| Aging a Yearling DeerYearling deer can be easily aged | | | | base of the ears. Deer 2 1/2 years or younger |
| by examining the third tooth back on either side of | | | | seldom have ear creases. But by 3 1/2 years the hair |
| the jaw. This tooth is called the third premolar. If this | | | | has thickened and taken on at least one crease. A |
| tooth has three cusps, the deer is 1 1/2 years old. If | | | | two crease deer is a mature animal and is usually |
| the third premolar has only two cusps, the deer is 1 | | | | between 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 years old. If a deer has |
| year and seven months old or older. | | | | three creases at the base of the ears, it is likely |
| 75% of deer harvested in the U.S. are yearling deer. | | | | about 7 1/2 years old give or take a year. If a deer |
| Telling the Age of a Whitetail Buck | | | | has 4 ear creases, it is likely more than 8 years old. |
| In December of 1998, the Field and Stream magazine | | | | Also, as a deer ages, hair thickens in the ear slot. |
| had an article that I found interesting about a | | | | Finally, an older deer's ears tend to be more curled in |
| method for aging deer in the field. Here is my short | | | | and tired in appearance while a younger deer's ears |
| version; | | | | will be flatter and more alert in appearance. |
| The twisting and turning of a deer's ears results in | | | | Telling the age of a deer with the ears method is |
| permanent creases in the hair and skin around the | | | | most accurate on well conditioned animals. |