Deer Aging

Heterodont Dentition

.5 year old (fawn)Any deer with less than 6 cheek teeth is a fawn.

1.5 year oldTooth three is a tricuspid. Tooth 6 has erupted and is slightly visible above the

gum line.

3 cusp tooth

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2.5 year oldLingual crests on all molars are sharp and pointed. Tooth three now is a bicuspid. Back cusp of tooth six is sharp and pointed. Enamel is wider than the dentine in tooth four, five and

six.

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2 cusp tooth

Pointed cusp

3.5 year oldLingual crest on tooth four is blunt. The dentine is as wide or wider than the enamel in tooth

4. The back cusp on tooth six is forming a concavity.

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Dentine is wider than enamel

Cusp worn to concavity

4.5 year oldDentine is now wider than enamel on the fifth

tooth, but thinner than the enamel on the last tooth.

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Cusp slopes downward

Dentine twice as wide as enamelBlunt crests

5.5 year oldLingual crest is worn away on tooth four and rounded in

tooth five. Lingual crest on tooth six is blunt. Dentine in tooth six is now wider than the enamel.

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6

Dentine twice as wide as enamel

Dichotomous keyAging Whitetail Deer using teeth 1. Count the number of teeth

-Less than 6 teeth………………………………………...Fawn (6 months old)

-6 teeth present…………………………………………...Go to 2

2. Locate the third tooth from the front of the jaw-Tricuspid tooth present………………………………..Yearling (1.5 yrs

old)-Bicuspid tooth present………………………………...Go to 3

3. Look at the “smiles”, underneath these is dentine. As the deer ages the dentine widens. Also, the teeth become smoother when you run your finger over the top.

-Dentine width thin, teeth feel sharp………….…2.5 yrs old-Dentine widening, teeth feel smooth…………..3.5 yrs old or older