can anyone tell me why a buck would still be in velvet this time of the year. my brother in law shot one yesterday that was still in velvet. thanks

larry

Irch,

Was the velvet living or dead? How many points was the buck? Finally what part of the country are you in?

the velvet was still living, one side of the rack got broken off & you could still see the blood on the inside. he looked like he would be an average 3 x 3, nothing odd in the way the rack was forming. we live in NE MT.

larry

Did he look unhealthy? How fast the horns grow and the velvet comes off is determined a lot by the overhealth of the animal.

There was a similar topic a while back and someone replied that lack of testosterone will cause a deers antlers to keep growing and not follow normal growth and shed patterns. Check to see if the buck had a decent set of huevos!! He might coulda got 'em hooked on a fence or something.

Maybe he was geographically disorientated.
Down here all the Elk Bulls are currently in Velvet.
Southern Hemisphere.
New Zealand.

SOUTHERN MAN.
"GO HARD OR STAY HOME"

The condition is usually caused by some form of testicle damage. I was in Wyoming in mid-October this year, and I saw several mulies that were still in velvet. The locals were blaming it on the drought.

"If you can't change your circumstances then you need to change your perspective."

thanks for the info. his testicles were a little larger then normal but not really out of proportion, guess its natures way of stumping us.

larry

It was explained to me that it has something to do with the testosterone level of the deer. If the level is low they are not likely to go into rut and not have the desire to rub the velvet from their antlers.