I got the age back on my 2023 whitetail

[ribo451]

I shot this deer last year. I posted it on this website somewhere. I knew he was old but I didn't think he would be 11. We get pretty hard winters and we have mountain lions and wolves as well as grizzlies and black bears. Not to mention an ever increasing number of hunters. I wouldn't have guessed deer live that long around here. I wish I had gotten more photos of him. This is the only photo I took. In my defense I was freezing and wanted to get headed back to the pickup.

 

[DTP]

That’s an old buck! Wow!

 

[cohunter14]

Wow, that's cool! How was the meat? Could you tell the difference between other younger bucks you've shot?

 

[ribo451]

It was actually great. I think he was old enough that he just napped all day and got real tender. It wasn't gamey and he didn't really smell like a rutted up whitetail even though his neck was huge and he was following a doe when I shot him.

 

[Ilelkhntr]

Oldest I’ve ever taken was 9 1/2, he’s also my biggest. Pre cell phone so no pictures.
I didn’t see your original post, so congratulations on a great deer!

 

[ribo451]

Oldest I’ve ever taken was 9 1/2, he’s also my biggest. Pre cell phone so no pictures.
I didn’t see your original post, so congratulations on a great deer!

Thanks. I’m pretty sure his best antler days were behind him. I’m not much for antler scores but I’m guessing he would only score 100-110. He’s got pretty nice mass all around and he’s 20” wide but pretty short tines. I thought about passing on him until he got closer and I could see enough of his body to know he was a mature buck.

 

[Ilelkhntr]

Still a buck to be proud of.