Cull Buck??

[ko4nrbs]

One of my friends believes the little buck I shot is a 4 to 4 1/2 year old runt. He said it was good I took him out of the herd because of this.

Does he look that old to you? I know it's hard to tell just from a pic and could only know by examining his teeth or ??


I gave the deer to the landowner of the 3.5 acre place I hunt now. He is having the whole deer made into Summer sausage and was tickled to get the meat.
Bill

[nchunterkw]

As I understand it you can only age deer by the teeth.

[longbow joe]

I agree with the above poster but visually that looks like a young buck at a glance.....maby hes like me.... old n tired but still young looking.....some mondays l wish that someone would just put a spitfire thru me n put me outta my misery lol

[papabear1]

Could tell more if he was standing broadside,
But can tell best by teeth.

Dave

[hillHuntR]

My guess is a.young deer, but as above said teeth are only way to go. I dont believe much in the cull buck theory. Lots.of bucks that look poor while young turn out better than people think. Bucks get the vast majority of antler genetics from their mother...not the father...so their is no way to shoot your way to good genetics in herd

[vixenmaster]

Wid only that view of his head yer lookin at 18-30 months old. He doesn't show a real long muzzle nor the roman nose n mouth. Yup teeth are the best way but after you have looked a thousands of dead deer n live ones you can tell abit about them. Old bucks show mostly big guts n swayed backs old long heads n roman noses n lots of gray n white faces

[gerald strine]

Wid only that view of his head yer lookin at 18-30 months old. He doesn't show a real long muzzle nor the roman nose n mouth. Yup teeth are the best way but after you have looked a thousands of dead deer n live ones you can tell abit about them. Old bucks show mostly big guts n swayed backs old long heads n roman noses n lots of gray n white faces

From your last sentence I better stay out of the woods I just found out I am an old buck.

[Cossack]

Looks like a youngster to me too. But hard to tell from just that shot. Would like to see belly, legs, back and, as stated, teeth to be sure.

[Shoebuck]

Bases look like a 1 1/2 yr old with a lot of potential, A cull buck is a 4 or 5 yr old that has a 100 inch rack.

[robertyb]

I would also say it is 1 1/2 year old.

[papabear1]

Wid only that view of his head yer lookin at 18-30 months old. He doesn't show a real long muzzle nor the roman nose n mouth. Yup teeth are the best way but after you have looked a thousands of dead deer n live ones you can tell abit about them. Old bucks show mostly big guts n swayed backs old long heads n roman noses n lots of gray n white faces

From your last sentence I better stay out of the woods I just found out I am an old buck.

Would ya be a cull ??
Or a wall hanger ?

[Hunt it]

Unless he's sleeping it's kinda late to ask the question It's a young buck for sure, I don't need to see his teeth to tell that. It's a been culled buck for sure.

[Doe Master]

He is as old as he ever will get .
As VM said short face and small bases .

[rayman]

I agree with what has been said. 1.5 or possibly 2.5. Body size, filled out body, saggy belly if really old (saggy belly is indication that I am old), toughness of skin, other indicators mentioned, teeth are best indicator.

These things being said, there are exceptions to the physical indicators. A guy where I used to hunt killed a buck that was runty looking and we all thought it was very young but teeth indicated that it was older. Just a small runty deer.

If it was legal, no need to use an excuse like being "cull" to harvest it.