Ah, Bermann's and Allen's rules. It has been forever since I heard those mentioned! Humans are a great example because we adapt to the environment indirectly via culture (or so it is posited) and so don't necessarily always fit the rule.
Yup, I think about those 2 rules a lot during deer season with all the questions I get about deer biology and physiology.
It is also thought that humans did follow these rules but as the industrial revolution changed HOW we live and how easily we can move around the globe, we no longer need to follow those rules for survival as we are not exposed to the elements on a daily basis and have A/C and heat to mediate the about of body heat that needs to be lost or conserved.
I personally think we still see remnants of this within large groups of people within a given region but I have no days to back that up, it's all just observation.
Late November, about 90 miles SE of Oklahoma City.
That would lead me to believe that he is either just about to begin rutting or has just recently begun. If I saw that buck down here I would think he is 3.5 years old maybe 4.5 in that picture. Given that he is in OK, (even though it sounds pretty close to the Texas state line in your description), my educated guess would be either 2.5 or 3.5 years old. When it comes down to it, regardless of who is doing the aging, it is just an estimate. Even looking at the teeth or sending a tooth to be checked is only so accurate.
