In Part Two of the QDMA's three-part video series on aging white-tailed deer using the "tooth replacement and wear" technique, Brian Murphy goes over the difference between a deer's tooth enamel and dentine, and how to evaluate it in order to get an idea as to a deer's age.
Now, there are some biologists that feel that "tooth wear" is NOT a reliable way to ascertain a deer's age, citing the fact that - depending on the habitat(s) the deer is/are in - there can be differences in the "hardness" of forage deer might eat, and thus a difference in the amount of tooth wear one deer might have vs. another of the same age, in a different habitat, eating different forage(s), etc., but... While that is ABSOLUTELY true, for most of us, the tooth replacement and wear aging technique is a fairly reliable methodology to determine age - especially if you're simply evaluating the deer from your area and hunting grounds, and not necessarily deer from vastly different regions.
With a little practice, and by evaluating different age-classes of deer from your hunting area, you can quickly get an idea of the age of that buck, or that doe, you harvested, and have a vital piece of information regarding the age-classes of animals you're harvesting during your hunting efforts. Whether for legitimate management purposes, or just for fun, this video will show you how to age a whitetail by looking at its tooth wear.
A Hunting Blog by Chris Roe, Roe Hunting Resources
