This educational video show how to determine white-tailed deer age using the tried and proven method of tooth replacement/tooth wear. This method works to collect trend date from large samples of deer harvested. The only method more accurate (and VERY, VERY costly) is the same method that is used to determine the age of trees: Cut a tooth crossways and count the growth rings.

 

Don't let anyone convince you that this method is not accurate. The tooth replacement/tooth wear method was developed by wildlife biologists from across the United States comparing wear patterns from know aged animals. FYI - Deer collect food with their front teeth (they only have bottom teeth up front!). The food is stored in the 4 chambered stomach and later regurgitated to remasticate for further digestion. Tooth wear is caused by the lateral chewing contact of top teeh against bottom teeth when deer cough up cud from the rumen (stomach) to remasticate it. The wear patterns are age consistant on white-tailed deer from across the United States.