Velvet? Or hard Antlered?
Contributors to this thread:Mule Deer
From: trophyhill
08-Jun-19
I know what I "prefer" but have 2 opportunities this year! 1 of each! I've never kilt a September Muley! Never hunted mule deer in September! Until this year if I live long enough God willing!
So I guess what I'm asking to see, are some pics of both velvet and stripped mulies? Let's see em!
From: Treeline
08-Jun-19
Kill ‘em when you can. Have a bunch of velvet deer and a few hard horned. Kind of like women, variety is good!
From: tkjwonta
08-Jun-19
I personally like the hard antelered look. I especially like that it is usually accompanied by that smooth grayish cold season hide. For some reason, the velvet and summer cape always makes me feel like the deer isn't "done" yet.
From: fubar racin
08-Jun-19
I love velvet but agree that the grey coat is a lot prettier than the red summer coat.
From: Matt
08-Jun-19
It seems to me to be one of those east/west things (Hoyt vs. Matthews).
Western archery guys generally seem to understand that velvet deer doesn't require an explanation as to whether it was an archery kill.
From what I have gleaned from this site, for most eastern guys killing a velvet deer is akin to having sex with your sister. And depending on how far south and east you are from, maybe even worse (I kid, I kid).
From: TEmbry
08-Jun-19
I want one big velvet buck, as that's what I grew up dreaming about and I want to kill all 5 species in velvet.
But no question to me, the later season capes are far prettier than the transition summer coats.
From: Ermine
08-Jun-19
I love the look of early season Mule deer with their summer capes and velvet antlers
From: BullBuster
08-Jun-19
Not Uge but I like his fuzzy rack.
From: Charlie Rehor
08-Jun-19
Matt is right on. In the East a velvet buck is a poached Buck. Personally the more I hunt the West I’m coming around to the velvet even though this one on the right is synthetic. The one on the left was in velvet but I stripped and stained hard horned.
From: pav
08-Jun-19
Hey Charlie....so I'm assuming that is not the original cape on the hard horned buck?
From: Bake
08-Jun-19
I really like the velvet and summer cape look. Although I do need a hard horned now. My taxidermist hated the patchy summer cape. He didn’t wanna let that cape out of his shop. But I like it
From: YZF-88
08-Jun-19
For me velvet screams bowhunting but they have eluded me for 7+ years. I tried to kill this 3x3 in velvet but ended up getting him much later in the season. He looks great on the wall but really want a velvet buck.
From: yooper89
08-Jun-19
I’m hunting the plains this year but in the next couple years I’d love to Arrow a velvet muley. Struck out last year. Moving to a recurve this year so don’t plan to be picky.
From: BOWUNTR
08-Jun-19
Whatever I'm hunting at the time... Ed F
From: t-roy
08-Jun-19
Not that crazy about caribou in velvet, but muleys look pretty neat. They get some unique markings on their foreheads sometimes as well. Looks like a phoenix to me. (Kind of like the markings on Bullbuster’s buck)
From: Brotsky
08-Jun-19
Hard or soft horned doesn’t matter as long as they’re big horned :-)
From: Fauntleroy
08-Jun-19
Much prefer the fuzz.
From: Twinetickler
08-Jun-19
Hope to find this buck this August with a short gray cape and good velvet. Don't come any prettier than that imo.
From: Errorhead
08-Jun-19
If it’s still in velvet, it’s not ready yet.
From: midwest
08-Jun-19
Really, really want a red coated, pencil necked, fuzzy horned muley!
From: BOHNTR
08-Jun-19
Errorhead:
Not true, actually. It really depends what stage of velvet the antlers are in when taken. Many are dried and completely done growing.
From: tradi-doerr
09-Jun-19
Gotta love them velvet bucks, but I'll take either as I just like mulies! Here is pic of the one I took last year opening day 8/25/18. He had just started to thin up a bit getting ready to strip off the velvet.
From: SBH
09-Jun-19
Love em both! I supposed I’d lean hard horned but I got a thing for velvet too!
From: bowhunter1
09-Jun-19
i made it a goal of mine when i was younger to harvest a whitetail, coues, muley, and both blacktails in velvet. i accomplished that goal and i am glad i did ,, now , my goal is to get each one that qualifies for P&Y.(almost there) Tom
From: Olink
09-Jun-19
A velvet buck just ain't ripe. It's like picking a green peach.
From: BOHNTR
09-Jun-19
Not even close, Olink
From: StickFlicker
09-Jun-19
I lucked out that this one had a great grey cape, with virtually no summer hairs left, but perfect velvet antlers.
I lucked out that this one had a great grey cape, with virtually no summer hairs left, but perfect velvet antlers.
For the many of you that seem to prefer winter grey capes (rather than patchy summer capes) but velvet antlers, just hold off shooting until you find one with that combination! Ha!
From: cnelk
09-Jun-19
Like this one StickFlicker?
From: Bowfinatic
09-Jun-19
I think having one of each is tremendous!
From: Bowfinatic
09-Jun-19
From: Owl
09-Jun-19
Velvet on a Mule deer rack is like coveting a low resolution picture of one of the most beautiful women on Earth. I never have understood the "why" of it. That stated, I trust my fellow bowhunters to treasure what they do and am commensurately happy for them when they achieve that particular goal.
From: Kodiak
09-Jun-19
I don't like velvet bucks.
From: TrapperKayak
10-Jun-19
Me either. I like polished antler.
From: Drnaln
10-Jun-19
I like to hunt them any season. Velvet bucks are easier to locate & pattern. Here is 1 in velvet & another I hunted for almost a month that stripped the day before I shot him.
From: Joe Holden
10-Jun-19
Like them all. Just happened to get one in velvet big enough to justify a mount. The cape turned out awesome on this one (9/02/18). Now I'm chasing the dark antlered, deep grey, massive muley i saw last year.
From: KyleSS
10-Jun-19
2013 Mule Deer
2013 Mule Deer
2014 mule deer
2014 mule deer
Buddies 2015 Mule Deer I guided him to
Buddies 2015 Mule Deer I guided him to
From: KyleSS
10-Jun-19
2016 Mule Deer
2016 Mule Deer
2018 Mule Deer
2018 Mule Deer
Few more
From: iceman
10-Jun-19
I like 'em both!
From: Busta'Ribs
10-Jun-19
Hmmm. Let’s see. Thin hair, fuzzy antlers that better not get bumped, hang out and lay around all day in the flower filled, sunny-warm meadows with a bunch of other dudes? Or... Hard horned, heavy hide, prime muscular condition with thick shoulders and swollen neck during the rut? Cruise around all day/night kickin ass and bangin does. These things all scream peak masculine doe-bangin ass-whooper to me. That’s what I like. But that’s just me. Now, all that said, I’ve seen a few high quality jumbo velvet mounted mulies and I want one!
From: IdyllwildArcher
10-Jun-19
I also am one of those guys who don't like velvet antlers. Dunno why.
But if you're gonna mount them that way, I think that getting them freeze dried is the way to go for the most natural look.
From: APauls
11-Jun-19
I hate the velvet. Hunting mulies this year and I will specifically wait to hunt until after they are stripped.
From: Treeline
11-Jun-19
In most areas I hunt mule deer, they start migrating out as soon they strip velvet. They simply vanish and may be 20 - 30 miles away in a different unit a day or two after the velvet comes off.
From: Drnaln
11-Jun-19
Waiting for bucks to strip the velvet might not be an option in Nevada or other states with early archery seasons? I've seen bucks still packing velvet on the last day of the season. I've had the best results with having the velvet injected by a taxidermist to preserve it. I did a couple with the freeze-dry method & they didn't turn out as nice.
From: Treeline
11-Jun-19
I have several deer and a caribou in velvet that were simply dried with borax rubbed on the velvet. Still look the same after almost 20 years.
From: Kurt
11-Jun-19
My two best mulies were shot above treeline (CO) in full velvet. Both beat the velvet up before I ever got to them on their death run and roll. I stripped them and the taxidermist stained the antlers when he mounted them. They look good...better than the UT buck that the taxidermist preserved the velvet which looks a bit ratty.
From: ROUGHCOUNTRY
11-Jun-19
They're kind of a cool novelty in the velvet but the antler is porous and the racks are usually light and you have to worry about bumping and damaging the velvet. The hard-antlered, polished bone is much cooler and lasting in my opinion. I've killed both whitetails and muleys in velvet and it's hard horn for me.
From: Hancock West
11-Jun-19
that's hilarious Matt but probably right. Oct 1 bucks don't have velvet in my state
From: Ermine
11-Jun-19
How can some of you guys not love the red summer capes and velvet? Velvet just screams Bowhunting to me!
From: Rob in VT
11-Jun-19
From: Rob in VT
11-Jun-19
From: fastflight
11-Jun-19
I thought I was the only one that thinks velvet is ugly. Suprised it's more like 50/50.
From: BULELK1
12-Jun-19
I went Hard Horn, just something about that fake Velvet...
I went Hard Horn, just something about that fake Velvet...
From: tradi-doerr
12-Jun-19
BULELK1, Myself and many others that have post on this threat actually have our deer mounted with the actual deer's velvet, it's preserved using Methanol. There are some great looking mounts and field picts.
From: iceman
12-Jun-19
Velvet looks good, IMO. The real stuff, I mean. Here's one of mine from a few years ago.
From: Ermine
12-Jun-19
Yea real velvet preserved looks great! Fake velvet looks horrible
From: wildwilderness
12-Jun-19
I love how a freshly killed firm velvet buck looks. I don’t like how the velvet dries out though. I wonder if there is a way to make the dried velvet look better, like when it’s full of blood. Maybe with the fake velvet they can add a latex layer like skin then put the fuzz on to make it look fuller?
From: ki-ke
13-Jun-19
"most eastern guys killing a velvet deer is akin to having sex with your sister"
This from a Cali guy who moved there for the manscaped, thong wearing roller bladers cruising the seaside walks......... : 0
From: ki-ke
13-Jun-19
FWIW Matt....proof that I've never been inappropriate with my sisters...lol
From: ki-ke
13-Jun-19
nor with yours.....
From: goelk
14-Jun-19
I have both and I like both
From: iceman
14-Jun-19
Awesome deer, Steve!
From: Spiral Horn
19-Jun-19
Velvet for sure. I have mounts with both real and artificial and the real presents so much nicer. The fake looks fake
From: ki-ke
19-Jun-19
Thanks Jared!
From: ki-ke
19-Jun-19
Ken, that deer looks like he came from the same neighborhood as mine.....great buck!
From: Grey Ghost
19-Jun-19
It doesn't really matter to me, but an early season velvet-antlered Mulie always tastes better than a rutted up hard-horned one.
Matt
From: Treeline
19-Jun-19
For sure GG. Eatability drops rapidly as soon as the velvet comes off.
From: nmarchr
19-Jun-19
I enjoy both! I think the rut hunt is a little more fun for me, but those big velvet racks are awesome trophies too!!
From: Spiral Horn
19-Jun-19
Thanks Steve. Yeah, both he and his bros were kind of like “PAC-MAN” on that stuff.
Nothing like early season when multiple big bucks in velvet are running together — this guy was running with a even bigger 4 x 3. Which one to shoot was a bit of a dilemma but in the end I just couldn’t pass up a perfectly symmetrical mature 4 x 4 with good mass and eye-guards. No regrets, as both were spectacular.
From: DL
21-Jun-19
3/4 curl velvet buck
From: t-roy
21-Jun-19
With a double throat patch to boot!
