Roe buck age
- Thread starter WildBoarHunter
- Start date
I would say that the first picture is an older buck but he is still strong. The second picture is a young low status chap and from his gait he knows it. The young buck has thinner antlers in the beam and even when starting to moult his winter coat, his body does not look that big under the thick coat. The older buck has thicker antlers in the beam and the points are not as sharp as they might be which is usually a sign of age. I can't see if the pedicles are sloping from the picture. Strong hind quarters and back suggest he still has his mojo and he stands like he is the owner of his territory. I shot one like him the other day. I wished I had caught up with him a year or two ago from a trophy point of view but I think that from a genetic point of view he still has a contribution to make unless there is a better buck about. I would personally shoot the younger one this year if I only had to shoot one and I wanted to make the best choice genetically. He might be unlucky but he has not put on a great head for a first timer. Many make six points the first year.
sir-lamp-alot
Well-Known Member
The buck in velvet doesnt look that old to me maybe a middle aged buck just looks like a small malform rather than one thats going back the 2nd one to be honest i think is a bit of a red herring just from how hes stood he looks all bedraggled but i think a photo of him 2 seconds later would show a very differnt animal and to me just looks like a young buck with a small head
If your trying to find one to take out eithier one wouldnt be a bad choice
If your trying to find one to take out eithier one wouldnt be a bad choice
teyhan1
Well-Known Member
Grey head patch?? Where in the hell did you hear/read that nonsense.
I’m pretty sure there are quite a few grey head patches on here that ain’t that old.
Woodsmoke
Well-Known Member
Excuse me? Wee bit early to be quite so stroppy, is it not? Older bucks, as you should very well know, go grey around the head. Perhaps it could've been worded better, but I think your 'nonsense' comment would earn you a pretty sharp retort if made face to face. Perhaps one would like to wind one's neck in ever so slightly?
Here is an example of an older buck. Shot by me, perhaps two hours ago. Note the grey . . .
I always thought eye ring spectacles or not were a better indicator antlers aside. Apart from nostril cartilage but of course then it’s dead
S
teyhan1
Well-Known Member
Well if you age a buck by how grey its face then I really have nothing I can add to what I have already said.
Woodsmoke
Well-Known Member
Oh, stop being such a PITA. You know perfectly well what I was getting at.
But, since you seem intent on trying to discredit me . . . . .
The buck in my photo I would estimate at around 4-5 yo. Why? Well, apart from the grey extending over his head (known as 'muffelfleck' in German, incidentally? Yearlings and younger bucks don't have this), his neck is particularly thick (indicative of an older buck), the pedicles are large, close to the skull, and almost touching, the antler beams are heavily-pearled and fairly thick, the velvet is already almost gone from the antler, and his colouring is still muted and grey (younger bucks will colour up at the neck earlier. Generally) Added to that, his general demeanour, behaviour, and the fact it's taken me over a fortnight to get a chance of a shot at him . . . . .
And he showed me his birth certificate
8x57
Distinguished Member
That would be my sort of thinking also, but there again I'm probably pretty poor at judging age.
baguio
Well-Known Member
Don't judge everyone by your own lowly standards Rider. Seasoned stalker in your book clearly simply means that they have been stalking for a while but learnt nothing whilst doing it! I would certainly hope that all of the stalkers on my DMG can select the correct age class most of the time or they have learnt nothing and shouldn't be on the group.
Last edited:
WildBoarHunter
Well-Known Member
baguio
Well-Known Member
Nearly 2 years old. Certainly no older than that.
Utectok
Well-Known Member
young beast very unlikely to be 3 +
baguio
Well-Known Member
If you're not able to do better than that then that's quite OK teyhan but don't get uptight when others with a better knowledge of things can. No one said that you needed to do better on a cull plan point of view but the OP has asked so why not educate him/her and us all with your opinion? It cost's nothing except a minute of your time which you have already spent criticising the post. You do it every time the subject comes up for some reason?
Oh yes. and I don't believe that you have seen a yearling (10 months old?) like that either!
Last edited:
Similar threads
