"Going back" question.

John_R

Well-Known Member
Am I right in guessing the term means that antlers are going to become smaller and of lesser quality?

How would I be able to tell from looking at a buck if he is likely to be going back?
 
Only real way is to look at the teeth and age him - look at the molars and if they re worn out he is a relly old boy. Also you need to know your deer and follow them year on year. But difficult to ask a buck to come and show you his teeth before you shoot him. In the field age of a deer is much more an impression and lot of it has to do with their behaviour posture etc.

Young bucks - still small, but energetic and sprightly - head alert, move easily etc. Face still quite round and babyish.

As they mature they get bigger in the body, but they look strong and fit, big pert haunches, solid muscular neck etc and antlers tend to be nice and thick and solid looking.

When they start going back they don't loose size but they loose condition. There movements are stiffer, head is carried lower and all that all powerful muscle tends to decline and turn to flab around the belly etc - ie just like us. In terms of antlers, they don't really loose the length, but what they loose is the weight.

Have a look at the mount done for me by Monarch on this site - http://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/showthread.php?15308-Bronze-medal-Roe-buck-just-completed. He was probably past his prime for the ground over which I shoot. He was massive in the body, but his antlers are bit skinny - if I had shot him a year earlier his antlers could well have been a bit more solid.
 
As others have said a really old buck will walk with his head forward and his neck almost in line with his back, another indication of age regarding antlers again not very easy to see in the field, but the outer edges of the coronets tend to slope down wards on an old animal.
 
When going back you will notice a thickening and flattening to the horns particularly where the points on top emanate from. Then year on year the points get smaller and smaller and the main beams broaden.

It is really interesting to compare the horns from the same stag over a period of years. A pal of mine who is maise on picking up cast horns has a wonderful collection from the same stags going back over, in some cases, 6/7 years from when they were 2 a tops. Makes fascinating comparison.
 
Only real way is to look at the teeth and age him - look at the molars and if they re worn out he is a relly old boy. Also you need to know your deer and follow them year on year. But difficult to ask a buck to come and show you his teeth before you shoot him. In the field age of a deer is much more an impression and lot of it has to do with their behaviour posture etc.

Young bucks - still small, but energetic and sprightly - head alert, move easily etc. Face still quite round and babyish.

As they mature they get bigger in the body, but they look strong and fit, big pert haunches, solid muscular neck etc and antlers tend to be nice and thick and solid looking.

When they start going back they don't loose size but they loose condition. There movements are stiffer, head is carried lower and all that all powerful muscle tends to decline and turn to flab around the belly etc - ie just like us. In terms of antlers, they don't really loose the length, but what they loose is the weight.

Have a look at the mount done for me by Monarch on this site - http://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/showthread.php?15308-Bronze-medal-Roe-buck-just-completed. He was probably past his prime for the ground over which I shoot. He was massive in the body, but his antlers are bit skinny - if I had shot him a year earlier his antlers could well have been a bit more solid.[/QUOTE

That is a cracking mount !
 
Only real way is to look at the teeth and age him - look at the molars and if they re worn out he is a relly old boy. Also you need to know your deer and follow them year on year. But difficult to ask a buck to come and show you his teeth before you shoot him. In the field age of a deer is much more an impression and lot of it has to do with their behaviour posture etc.

Young bucks - still small, but energetic and sprightly - head alert, move easily etc. Face still quite round and babyish.

As they mature they get bigger in the body, but they look strong and fit, big pert haunches, solid muscular neck etc and antlers tend to be nice and thick and solid looking.

When they start going back they don't loose size but they loose condition. There movements are stiffer, head is carried lower and all that all powerful muscle tends to decline and turn to flab around the belly etc - ie just like us. In terms of antlers, they don't really loose the length, but what they loose is the weight.

Have a look at the mount done for me by Monarch on this site - http://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/showthread.php?15308-Bronze-medal-Roe-buck-just-completed. He was probably past his prime for the ground over which I shoot. He was massive in the body, but his antlers are bit skinny - if I had shot him a year earlier his antlers could well have been a bit more solid.

That is a cracking Mount !

JR
 
Head carry and general shape and behaviour give clues to likely age of a buck, as posted previously ,sloping coronets and weakening antlers give another clue if your close enough to see them clearly. But be aware a poorer head on a bodily strong buck can be the result of a bad season weather wise or injury ,not neccisarily going back. A kind winter and spring with less competition for food can mean a buck having a strong head one year a weak head the next and back to a strong or improving head the following season.
It's definitely worth getting to know the resident deer and their territories. You'll the be in a good position to judge and recognize travelling bucks that are moving through.
 
Head carry and general shape and behaviour give clues to likely age of a buck, as posted previously ,sloping coronets and weakening antlers give another clue if your close enough to see them clearly. But be aware a poorer head on a bodily strong buck can be the result of a bad season weather wise or injury ,not neccisarily going back. A kind winter and spring with less competition for food can mean a buck having a strong head one year a weak head the next and back to a strong or improving head the following season.
It's definitely worth getting to know the resident deer and their territories. You'll the be in a good position to judge and recognize travelling bucks that are moving through.

That about covers it.
 
Another way to tell if they are old buck are that they have a grey/grizzle face, if they are cautious when moving and if their expression seems very wary. I shot a buck like this last year and he must have been quite old as his coronets were almost covering his eyes.

stacey
 
Thanks for all the replies. It strikes me that as an occasional stalker, still learning and mostly going out on accompanied stalks, that it is going to be some time before I will be able to make these judgements for myself. Still I am enjoying all of this, and get out as often as I can spare either the time or more recently the money.

Out of interest, how did the term "going back" come about?
 
Thanks for all the replies. It strikes me that as an occasional stalker, still learning and mostly going out on accompanied stalks, that it is going to be some time before I will be able to make these judgements for myself. Still I am enjoying all of this, and get out as often as I can spare either the time or more recently the money.

Out of interest, how did the term "going back" come about?

John

He's 'going back' to the larder......

Regards JCS
 
1, body stance & movement.
2, Frame size & shape.
3, Colour.....Grey face (I've also seen them going darker around the lower legs)
4, Antlers can start to slope backwards...............going back??????
5, Coronnets slope and open up.
6, Once you hear a few it's quite easy to tell the difference between a buck and a doe by their bark. And once you get good at that you can often tell an old buck from a middle aged one. Bucks will bark on the move, producing a grumble prior to the bark. Young Roe will rarely bark.

Going back.............going backwards in antler developement, eg getting smaller.

Cheers,
Mark.
 
I'm just rushing by - but in general - if you can get hold of DeNahlic's book he gives some nice pictures and drawings on the various deer ages. - postures, shapes and antler conformation etc..
 
All will come to you in time.
You will find on the SD that many stalkers get as much enjoyment out of shooting deer with a camera and not just with a rifle.
basil.
 
All will come to you in time.
You will find on the SD that many stalkers get as much enjoyment out of shooting deer with a camera and not just with a rifle.
basil.

Agreed, and the whole learning process is very enjoyable. Not just learning about deer, and stalking them, but also have got into reloading etc. I have added more hobbies when in truth I already have too many. :)
 
Back
Top