Do you know how to tell an elk's age?

[Trapper]

Does anyone know how to tell an elk's age? More specifically, can you tell by just looking at the antlers? I'm just curious. I've harvested a 5 point the past three years and their antlers are all very different in size. Their bodies seemed to be all about the same size…well, at least within 50lbs of each other. The first picture is 2010 and 2011. In the second picture my bull is the one on the far left (2012). I'm guessing 2, 4 and 3 years old respectively. I hunt in Utah if that helps. Thanks

 

[turbo1967]

The only true way I know of is from the ivory teeth ,other than that, just experience and that can very from one area to the next and weather conditions that year and if they were born early or late in the spring, those born late seem like they are always a little behind on horn growth their entire life, if those would have come from the area I hunt than I would guess they may all be 2 1/2 year olds, but is hard to judge from a pic, the one maybe 3 1/2 ? Just my opinion.By the time they are 3 1/2 they usually lose that waviness in their antler ,more like the one with the broken points. 

 

[Trapper]

Interesting, thanks turbo.