--- title: How to Age Bucks Fast | MSU Deer Lab Collaboration description: Aging a whitetail buck requires examining several key physical characteristics, as precise age determination is challenging without jawbone analysis. image: https://resources.mossberg.com/hubfs/Mossberg%20-%20960x480%20(34).png --- [Law Enforcement](https://lawenforcement.mossberg.com/) [Sign In](https://www.mossberg.com/customer/account/login) / [Sign Up](https://www.mossberg.com/customer/account/create/) [Firearms](https://www.mossberg.com/firearms.html) [Store](https://www.mossberg.com/store.html) [![Mossberg](https://resources.mossberg.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mossberg-theme/images/logo.svg)](https://www.mossberg.com) [Support](https://www.mossberg.com/help/) [Journal](https://resources.mossberg.com/journal) [Dealers](https://www.mossberg.com/dealers/) [Cart](https://www.mossberg.com/checkout/cart/) [Sign In](https://www.mossberg.com/customer/account/login) / [Sign Up](https://www.mossberg.com/customer/account/create/) [Dealers](https://www.mossberg.com/dealers/) - [Firearms](https://www.mossberg.com/firearms.html) - [Store](https://www.mossberg.com/store.html) - [Support](https://www.mossberg.com/help/) - [Journal](https://resources.mossberg.com/) [Military/Law Enforcement](https://lawenforcement.mossberg.com/) - [Home](https://www.mossberg.com) - [Journal](https://resources.mossberg.com/journal) - How to Age Bucks Fast | MSU Deer Lab Collaboration [Videos](https://resources.mossberg.com/journal/tag/videos) # How to Age Bucks Fast | MSU Deer Lab Collaboration 2 Min Read By [Jason Cruise](https://resources.mossberg.com/journal/author/jason-cruise) ![How to Age Bucks Fast | MSU Deer Lab Collaboration](https://resources.mossberg.com/hubfs/Mossberg%20-%20960x480%20(34).png) How to age a deer on the hoof is hard. Mainly because scoring deer when deer hunting means that your heart is racing and you are trying to make a decision.  Today, Jason Cruise, host of Mossberg's Rugged American Hunter series, sits down with the legend himself: Bronson Strickland, Ph.D.  Dr. Strickland has forever been a central figure at the [Mississippi State Deer Lab](https://www.msudeer.msstate.edu).  The MSU Deer Lab has one of the best podcasts ever created on deer biology, deer management, land management practices for deer, and just about anything you can imagine on deer research.    Aging a whitetail buck requires examining several key physical characteristics, as precise age determination is challenging without jawbone analysis. Body Characteristics: Young bucks (1.5-2.5 years) have slender necks, narrow chests, and long legs relative to body size. Mature bucks (3.5+ years) develop thick, muscular necks, deep chests, and shorter-appearing legs due to body bulk. The belly line becomes more pronounced with age. Facial Features: Younger deer have narrow, angular faces with alert expressions. Older bucks develop broader faces, Roman noses, and often appear to have a "tired" or weathered look around the eyes. Antler Development: While not definitive for aging, antler characteristics provide clues. Young bucks typically have narrower spreads and fewer tines. Prime-age bucks (4-6 years) usually display maximum antler development. Very old bucks (7+ years) may show declining antler quality. Behavior: Mature bucks often move more deliberately and cautiously, while younger deer appear more energetic and less wary. Limitations: Field aging is estimates only. Nutrition, genetics, and environmental factors significantly influence appearance. For precise aging, tooth wear analysis or cementum annuli counting from extracted teeth provides accurate results. Trail cameras offering multiple angles and extended observation time improve field aging accuracy considerably. [![Share on Facebook](https://resources.mossberg.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SocialShare/share-facebook.png?width=24&name=share-facebook.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fresources.mossberg.com%2Fjournal%2Fhow-to-age-bucks-fast%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://resources.mossberg.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SocialShare/share-linkedin.png?width=24&name=share-linkedin.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fresources.mossberg.com%2Fjournal%2Fhow-to-age-bucks-fast%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://resources.mossberg.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SocialShare/share-twitter.png?width=24&name=share-twitter.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fresources.mossberg.com%2Fjournal%2Fhow-to-age-bucks-fast%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fresources.mossberg.com%2Fjournal%2Fhow-to-age-bucks-fast%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=How%20to%20Age%20Bucks%20Fast%20%7C%20MSU%20Deer%20Lab%20Collaboration) [![Share on Email](https://resources.mossberg.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SocialShare/share-email.png?width=24&name=share-email.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fresources.mossberg.com%2Fjournal%2Fhow-to-age-bucks-fast%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fresources.mossberg.com%2Fjournal%2Fhow-to-age-bucks-fast%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ### About the Author ![](https://resources.mossberg.com/hubfs/jason.png) ### Jason Cruise Jason Cruise is a published author and the host of Mossberg’s Rugged American Hunter series. 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