Check out the summer coat on this cool Illinois buck! With the winter of 2022-2023 hitting this deer hard, his body is not the same as it was the summer prior.
So far in 2023 this buck has managed to give hunters the slip, and we are still hopeful that we can wrap a tag on him before the season ends.
Based on the photos you see below, what is your best guess for the age of this Northern Illinois whitetail?
The February 2023 photos make this deer look awfully thin and possibly young, but you gotta remember this is at just about the worst time of year for a deer. He's wore down from a long winter, no doubt about that. That said, I'm betting on 3.5 years old, especially given the summer photo from the year before that shows the beginnings of that typical thoroughbred horse body that so many 3.5s sport.
This is a well-muscled buck with a squared-off, well-defined nose. It also has no drop in its back and a super tight stomach. Although it has a short body in appearance, I would have to call the buck four years of age.
Man, I want to say this deer is 4.5 based on the rack, but I think he’s only 3.5 with a ton of potential!
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