Thread: Age of animal query ....

Originally Posted by bigbear

@Stocky what is your knowledge like on antlers? if a head is missing a bez/bey tine on one side making it uneven will it ever grow one?
Also if a two-three year old is missing its bez i was on the understanding it will never have them and some herds its common and in there genetics.

My knowledge on antlers is only what I've been able to learn because I find it interesting but I'd only be repeating info heard from others.

I can spot the general age of an animal all right having grew up on an angus stud and there tends to be a similar way animals carry themselves etc with maturity. That's usually why Im more of a fan of leaving animals for maturity and letting them battle it out themselves rather than culling unless it's obvious like no tops as a middle aged animals, clear deformation, etc.

So based on that as far as I know that for the most part if it does not have Bezs it rarely will grow them and its rare to grow one if its missing even if it has one on the other side. I think in some rare cases guys have said a lack of feed can hide them but not typically.

I usually differ to @Moa Hunter for these queries. I usually wouldn't call a stag a cull for lacking Bezs but down here culling on Bezs wouldn't leave a lot of animals and there's plenty of stags going 12 plus without them. I'm a big believer that while trophys with lots of points etc are nice, that mass shape and frame that typically come with age are usually more appealing. There's some awesome 10s that have been taken that Id be happier with than a shorter 12 or 14. @JoshC shot a ripper 10 that I really liked the frame and clean even lines.

So to answer that more concisely very rarely do they grow a missing Bez as far as I know

That was my understanding as well

Originally Posted by bigbear

I'll have a guess and say 3years but am interested in knowing. He only looks like a young animal to me.
. Also to the experts a head that only has one bey/bez antler like this will it ever grow one on the other side?? @hebe put up your stag on here see if any one can age your head

I am tending to Hunter AT's assessment at 2.5 yrs although he could be 3.5 as when the first teeth are shed and replaced is not 100% consistent with all deer - much the same as human children. It is much easier to assess an animal from a full body photo not just the head where the body proportions can't be gauged.
As far as the missing Bey question, missing Beys is a genetic fault in some feral herds like the Rakaia. Some animals will grow little nubs where the Beys should be and others are clean with no Bey at all. When an animal has one proper fully formed Bey like the OP's stag In my opinion that stag could grow both Beys or no beys in future heads as antlers normally grow as matched pairs. It is not a common fault for any herds to produce stags with only one Bey, therefore I dont expect the stag would have been consistent with that in the future

Thanks @Moa Hunter

Just adding to the earlier post, young stags like the OP's tend to have raggy heads that tidy up as they get older, so with that in mind it is certain that had circumstances been different and the stag was not shot he would have grown into an outstanding animal, considering that he already has the foundations laid with excellent shape, tine length and symmetry

Lookin at those teeth he was certainly a heavy smoker that's for sure.