How to Age Your Deer
Deer in New England are primarily born in late May and early June. Therefore, when most deer are harvested in November they are either six months, 1-1/2 years, 2-1/2 years, 3-1/2 years, etc in age. This guide is designed to Block deer into these age categories.
The Overall age structure of a hunted deer population is younger than most people think.Duringthe fall of 1998, the Fish an Game Department gathered information during the shotgun season and it was determined that 52% of the harvested deer were adults averaging 2-1/2 years of age and 21% yearlings.
Antler and body size can indicate a deer's age,but physical characteristics are often misleading.The number of antler points in no way corresponds to age.Even if it did,it wouldn't help in aging does,which make up a considerable proportion of the harvest each year.
Another size in bucks and physical development in both genders is greatly affected by diet and genetics,which may account for differences between animals of the same age taken from different locations.
Deer in eastern portions of the state,where food crops are more common,are often heavier bodied.Six-month-old deer(fawns)may at first appear older,and yearlings(1-1/2;years old) may approach 140 pounds field dressed.
Its All in the Teeth
The science of aging deer is based on tooth development and wear.Like humans,deer replace their "baby teeth" with permanent teeth at a relatively set rate.As surely as a 6-year-old child will soon lose her two front teeth,an 18-month-old buck will be in the process of losing its third premolar.
by the time a deer is 2-1/2; years old,all permanent teeth are in.At this stage,estimating age is based largly on the rate of tooth wear.Diet and soil types may accelerate tooth wear,but generally,estimating the age of adult deer is straight forward until they reach age 5-1/2;.Beyond that,estimatimg age by tooth wear is less reliable.
The Overall age structure of a hunted deer population is younger than most people think.Duringthe fall of 1998, the Fish an Game Department gathered information during the shotgun season and it was determined that 52% of the harvested deer were adults averaging 2-1/2 years of age and 21% yearlings.
Antler and body size can indicate a deer's age,but physical characteristics are often misleading.The number of antler points in no way corresponds to age.Even if it did,it wouldn't help in aging does,which make up a considerable proportion of the harvest each year.
Another size in bucks and physical development in both genders is greatly affected by diet and genetics,which may account for differences between animals of the same age taken from different locations.
Deer in eastern portions of the state,where food crops are more common,are often heavier bodied.Six-month-old deer(fawns)may at first appear older,and yearlings(1-1/2;years old) may approach 140 pounds field dressed.
Its All in the Teeth
The science of aging deer is based on tooth development and wear.Like humans,deer replace their "baby teeth" with permanent teeth at a relatively set rate.As surely as a 6-year-old child will soon lose her two front teeth,an 18-month-old buck will be in the process of losing its third premolar.
by the time a deer is 2-1/2; years old,all permanent teeth are in.At this stage,estimating age is based largly on the rate of tooth wear.Diet and soil types may accelerate tooth wear,but generally,estimating the age of adult deer is straight forward until they reach age 5-1/2;.Beyond that,estimatimg age by tooth wear is less reliable.
So How Old is my Deer
Tooth Identifacation Basics
Tooth Identifacation Basics
Whitetail and mule deer basically have two groups of teeth.The front teeth,or incisors,are used for collecting food.The back teeth-molars and premolars-are used to chew and grind food.Between the incisors and molars is an open space along the jaw that has no teeth.(note:In all photos,black line indicates the gum line.)
Front Teeth (Inisors)
Front Teeth (Inisors)
These are the front teeth on a deer jaw, When a deer is 5 - 6 months old, the central two incisors are replaced. The rest of the front teeth-lateral incisors and canine teeth-are replaced during the 10th and 11th month. Unlike horses, deer do not have upper incisors.
Check Teeth
Check Teeth
Premolars: The first three teeth on each side of the jaw are called premolars.Deer grow two sets of premolars.The first set appear in fawns and last until the deer is about 1-1/2;years old,when permanent adult premolars push out the baby premolar teeth.An important characteristic of the first set of premolars is that the third premolar has three crowns or cusps.When the permanent teeth come,all premolars have just two cusps.
Molars The fourth,fifth,and sixth cheek teeth are the molars.Deer only grow one set of molars.Generally,six-month-old deer have only one molar when they enter the fall hunting season.Therefore,six-month-old deer usually have only four chhek teeth.By 1-1/2; years of age-the second fall- the second and third molar have erupted through the gum,through the last cusp of the third molar may still be below the gum line.All six molars and premolars are fully erupted by 2-1/2;years.
The vast majority of deer are 2-1/2; years old or younger. To determine the age of animals in older age classes we need to look more closely at tooth wear.
Molars The fourth,fifth,and sixth cheek teeth are the molars.Deer only grow one set of molars.Generally,six-month-old deer have only one molar when they enter the fall hunting season.Therefore,six-month-old deer usually have only four chhek teeth.By 1-1/2; years of age-the second fall- the second and third molar have erupted through the gum,through the last cusp of the third molar may still be below the gum line.All six molars and premolars are fully erupted by 2-1/2;years.
The vast majority of deer are 2-1/2; years old or younger. To determine the age of animals in older age classes we need to look more closely at tooth wear.