Age your deer here..

[nybowhunter]

Ok makes a little more sense to me now.

[DXT]

Relf,I would say that dead head is only average for a 1 1/2 years old.  It's the yearling 10 points that get me wishing they get old.

[Ziffystriperchum]

Good call;  it's a 3 1/2.

There doesn't appear to be enough wear on the first molar (the fourth tooth in) to kick it up to a 4 1/2.

Congratulations !!

Dick
[/quote]

I always appreciate when folks are willing to teach others to truly understand a certain subject fully . . .you  . . . Mr. Henry, certainly seem to be one of them!

Kudos my friend!!!

[Relf25]

Relf,I would say that dead head is only average for a 1 1/2 years old.  It's the yearling 10 points that get me wishing they get old.

I guess youre right DXT, I was thinking it was born this past May I guess. I'm used to seeing alot of spikes at 1.5

[DXT]

Relf,I would say that dead head is only average for a 1 1/2 years old.  It's the yearling 10 points that get me wishing they get old.

I guess youre right DXT, I was thinking it was born this past May I guess. I'm used to seeing alot of spikes at 1.5

This brings me to a question that I have been wondering for years.  A question for Dick Henry,  can a fawn grow antlers?  Twice in my life I have seen what I believe to have been 6 or 7 month old deer that had antlers.  In both cases they were very small spikes 2-3 inches and skinny like pencils.  They had the typical fawn caricaturist such as short snout and short stubby body. And if I remember correctly I believe that the last one I saw still had a faint indication of the spot pattern as I noticed him directly under my tree stand.  Is this possible?  Only twice over the years have I believe I witnessed this.

[DHenry]

Relf,I would say that dead head is only average for a 1 1/2 years old.  It's the yearling 10 points that get me wishing they get old.

I guess youre right DXT, I was thinking it was born this past May I guess. I'm used to seeing alot of spikes at 1.5

This brings me to a question that I have been wondering for years.  A question for Dick Henry,  can a fawn grow antlers?  Twice in my life I have seen what I believe to have been 6 or 7 month old deer that had antlers.  In both cases they were very small spikes 2-3 inches and skinny like pencils.  They had the typical fawn caricaturist such as short snout and short stubby body. And if I remember correctly I believe that the last one I saw still had a faint indication of the spot pattern as I noticed him directly under my tree stand.  Is this possible?  Only twice over the years have I believe I witnessed this.

Yes DXT, fawns can in rare cases grow antlers. In almost always they don't amount to much, and typically are only a couple of inches in length.

I've also seen some fawns and yearlings that manage to carry their tiny antlers well into early spring before shedding.

I do have a program entitled "The Wacky World of Whitetails " that includes many different antler anomalies, including antlers growing out of cheeks, small antlers near the eyes and multiple small antlers in really odd locations .   In one bizarre instance, the antlers are reversed and actually curl around the jawbones like a hockey mask.

Remind me to talk to Ron when we get closer to fall and I'll put on a show (free) that covers these oddities.  There are many antler anomalies that can, and do, occur.

Dick

[XkillerX]

dick my buddy shot his first ever deer back in 98' it was a as he put it I shot a 2 pointer, when I got there it had a large fork on one side when we rolled it over to gut it,  it had a perect basket 4 point on the other side that did just like you stated rolled back behind his ear and the main beam against the lower jaw and the points and brow tine were all facing down

[DXT]

Relf,I would say that dead head is only average for a 1 1/2 years old.  It's the yearling 10 points that get me wishing they get old.

I guess youre right DXT, I was thinking it was born this past May I guess. I'm used to seeing alot of spikes at 1.5

This brings me to a question that I have been wondering for years.  A question for Dick Henry,  can a fawn grow antlers?  Twice in my life I have seen what I believe to have been 6 or 7 month old deer that had antlers.  In both cases they were very small spikes 2-3 inches and skinny like pencils.  They had the typical fawn caricaturist such as short snout and short stubby body. And if I remember correctly I believe that the last one I saw still had a faint indication of the spot pattern as I noticed him directly under my tree stand.  Is this possible?  Only twice over the years have I believe I witnessed this.

Yes DXT, fawns can in rare cases grow antlers. In almost always they don't amount to much, and typically are only a couple of inches in length.

I've also seen some fawns and yearlings that manage to carry their tiny antlers well into early spring before shedding.

I do have a program entitled "The Wacky World of Whitetails " that includes many different antler anomalies, including antlers growing out of cheeks, small antlers near the eyes and multiple small antlers in really odd locations .   In one bizarre instance, the antlers are reversed and actually curl around the jawbones like a hockey mask.

Remind me to talk to Ron when we get closer to fall and I'll put on a show (free) that covers these oddities.  There are many antler anomalies that can, and do, occur.

Dick

Thanks Dick.  Great information.  I've been wondering about that for years.  Now I know what you were thinking Relf.

[DHenry]

dick my buddy shot his first ever deer back in 98' it was a as he put it I shot a 2 pointer, when I got there it had a large fork on one side when we rolled it over to gut it,  it had a perect basket 4 point on the other side that did just like you stated rolled back behind his ear and the main beam against the lower jaw and the points and brow tine were all facing down

Odd racks like you're talking about are often the result of an injury to the hind quarters,  referred to as " the Contra/Lateral effect". (Contra meaning "side"; lateral meaning "opposite")

If the buck sustains an injury in the hind quarters (car collision or an injury from a fall) the antler growth on the opposite side of the body can be effected.

I shot what I thought was an 8 point buck back in the 1980's,  and as I rolled it over to what I thought was an  8 point rack, the antler on the other side turned out to be a single, strait antler, about 18 inches in length.

Upon examination, the deer had suffered an obvious injury to the hind quarters, probably clipped by a car. The nerves in hind quarters travel forward to the front quarters,  and cross over to the other side of the body as the nerve reaches the front of the deer.

Injury to the hind quarters usually results in a de-formed antler on the front opposite side of the body.

A similar type injury that occurs to the front of the body will usually result in the anomaly being on the same side.     

[Relf25]

Wow thanks DHenry, such interesting info you provide us with. To piggyback off that info, Here's a picture of a buck we had on camera in the summer. It appeared he had what looked like a hand growing as his left side antler. He wasnt spotted during bow but my buddy harvested what he thought was an 8pt. Turns out it was this guy but he had lost his freaky side. When my buddy skinned him out he found he had a healed over broken right hind leg, broken eye socket and cracked skull. Extremely tough creatures we chase. Thanks for the info again Mr. Henry!

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[Relf25]

Mr Henry, what would age this guy at? Thank you

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[Relf25]

Anyone Ave a guess at the age of the pic above?

[DHenry]

This deer is 5 1/2 years old; the center white enamel is still complete from front to back on the first molar.

At 6 1/2 the center white enamel is incomplete on the first molar.

Was it a buck or a doe ?

Dick

[Relf25]

It was a buck. My buddy came across a buck carcass in late December with only his left antler. He kept the antler but didn't see another one. Yesterday a few friends and myself were looking for sheds in the same general area and I came across the Bucks right side. 30yds away was the carcass of a buck without antlers. Almost certain it was same one. Antlers matched.

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[Relf25]

A friend of mine saw a guy walking his property with a rifle during the season and confronted the person. He shot a buck and it ran up the mountain so my 2 buddies went with this guy to see if they could locate the wounded buck. No such luck. The guy said buck looked old and grey. The deer headed right for where we found the antlers and carcass. Its a shame that this guys long journey came to an end like that.