How old is this buck?

By Grant Woods, 01/26/2016

← Grant's Answers — How Old Is This Buck?

Question

Hello Grant. We have had a couple close encounters with this buck during the season and we were wondering how old you think this deer is. We’re in southern Ontario, Canada. This is farm land so the deer has access to apples, corn, and soy beans. Thanks alot.
Jack

Jack,

Thanks for the picture and additional information, it helps to make a proper estimation of this buck’s age.

Looking over the picture, I believe this buck to be 2.5 years old. You can see the brisket clearly as the neck doesn’t merge directly with it. The neck appears to merge with the chest cavity about a 1/3 of the way up the shoulders. Also, the rear hams appear to be large in this picture. This bucks shoulders and front half of it’s body will develop more mass over time, making it appear that there is more weight to the front half of his body.

This buck will be one to watch over the next few years!

Thanks for sending in the picture. Stay warm in Ontario!

GrowingDeer Together,

-Matt

2016-01-26