I just want to hear thoughts on taking a buck in velvet. Tennessee holds a one weekend velvet hunt at the end of August. It goes against our two buck limit if we take one. I personally have never had the desire to take one in velvet even tho the bucks on the farm I hunt are pretty consistent during this time frame of the year and I feel I probably could take one. Although I don’t want to lose a tag that early, I never use both my buck tags anyways. I’m highly considering doing the hunt this year. What are you thoughts? Is it normal for you or just doesn’t feel right? Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Are you kidding? I've tried for years and failed to get a velvet buck in Kentucky. I've had multiple chances and absolutely choked every time. Not sure what it is about velvet that gets me so rattled. Maybe I just want it too much.
I would have a 120" velvet buck shoulder mounted before a 150" buck. Of course, I have never recovered anything over 120"; but that's beside the point.
A few years ago I missed a 150-160" double drop tine full velvet buck in Kentucky. This was less than 5 minutes after I shot right over the back of a 125-ish velvet buck standing still at 25 yards. That was one sucky morning, let me tell you.
Geez that’s rough man! I kind of have the desire to go this year and probably won’t see anything Last years velvet I talked my self out of it last minute and I checked cameras a couple weeks before actual archery season started. One of my shooters walked by my stand in full velvet at 8am both mornings. I didn’t see the deer but one more time that year and it ended up being on the neighbors property. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I live in Tennessee too. I don’t get excited much for hunting deer in velvet. I’ve only participated once in it last year out of all years I’ve hunted here. I will say if you’ve got a particular buck your after it will be a whole lot easier to kill him on a summer pattern, rather then waiting til fall and everybody and they’re momma starts hunting. I’ve never had “Target” bucks that I’m after on the property’s I hunt. That’s why I’m not ever too enthused about the 3 day velvet hunt. But it is a great advantage TWRA gives us to kill one on their summer pattern. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Maybe I'm off the rails here, but it has never interested me and I don't get the draw to it. Not knocking it, just doesn't blow my skirt up. Sent from my SM-G960U using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
Yeah I agree with everything you said. That’s about the same way I feel. I think I may give it a try this year for the first time. I always tell myself to save one of my buck tags for my private land and one for public/quota hunt. I usually don’t fill the public/quota tag so I might as well give it a go and if a shooter comes by take him. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I have never filled both either. But if I saw a velvet shooter best believe I’d let one fly too. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Fuzzy antlers don't do much for me. If one walks by I'll shoot it but I'm not necessarily looking for a velvet rack.
This will be the first year I'll be in town for it, if it's too hot/humid, I'll stay home. If it not a buck I'd shoot in the fall, I won't shoot it. Honestly, once you punch that release, you are on the clock to get that deer processed or cooled and I'm not into moving that fast in this heat/humidity. I'm forgainst it. I believe I just skated around a real answer.
I would love to have a nice velvet buck on my wall. We get a whopping one single deer tag in Idaho. One. Buck or doe, depending on the unit. It'd have to be a dandy buck for me to burn my tag that early in the season. I have no idea why I feel that way because my normal season is wait for a good buck for the entire season that never shows, and then take a doe at the end for the freezer haha. I feel early season is the absolute best chance to pattern a great buck while they are still in summer feeding patterns, but I never get around to trying because September is also elk season here. Do what you prefer. I don't think anyone, whether they are for or against shooting a velvet buck, are going to care. The ones that needle you for it are just jealous.
This right here is a great point. Another thing I take into consideration. The heat puts you on the clock and can make for a miserable hunt. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I think it would be cool to kill a velvet deer, if I lived in an area with the season to chase them I’d def try to pattern some and kill em the first week or two of the season. My buddy just moved to KY, gonna head out next year for a crack at one.
I shot a mule deer in velvet a few years ago and it was awesome. It's something I've always wanted to do, and it lived up to everything I had hoped it was going to be. If I had a chance to chase velvet bucks here in IL, you can bet your butt I would do it. Especially when you've only got 2 days to get it done in whatever weather you happen to get. It's a tall order and I think it would be a fun challenge.
Next year the KY season opens on 9/4 so it's probably a 50/50 chance on seeing a velvet buck. After 9/1 it seems like the velvet shedding really starts to kick into high gear.
