While this is sometimes given as a method of determining the age of a whitetail buck in reality it is simply not accurate or a true method of aging a buck. It is more likely that Texas whitetail deer bucks either have four or five tines on each antler once they reach maturity, not that they continue to get more as they age. Some researchers have indicated that the diameter of the beam or central part of the antler may be used for estimating age with the thicker the beam the older the buck. Other researches are less convinced that this is accurate since antlers are grown each year and poor grazing conditions or exceptionally good years can increase or decrease the diameter of the beam regardless of the age.

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