than the rump. The back and belly lines are relatively straight (parallel to the ground). The legs are starting to look short for its body. Tarsal staining is heavy.

5 1/2 Years

At 5 1/2 years old, the buck’s antlers showcase 98 to 100 percent of its antler genetic potential. By now, it carries noticeable antler mass, too. If the deer has antler genetics for non-typical points, it should certainly grow them. Neck, shoulder and chest swelling are now much greater than in years prior. The back line is still straight, but the belly line is starting to sag. Its legs look much too short for its body. Legs display heavy tarsal gland staining.

6 1/2 Years and older

Bucks 6 1/2 years old and up should display 100 percent of antler genetic potential. That said, a buck’s largest rack tends to appear somewhere between 6 1/2 and 8 1/2 years old. Usually, the best rack appears in the year during that window that offers the best overall health and antler growing conditions. Neck, shoulder and chest swelling reach their peak. Now, the back and belly lines sag. The legs still appear far too short for its body size. Tarsal glands are heavily stained.

Once a buck reaches 6 1/2 years old and beyond, it’s virtually impossible to determine age differences year-over-year. Eventually, if the deer lives long enough, it’ll start to go downhill. Antlers and body mass will decrease in size.