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new to this...what age are these deer?

Thanks for that link...I was looking for something like that specifically, but could only find the field judge link from the tndeer website, not the forum. After looking at several side shots I have of these two, I'm guessing they are 1.5 yo as well. Just threw me b/c I have a couple of other bucks that are small spikes. Were they just born later? or different genetics? I've hunted for several years, but am just now starting to care about QDMA, so thank you all for the education.
 
Brownie Boy said:
Were they just born later?
Click to expand...
PROBABLY.
A buck that is genetically predisposed to be only a spike is actually not that common. Most that begin as spikes simply aren't getting enough early nutrition and/or maybe neither did their mother, and this is commonly the result of being born a month or two later than most fawns, i.e. born too late in summer when much of the good deer food is drying up.

The best news is chances are almost as good for that yearling spike to become a large antlered mature buck as the more common yearling that begins as a 5 or 6-pointer. Where the genetic differences begin showing in a big way is at 2 1/2 years of age, and by 3 1/2 the genetic potential is pretty obvious (assuming the food supply is at least OK).
 
In the absence of other data, such as past year's food supply, current supply, geographic location/habitat, I'd not rule out those bucks being 2 1/2, although I'd hope they are both 1 1/2 (my current best guess for both).
More pics at more angles would help, but it's not as easy guessing age when they're still in velvet.

Very possible that spike began as a very late born fawn, was a diminutive spike at 1 1/2 and is still a spike at 2 1/2, yet still capable of being a nice 8-pointer by 3 1/2. If this is the case, even though we label him a "2 1/2", he might actually be closer to "2" during the fall.
 

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