DEER AGE TRAINING SLIDES, W. A. Creed, August 20, 1968

The following slide descriptions are intended only as guides; instructors may tailor their discussion to their own teaching methods. The slides, however, should be shown in the sequence listed. This series is intentionally repetitive so that agers may systematically learn differences between successive age classes.

Be sure to emphasize that deer jaws are characteristically variable, and thus do not always clearly fit these criteria. This makes it doubly important that agers are completely familiar with aging criteria so they may correctly classify questionable jaws. In such cases, the ager must consider wear patterns over the entire jaw to determine the proper age classification. Photos below are "thumbnails" - click on photos to see larger image. Note that the markings on these jaws include the older terminology: "1-" is "1 1/2-", "1+" is "1 1/2+", "2" is "2 1/2", etc.

1. Fawn with 4 cheek teeth. First molar present, rarely second. Fawns do not have the full complement of 6 molariform teeth.

2. Yearling (1-) with milk premolars present. Premolars worn down, and 3rd premolar 3-parted. Last cusp of 3rd molar not fully erupted.

3. Closeup of yearling milk premolars (1-). Note how they’re worn down, and the 3-parted structure of the 3rd premolar. Crests of all molars are sharp.

4. Comparison of 1+, 2, and 3 year old jaws

1+: All milk premolars gone; permanent teeth in, but not fully erupted. Note last cusp of 3rd molar is not fully erupted; this should be checked to avoid confusing with 2 ’s.
2: All teeth fully erupted. Wear still light on all teeth, little or no discernable wear on premolars.
3: Last cusp of 3rd molar cupped. Moderate dentine line on front surface of 2nd premola

5. Closeup of typical 2 (3rd molar). Note last cusp is barely blunted. Also note sharp crests present on molars.

6. Closeup of another 2 jaw showing slight wear on last cusp of 3rd molar. Hole caused by drying of pulp cavity rather than wear

7. Still another 2 jaw – showing slight wear on last cusp of 3rd molar.

8. (2) full length shot. Very slight wear on premolars, sharp crests on molars, slight wear on last cusp of 3rd molar.

9. Another 2 , full length. Note practically no wear on lst cusp of 3rd molar. Moderate wear on premolars. Molar crests sharp, but may not always be so on 1st molar – molar wear shows up first here, and sometimes crests get broken, too. In questionable jaws, put greatest weight on condition of last cusp of 3rd molar and amount of wear on front surface of premolars.

10. Comparison of 2(bottom jaw) and 3 (top jaw). Repeat differences already pointed out in previous slides.

11. (3) Closeup of last cusp of 3rd molar—most consistent character for separating 3 ’s from 2 ’s. Cusp is definitely cupped, but not to point when it slants laterally downward as in 4 ’s.

12. (3) Another closeup showing same thing as previous slide, cupping well defined on last cusp.

13. (4 -5) Full length photo and closeup. Lingual crests of lst molar flattened, but still present. Last cusp of 3rd molar worn down so it slopes downward. Wear on premolars quite heavy.

14. (4 -5) SCloseup of 3rd molar. Note exposed surface of last cusp is quite large, and worn down so it slopes toward cheek.

15. Comparison of 4 – 5 and 6 – 8: Point out characteristics of 4 -5 previously described. On 6 -8 : 3rd premolar and 1st molar usually flat, linqual crests of 2nd molar sometimes missing. 3rd molar still retains crests. 1st molar dished out (lots of brown dentine showing) so that infundibulum is gone or almost gone.

16. Comparison of 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Review differences already covered for 4-5 and 6-8. On 9-12: Dished-out appearance of molars extends all the way back, though traces of the infundibulum may remain in centers of 2nd and 3rd molars as they do in this slide. Extreme variation in wear is common in these age groups.

17. Another 9-12. Note dished-out appearance of molars. When wear extends below gum line or to such severity that teeth are actually missing, call them 12+.

18. Known-age 11. This doe was ear-tagged in the Flag Yard during winter 1946-47, and shot in 1957. Note how even the wear is, even though it’s heavy. If you see one like this, call it a 9-12.

19. Known-age 13. This is the oldest known-age wild deer recovered to date in Wisconsin (as of 1968, when this was written). She was tagged near Diarymen’s Country Club near Boulder Junction in March, 1953, and shot near land-O-Lakes (17 miles away) during the 1965 deer season. Tooth wear is exceptionally even for a deer this old, and if you see a jaw similar to this at your check station, you will have to call it a 9-12. It doesn’t quite show the amount of wear expected for deer over 12 years.