I've been managing roe for over 30 years and learnt there is no "Always" where deer are concerned. "Usually" maybe.
I started under the wing of a German Forester who had been doing it since the end of the WWII. When ever asked about the age of live Roe he would only commit to 3 things- Jung, Mittel, Alt. Even then he sometimes got it wrong The one thing I've learn't is there's no such thing as a birth certificate attached to a deer. I eventually made several tooth boards over the years for each area I managed. My stalking friend who managed next door did the same. We made a game out of both of us ageing a dead animal by its antlers then via its teeth. Even then we would often estimate 2 or 3 years apart. On occasions it is not blatantly obvious before the shot, particularly with a lone deer at distance, or deer in different areas with different feed or soil. In thick cover I've shot a fair few old animals with antlers that had gone back to poor forks. Just looking at antlers is not a guarantee.
