Hi Foxhunter,
Good photograph. Where abouts was the animal shot? Tooth wear can vary dependent on the type of ground the animal had fed on. for instance, residues from sandy soils on the vegetation consumed by the animal will accelerate tooth wear, whereas on heathland the wear rate will differ.
I would certainly take Morena up on his kind offer, and it would be interesting to find out. I'd have a guess of between 7 - 10 years old.
Incidentally, when I was farming deer in Wales we had a Red hind who's teeth were worn down to almost the same level as your Roe. She was only 5 years old.
At the time we were winter feeding a maintenance diet of barley straw and molasses. My guess was that the sugar in the molasses had perhaps been the cause of the teeth decaying. Our vet also agreed, although this has never been proven - just a theory.
I would be interested to hear if anyone else has found, or experienced deer with premature teeth wear/decay.
I would also be interested to hear more about your Roebuck, and hopefully some news from Morena.
Best regards,