Six Month Old Deer Teeth

1-1/2; Years:
All permanent front teeth are in. Six cheek teeth are visible in the lower jaw. The third premolar may still have three cusps, or the permanent third premolar may now be in (two cusps). Third molar may still be erupting through the gum. Lingual crest of molars have sharp points.Inset: Extremely worn third premolar may fool people into thinking deer is older. Actually, this tooth is lost after 1-1/2; years and replaced with a permanent two-cusped premolar.

One Year Old Deer Teeth

2-1/2; Years:
All permanent premolars and molars are in place. Look closely at the fourth cheek tooth (first molar). The cusps are sharp and show little or no wear; enamel (white portion) of the lingual crest shows well above the dentine (brown portion). The enamel portion of the cusp is wider than the dentine. Some wear on third cusp of sixth cheek tooth (third molar).

Two Year Old Deer Teeth

3-1/2; Years:
Lingual crests of cheek teeth show some wear and cusps are starting to become blunt. Dentine now thicker than enamel on cusp of fourth cheek tooth (first molar). Dentine of fifth cheek tooth (second molar) usually not as wide as enamel. Last cusp of sixth cheek tooth is flattened.

Three Year Old Deer Teeth

4-1/2; Years:
Lingual crest of fourth cheek tooth (first molar) is gone. Crest of cusps on fifth and sixth cheek teeth (second and third molar) are blunt. Dentine of fourth cheek tooth now twice as wide as enamel. Dentine of fifth cheek tooth wider than enamel.

Four Year Old Deer Teeth

5-1/2; Years and Older:
In most hunted deer populations, less than two percent of the animals are more than five years of age. Accurately aging these deer by tooth wear is usually more of a guessing game than a science. In general, deer close to 5-1/2; years of age will show considerable wear on the premolars, and the first cusp of the fourth cheek tooth (first molar) will be dished out or show signs of “cupping.”

Five Year Old Deer Teeth

9-1/2; Years:
By 9-1/2; years, all cheek teeth are cupped and worn nearly to the gum line.

Nine Year Old Deer Teeth

Information in this article is from the USGS

Scientifically speaking the term The Rut refers to the time-frame when a male deer (of any species) is capable of breeding, which is generally accepted as from the time when a male sheds the velvet on its antlers in late summer or early fall, to the time it drops its antlers in winter or early spring; or as the time from when the first female comes into estrous, to the time when most of the females no longer come into estrous.


In tropical areas some deer species may have males in hard antler, and be capable of breeding, throughout the entire year, because the females are capable of breeding throughout the year. In North America the white-tailed deer rut does not usually begin before August, nor does it last longer than late February or early March.


The white-tailed deer rut is generally divided into several different phases, which coincide with particular activities of the breeding season. In white-tailed deer these activities include rubbing, scraping and breeding, each of which has one or more peaks throughout he breeding season.


Unfortunately, the terms The Rut, Peak Rut and Peak of the Rut are often used interchangeably by both outdoor writers/speakers/authors and hunters. The truth of the matter is the term The Rut applies to the entire length of the breeding season, and the terms Peak Rut and Peak of the Rut apply only to the one-week time-frame when peak breeding actually occurs. Several different studies show that rarely are more than 30 percent of the does in any area bred during any one week. So, the majority of the does (over 50 percent) are probably bred over a three to four week time frame; this is a much longer rut than many hunters realize.

Whether it is for the holidays, a birthday or some other occasion finding a gift for the deer hunter in your life can be a difficult task. Being a hunter and being around other hunters has given me the insight to know what it is we typically like to receive. This list of deer hunting gifts isn’t exhaustive, but it is a good start and you could definitely get away with something listed below. If you have any other ideas for things to be added to the list, let us know and we’ll get it updated!

• Rifle or Shotgun & Ammunition – Can be purchased at most sporting goods stores. Better yet, a gift certificate to Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops or a local Gun Shop would also suffice.
• Binoculars / Spotting Scope – Bushnell, Leupold and Nikon are brands that typically receive very high marks in effectiveness and durability.
• Rifle Scopes – Again, Leupold, Bushnell and Nikon make excellent rifle scopes. Another brand to check out is Trijicon, who makes an excellent red dot scope.
  
  
• Camouflage clothing – Take into consideration the type of hunting that the person you are buying for is involved in and what season he or she hunts as this definitely should play a role in the type of camo purchased. If you have any questions about specific camouflage patterns, don’t be afraid to ask a sales associate. After all, that is what they are paid for!
• Hunter’s Orange – Vests and hats are always welcome as more and more states have safety orange requirements.
• Recipe Books – What better way to put your harvested animal to use than on the dinner table. There are recipe books for singular game animals like deer or elk or books covering most big game species.
• Hunting Club Membership – Do some research and find local hunting clubs with the best reviews. Also inqiure about the number of hunters per 100 acres and shoot for the lowest ratio which ultimately means less hunting pressure on a piece of land.

Your hard work has finally paid off; you harvested a deer and it is down on the ground, now what? Proper care of your deer is very important in making sure that it maintains its freshness up until the point when it is served for dinner. This is a primer on how to properly field dress a deer.


A sharp knife is a must when it comes to field dressing a deer. A sharp knife will actually reduce bad (unneeded) cuts on the deer and yourself as well and will make the entire process easier. Take your time when dressing a deer, mistakes due to impatience or thinking “I have done this a million times” will often require you to make a trip to the hospital to get stitches.

If you are in the market for a new deer rifle and price is of the utmost concern then you will want to read the info below. Whether you are just getting into deer hunting or replacing old faithful, there is no reason you have to spend more than $600 to get a great rifle. The Savage 16FXP3 is a perfect example of a great deer hunting rifle for about $550. It comes with bore-sighted scope, AccuTrigger, and sling. Just add case and ammo. Granted you will probably want to upgrade the scope in the future especially if you have that nice tree stand on the edge of a large corn field.


For many hunters like me price and performance dictates what I purchase. I’m purchasing for function not good looks. I want something that will last, maintain accuracy, and hold up in any weather year after year, not something to hang above the mantle. Bolt action is the choice of many experienced hunters. Many times one shot is all you get, make it count. Semi-Auto rifles can be alluring but seldom practical.


Many people are unaware that you can purchase firearms online. This process is legal and regulated just like purchasing from your local dealer down the road, except it’s a lot less expensive. Online dealers can save you hundreds of dollars when purchasing firearms. You still need to use your local firearm dealer to transfer the firearm and fill out the required paperwork. Typically a dealer will charge $25 – $50 to process the transfer.

Deer meat (or venison) has been used for thousands of years in recipes. I’ve done some research and collected the best venison recipes I could find. If you have any favorites, feel free to add them as a comment.


Venison Stew
Ingredients:
2 lbs venison cut into 1” cubes
1 c flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
4 Tbsp butter
1 lg. chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 c water
1 stalk chopped celery
4 lg. potatoes peeled, cut into 1” cubes
6 chopped carrots
Instructions:
Coat meat with mixture of flour and salt. In fry pan
melt butter over med heat. Add venison, Bay leaves,
onions, green pepper, celery, Worcestershire,
pepper, and water cover and simmer for 30 mins.
Add potatoes and carrots and simmer until veggies
and meat are tender.

Below are whitetail deer records, by state.

Maybe it has happened to you or someone you know – a trophy bull elk, whitetail deer or other game animal has been harvested and when the time comes to get the animal mounted, a sub-par taxidermist is used resulting in a finished product that was a waste of hard-earned money. Choosing the right taxidermist is critical. Don’t be fooled, taxidermy is an artform and research must be done before hand to ensure your trophy lasts a lifetime.


Below are a few things you should consider when deciding what taxidermist to use:


Price
This is often times a deal-breaker for a lot of hunters. Initially, you should consider all taxidermy outlets as a whole but remember that you typically get what you pay for. There are bargains to be found, but you must research a bargain taxidermist to decide whether or not he or she is right for you.


Research Reputation
What do others say about the quality of work of this taxidermist? The Internet is an excellent resource to find reviews of taxidermists. Search by the names of taxidermy professionals in your area and dig for information. If the reviews are good, give them a call and see if you can stop by to see some samples of their work. A good taxidermistshould always have finished products on-hand or projects in the works. If you stop by and take a look at a trophy buck they are working on and aren’t satisfied with how it looks, move on and find someone else.