model722

Very well said Taz, antlers get there size acording to how the deer eats. You can have an older buck but if he isn't getting the right protien and minerals in his diet he won't have a big rack. Where as a younger buck could be getting everything he needs and his rack could be bigger. You really need to see the deer to tell if it is mature.

BarnesX.308

I'm not sure what these deer were earing but we are on top of a mountain in NE Penna. with an elevation of around 2500 feet. The main mast tree in beech. There are no oaks on the property (it was once lumbered pretty good). There are a lot of overgrown clear cuts (between 15-25 years growth). A lot of the land is hemlock swamp. No farm crops. I wish I knew more about the aging methods that involve looking at the body and face back then. They were in our back yard quite a few times. I had plenty of chances to eyeball them. Nobody ever shot that deer but this was 1995-1996. Maybe he's gone to greener pastures by now. That winter was rough, though. Snow was waist deep.

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge