Velvet Or Not?

[h2oboss]

Last week I was talking to a few guys at work about seeing two nice bucks, they were supprised to learn that both were still in velvet......?? According to them the deer they are seeing on the shore are already our of velvet. Can't say that I've ever seen them without velvet this early. You guys seeing anything similar. Also, how's your mast crop look? Acorns are already falling by me, they started about a week ago.

[mharr1977]

Where in the hell do you live and can I hunt with you? No velvet and acorns on the ground already! You are going to have a season! I live in Delaware and I was watching three bucks last night, one real big deer and all were still in their velvet.

The velvet here usually falls off around the second week of September. With our normal season starting on the first, I have never seen a buck without velvet that early. We are currently in the woods now with special permits to shoot antlerless deer. All the bucks I've seen still have their velvet as well.

Good luck this season.

[done workin]

H2o

That sounds early for MD, I shot a spike here a few years ago on our Sept 15 th opener, that was still in velvet.

That being said I also shot a buck last year that had already shed one of its antlers and another guy guy the saem day shot one that had already dropped both and that was our late ML season, end of December. The bald patch on mine was still soft and red.

Every deer is different. I would think it possible to be out of velvet now, but not likely.

[h2oboss]

Mostly in Centrral and Eastern MD. Both the guys I was talking to are seasoned hunters so I have no reason not to believe them, although I was very supprised to hear it.
As for the acrons.....I was glassing a feild and noticed a significant reduction in the numbers of deer in the feild. When I got home the answer/reason almost hit me on the head....acorns (both red and whites) were on the drive way and street. Some cut by squirrels, but more than a few falling naturally.

You got some nice deer in DE, I shot a 160" 10pntr 2 years back a little south of ya on the ES (MD). You may think I'm off my rocker but there are GREAT GENETICS all around us/plenty of food and hiding places and I have NO DOUBT there is 200" buck (more lickley bucks) on the ES both MD and DE. Also a GREAT chance for a velvet buck (if that's what you want) since your (DE) season opens 2 weeks earlier.

[moronehead]

Me, the wife and kids went on a hike last Sat in the rain and fog at Fair Hill and walked up on a herd of about 10 does with fawns with 2 bucks. We were about 20yrds. The bucks were full on, no velvet. Must be the drought or something, I was surprised myself. We circled around about 20 min and got another look at the 2 bucks at 30 or so yrds. One of them was a 10 maybe 20".

[jwittman]

My budyd and I have been checking scouting cameras for the last month or so and we are still seeing all of our bucks in velvet. I suspect the velvet will be gone by the second or third week of September. We too are seeing acorns on the ground. Haven't noticed a pattern change for the deer yet, but it's only a matter of time.

H2oBoss is on with the class of deer we have. With more and more people practicing QDM it will only be a matter of time before we start seeing bigger deer more and more.

Good luck out there!

[RUBLEML]

In Southern Va The Bucks Are All Still In Full Velvet.ive Got Over 350 Pics From Last Week Alone And All The Bucks Had Velvet.several Pics Have 5 And Six 8 Pointers In The Same Shot!!another Had 4 8's And 1 Ten!

[Bay Bob]

Same in Ohio last week.

Bt the way Ohio has some damned big bucks ?

Antlers and bodies, I swear one I saw looked like a yearling beef !

Must have beeen close to 30 to 36 inches from back to chest.

I think some of them bucks ( or bulls ) is near sighted !

[h2oboss]

Bob, no doubt brother. A good buddy lives in OH, moved from Md 5 yrs back. He was shocked at the size,, both body and rack, of what they call there regular grade deer. He told be about hanging out a checking station and routinely saw P&Y bucks coming to the scales.

That deer I shot 2yrs back dressed out at 205lbs, so we got some bigguns too.

I'm getting amped up now, just 3 weeks away!