How Old Is a 10 Point Buck and What Are the Signs of a 1 1/2 Year Old Buck?

If you have ever been a bowhunter, chances are you have heard the term “points” thrown around. The concept of points on a deer’s antlers is one that plays a critical role in the trophy hunter’s world and is something many hunters are interested in learning to identify.

A good understanding of points can also help you figure out how old a buck is and how to tell the difference between a 10 point buck and an 8 or 9 point buck. You can use this information to harvest a big buck with antlers that you would be proud of and also stay legal in a lot of hunting scenarios.

What Are the Signs of a 1 1/2 Year Old Buck?

A 1-1/2-year-old buck is generally a medium-size buck. This is the age when they start to become more mature. They will still have short legs and a narrow neck, but their hindquarters will be fuller, and they will not sag as they do in younger bucks. Their tarsal glands will be lightly stained and they will have antler spreads that are less than the width from ear to ear when they are standing erect.

These antlers are usually a bit spindly and look more like a doe with antlers than a deer. They may grow antlers with spikes or as many as eight small points, but they are not very impressive compared to racks of larger deer.

The Coastal Plain of Pennsylvania is known for producing some of the country’s most impressive bucks, and these animals are typically in this age class. At this point, they are sporting 95 to 100 percent of their antler potential.

They have a thick, solid square chest and a heavy rump. They will also have a thick-set neck that meets the chest further down than on a younger buck.

A Coastal Plain buck at this age will have a broad back line and a slope that moves downward from the rump to the shoulder. This body characteristic is similar to that of a mature doe on steroids, and it is a very important indicator of their antler size at this stage in their life.

It is also an indication of their weight distribution, and a deer at this stage will usually have more weight on the back half of the body than on the front.

During the rut, these bucks will have antler growth that is more noticeable than in younger bucks, but this does not mean they are growing much more. During the fall rut, you can usually see these antlers when they are rubbing the ground.

These are the deer that most Coastal Plain whitetails will end up being taken, so it is important to know how to pick them out from the rest of the herd. As with any type of hunting, there are different techniques and strategies that can be used to identify these animals.

The first thing to remember when figuring out how old a buck is is that it is hard to put a number on an animal, as they are all unique in their own way. But when you learn to recognize their physical characteristics and how they are shaped, you will be able to accurately determine their age in the field.