Bull Elk in velvet

[HuntingalMT]

Hello, I didn't really know where to put this but i have a question. While bowhunting in eastern montana this year, My husband and I came across a carcass of an elk. There wasn't much left, just bones and a little bit of the hide. so we knew it had been there for awhile. Well as we walked up to inspect it a little closer we noticed that it still had antlers. A 5x5. We thought it looked a little funny and couldn't figure out what was wrong with the antlers until we got right up to it. The antlers were still in Velvet! The velvet was completed dried and not coming off. The velvet was almost perfect just a little pieces missing. we ended up taking the head back to camp with us. When we got home we did a european mount and now is hanging in our home. I was just wondering how rare it is to find something like that. I have been trying to find something on the internet but have not found anything. So if someone as any ideas i would like to hear them. thank you

[racowboy]

Not that rare as all antlered elk spend some time each summer in velvet and are subject to dying at any time. You might talk to a local taxidermist about making sure the antlers don't continue to dry and loose the velvet. I know that taxidermist's treat velvet for bugs and deterioration. I know people who have sprayed the heck out of them with hairspray and Raid.

[rbullom]

Rare to find a bull in August or September in velvet? Not rare. Rare to find one that is in velvet that is completly dry and not coming off perfet timing. Though I would guess once it died the blood dried as the velvet.

[madmax83192]

Yeah definitly not rare in august or september because of the rut but i dont know i have never come across that.