Well, I had to go out to my honey hole property as I wanted to clean up a perfect area for my hang on for this season so I figured while there I would check my game cam. I put it up Sunday afternoon and put 40# of corn in front of it just to try and see what was in the area. Two days, 600 photos later, and I have established that there aren't any giants, but some decent bucks none the less. I also found that the most all the bucks are wide with very short tines.... this trait is very strong in my area. I also found a PERFECT Rob buck. I will be posting a bunch of the photos in the Game Cam section! Too the point... I got two bucks that are entirely out of velvet and both appear to have gone a few days without it as the antlers don't appear to have any of the blood stain on them. This just seemed really early to me, I usually notice the first early bucks shedding between Sept 4th to Sept 7th.. Here are a few pics.... anybody else seeing any hardhorn bucks?
Saw a pair of them this weekend in the Adirondacks that were VERY close to shedding velvet. I don't know if you guys have seen them go throughthe process, but the velvet changes colors a few days before and as it begins to dry before peeling, it looks like they begin to lose mass. I'd bet this week they will be shedding velvet.
I talked to a guy here in western wisconsin and he just got a pic of a buck out of velvet...Why so early, I guess it is almost September?? Does the cool summer weather have anything to do with it??
Matt, I have noticed that in the past. Normally I really notice it around the 1st of Sept. I am not sure why, but it seems to be about 1-1/2 to 2 weeks earlier this year. Bow/zimmer, I have no idea, but the cool summer could play into it. We have only had one day over 90 this summer and we have been averaging in the low 80's.
It's always been about the last of August around here, I haven't seen any this year, but I have in the last 2 years past.
The majority of them will loose it right around labor day in Michigan. There are always a couple that go a little early and a few that go a little late.
I wish they shed a little later. Our season begins Sept. 12th and I would love to have one mounted in velvet.
A guy I work with said he seen 2 large bucks this weekend, one in velvet, the other w/the velvet hanging and almost gone.
Saw my first hard-horned buck last night. A nice little 2 1/2 year old 10 pointer hopped across the access road I was driving on after setting out a new trail cam. Found a small rub about 200 yds away from where I saw him - probably his. 'Tis the season!
Seems real early but whats even scarier is I saw a nice big doe thats already really dark grey near black.....could that be a warning sign to lose their summer coat this early or would this just be a really old doe???
Glad im not the only one....was getting freaked out a little yesterday when we saw her...she was the only one that dark among the 20 deer in the food plot....
Good to hear Ryan.... did you get your camera back out there yet? Here is some interesting notes from my previous years running the game cameras. 2009- 1st buck out of velvet was a small 8 point on 8-24 2008- 1st buck out of velvet was a small 4 point on 9-2, followed by the rest around 9-6 2007- 1st buck out of velvet was a small 3 point on 8-29, followed bythe rest around 9-4 2006- 1st buck out of velvet was a small 8 point on 9-3, followed by the rest around 9-8 2005- 1st buck out of velvet was a small 7 point on 9-7, followed by the rest around 9-11
Yep, about half the deer I saw last weekend (around 10) were mostly out of thier summer coats, a few with patches still hanging on.
