When does the velvet go?
Contributors to this thread:Mule Deer
From: YZF-88
22-Aug-18
I've had some really close calls on great bucks since the season opened on Saturday. No dice so far. How much longer do I have until the velvet goes? A week or two? Yesterday, I watched one of my target bucks pushing around a smaller buck with his antlers...so they can't be sensitive at this point.
I'll probably take a day or two off mid week next week (too many weekend hunters) for one last crack at a velvet buck.
From: Topgun 30-06
22-Aug-18
Don't know where you're at, but from what you mentioned it won't be very long.
From: Dikndirt
22-Aug-18
YZ, here in Utah the velvet is usually on until after Labor Day. Once the antler quits growing and blood flow stops the velvet gets kind of an unattractive color and hasn't got the fluff it had earlier. I love the short gray coat with pretty brown sugar color velvet...good luck!!
From: trackman
22-Aug-18
I seen two 5x5 buck today in full velvet but looking like it will be any day in will be gone
From: StickFlicker
22-Aug-18
I took one on the Arizona Strip (border of Southern Utah) last year that was still in full velvet on 8/31, as were the two bucks with him.
From: YZF-88
22-Aug-18
This was one I was after. Got within 50 yards but no clean shot
From: Kurt
23-Aug-18
I arrowed a really nice mule deer in CO on Sept 7 that was in full velvet....until he rolled 400 vertical feet (12,000’ down to 11,600’ on the GPS) down a slide and knocked a lot of it off. Good luck on your hunt.
From: brettpsu
23-Aug-18
Central Idaho last year every buck was still in velvet up till Sept 4th.
From: squirrel
23-Aug-18
All being local it starts about 9-10 here and goes for about a week or two at most.
From: Bowriter
23-Aug-18
Here in TN, it will be about a month, toward the end of Sept.
From: splitlimb13
23-Aug-18
In new Mexico your looking at last week of September first couple weeks of October.
From: Michael
23-Aug-18
In Ne I seen bucks shedding at the end of the first week through the second week of September.
In 2013 when I hunted Utah the bucks I seen all had velvet up until the end of archery season which was the end of the 2nd week of September if I remember right.
I took this picture on August 28th of last year in Wyoming. So some bucks will shed earlier then others.
From: Mpdh
23-Aug-18
I hit one with my truck on Labor Day yrs ago. His antlers were bare, and a lot of the recently shed velvet was still stuck on top of his head.
