I was reading my latest copy of the Wisconsin Outdoor News and on page 23 is a story from Jon Small, who is Dan Small’s son. It is called, “The proof is in the tooth”. You can find the story on page 23 and page 40. I suggest to everyone to please read this article. He was talking about a deer they killed and were guessing the age of the deer. Dan ordered an aging kit from Montana-based Wildlife Analytical Laboratories. By sending in the lower part of the jaw, the lab will saw a thin-cross-section of tooth, stains it, and counts the cementum annuli – the annual growth rings, similar to the growth rings on a tree.
The deer they killed looked like a 4-year-old, but the test told them it was close to 7 ½ years old. This is something all of us who question how old a deer is, can get an accurate range of the deer’s age. If you want more information on this, you can look up on Facebook: DeerAge.com or here is the full address: Wildlife Analytical Laboratories, 2814 Brooks Street, Missoula, MT 59801 or call them at (512) 756-1989.
Good luck to all you hunters and please be sure to take a child hunting with you. When my son was 4 years old, on Thanksgiving Day was always a very good time for him to enjoy the outdoors. In fact, his pop gun was going off and when all of us turned around, we saw him shooting at a deer. I never in my life seen so many guys try to shoot the deer, and finally one of us decided to shoot it. My son at 4 thought he killed the deer, and we all agreed with him about that. What a great memory to this day. So, please take a kid hunting with you, even if it is only for one day. There is more to hunting then killing a deer, it’s a good place to enjoy the fresh air, time to think what to buy that love one for Christmas, or what you want for Christmas. Taking a youth at a young age helps teach them about the outdoors and nature in general. God luck to all of you. Be Safe and Know your target please.