How old is this buck?


Guest ckcranch

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Guest ckcranch

How old do you think this buck is? To me he looks like a 2 1/5 year old, I'm hoping that he is only a 1 1/2 year old. I'd hate for him to be passing on his genes if he is older then 1 1/2.

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to me, he's 1.5 years -

isn't a 1.5 year old deer a yearling? :confused:

I think he means that it was a early fawn that developed small antlers.....

To me no a 1.5 year old and a yearling are not the same thing..

Here is my example of MY understanding....

a yearling/fawn is born between April-June of 07.....well it is a yearling/fawn all of that hunting season and does not become a 1.5 year old until the next hunting season of 08

So back to the question... I think the above comments mean they think that deer was born early say April and developed horns by hunting season time making it a yearling that developed antlers. ;):)

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Guest ckcranch
He is a yearling. Some yearlings can be spikes. He is too small to be a 1.5

Last years fawn born early in the season. So his coat still caries the spots but is mature enough to grow spikes

Come on guys, you really think that this is fawn (6 month old)?! This deer is at least 1 1/2, I was thinking that he might have been 2 1/2, but hope he isn't. Down here in Southwest Louisiana our deer don't get very big, so if he is a fawn he's going to be a huge deer. As a 1 1/2 year old he is a big deer and I can't wait to see him next year or the year after.

Thanks for all the opinions!

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I think he means that it was a early fawn that developed small antlers.....

To me no a 1.5 year old and a yearling are not the same thing..

Here is my example of MY understanding....

a yearling/fawn is born between April-June of 07.....well it is a yearling/fawn all of that hunting season and does not become a 1.5 year old until the next hunting season of 08

So back to the question... I think the above comments mean they think that deer was born early say April and developed horns by hunting season time making it a yearling that developed antlers. ;):)

Here is a bit of info for you on this topic I posted in your other thread as well Todd:

Yearlings are not fawns or 6 month olds. Take a look at this Todd, might help a bit with clarifying for you http://www.qdma.com/articles/details.asp?id=23.

Here is another link to take a look at http://tndeer.com/field-judging.shtml, notice it goes from "yearling" class to 2.5 year old class.

Typically first year buck fawns(not yearlings) will have buttons, however if they are born early enough, they may have spikes, but that is not very common.

By definition, depending on the source, here is one http://www.thefreedictionary.com/yearling. A yearling in wild animals from one to under two.

year·ling (yîrprime.giflibreve.gifng)

n. 1. An animal that is one year old or has not completed its second year.

We typically call our cows that are over a year old and less than 2 years old yearling heifers, cows less than a year old are calves. Similarly deer under one year in my understanding are fawns, after one year but before completing the second year are yearlings, therefore a 1.5 year old is a yearling.

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Thanks to all for the clarification on yearlings and 1.5 year olds. This is a common mistake I hear all the time. I hear it so much I often question my memory on the matter.

The deer pictured is a 1.5 year old (I seriosly doubt he's any older).

I really have trouble trying to determine the age of a deer once they hit 3.5 years. So many variables can affect their weight/antler growth/hair color. I think it's mostly guess work aging a deer from a picture once it passes 3.5 years.

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Guest Turtle

first six months= fawn

next year/6 months to 1.5 yr= yearling

1.5

2.5

3.5

and so on

No way this is a fawn. Antler growth is secondary to body growth and as a fawn so much nutrition goes toward body growth very rarely will a buck have any more than a button under the best of nutrition. The few that do don't have much more.

As a yearling bucks under good nutrition will develop 10% of their antler potential. I believe thats what happened here, and at the time of the pics he is actually a 1.5 year old.

It's late Dec ., He is not a dominant buck and has been working his butt off chasing does and not eating properly.

Over the next month or longer he will go on a feeding spree and fatten himself back up.

If you could get a pic now you wouldn't think it's the same deer.

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Guest Bear_Down

Just a shot in the dark but it could be a (hermaphrodite.)

For those scratching there heads a Doe with enough male genes to grow a set of antlers, But the antlers usually don't become any more than a button or spike.

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