How long do bucks typically stay in Velvet?

chambers270

Senior Member
I was fishing today and saw a few deer, one of them was a nice sized buck. He had good mass but his main beams only cam up about 5 inches then split. I figured they would have been further along by now.

I live in SE GA and I have never seen a buck in Velvet during bow season. When do they normally shed it around here?

I even saw a 6 point last year before bow season and his antlers were velvet free!

Thanks Chris
 

gsubo

Senior Member
I've never seena buck in velvet in my parts during bow season either. I think these bucks in my parts shed their velvet earlier because the rut is so early here..usually the first or second week of October. So i think these bucks start gettin amped up for the rut pretty early. I think the lastest ive seen one in velvet was right around the first of September.
 

chambers270

Senior Member
Thats a nice buck in your avatar, I would take him velvet or not!

Yeah our rut is early, I sure hope we get some cold weather this year while they are pumped up.

Thanks for the input
 

Arrow3

Senior Member
I would say the bucks are all but done growing this year...They might add a little bit more but some deer will start sheding in about a month...
 

TurkeyKiller12

Senior Member
Bucks in velvet...

I seen a buck still in velvet two years ago on the evening of the bow opener here in West Ga. The bucks around here typically start losing thier velvet like Arrow3 said about a month from now. Everyonce in a while you will see one that still has the velvet hanging on though!!!:flag:
 

kevincox

Senior Member
Seems like the smaller bucks lose their velvet last. I have seen several small bucks that were still in velvet on opening weekend of bow season.
 

ufg8r93

Senior Member
Bucks in Velvet

I saw a decent 8 still in velvet the second Sat of bow season last year on our club in Haralson...
 

short stop

Senior Member
never seen 1 in velvet around here past the 1 st week of Sept - never during season . Ihave seen many many bucks feeding in the evenings latley in fields around my house.
 

ultramag

Senior Member
Arrow3 said:
I would say the bucks are all but done growing this year...They might add a little bit more but some deer will start sheding in about a month...
I agree with Brandon, I killed a buck a few years back and he shed his on August 14.It seems like the bigger bucks shed first:huh:
 

chambers270

Senior Member
I think the Buck I saw on Jekyell is not through growing. I have never seen a buck with a rack that looked so stubby like his. He may not grow alot more but I think it will have to grow taller and maybe add a few tines?

I saw another buck today but he was way bigger, it was still in velvet but already looked like a nice 8pt. I hope he stays right where he is at and keeps on growing until opening morning!

Thanks for the help
Chris
 

Just 1 More

Senior Member
borrowed this from another web site
Deer Antler growth usually begins during the month of March or April, by August or early September, antlers are fully-grown. In most cases the typical deer antlers begins growth out of the head in a backward motion, then quickly changes direction and sweeps forward.

Deer antlers are among the fastest growing tissues known to man.

Growing as much as a ½ inch per day during peak development. The development process can vary greatly depending upon the genes and nutrition of each deer. Growing antlers are covered with a living tissue called velvet. During development, the deer’s antlers are very delicate and extremely sensitive to the touch. This is also the time when most antler damage or breakage occurs.
Velvet is shed or rubbed off by the buck as he rubs saplings with his antlers. Older bucks will shed their velvet before younger bucks. A buck’s first set of antlers begins to grow when it’s about 10 months old. Spikes are more common in yearling deer than older ones because antler growth starts at a time when the young buck’s body is still growing rapidly. Antler development is tied in closely with the animal’s nutritional status. Older bucks might also carry spikes if they come from an area with poor food conditions.
 
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