whitetaildreamer

Last year during the opening week of archery I passed on a big 5x5 that was still in velvet (20 yards perfect broadside). Since it is freezer first for me, I usually look at taking a big doe during the start of archery passing on the bucks that I see. (we can get a second deer tag if I wish to hunt with bow later on). I just happenned to see a hunting show this morning where a guy took a nice buck in velvet. In the commontary after he was stating that he had always wished to get a nice buck in velvet. Just got me thinking, maybe I should harvest one in velvet (it's just that I hope to see them later on in ML or rifle). 2 questions: 1. Can you even mount a big buck in velvet? (wouldn't the antlers rot or would they dry out?) and, 2. Do any of you guys out thereharvest bucks in velvet? (or have you and have you got them mounted?). Let me know.

Marko B

There are taxidermists out there that can do wonders replaceing velvet. A friend of mine actually had a set done last year that he says came out really nice. They strip the velvet off and then replace it with a like looking fabric... then paint it to give it a realistic look.

gators1422

If it is hunting season the horns are already hard under neath the velvet. They make a very pretty mount, down here in Fla the deer horns are usually hard enough around the end of july. I had a buddy hit a huge buck in his truck in mid june and tried to save the horns and they just wilted down because they were still mostly blood. My cousin has one mounted in velvet and looks vey good.

GTOHunter

I would love to get a Buck in velvet but the season opens late here in Missouri and the Deer are out of velvet aroundlate July or August.I haven't even heard of anyone finding a dead Buck around our area and having it mounted in velvet?I'm sure it has happened...just to no one I know personaly.

skeeter 7MM

Yes you can mount deer in velvet, there are a number of techniques out their but the most common used are inject "perserving fluids" or coat the antlers in borax for a drying period. Newer techniques such as freeze dry (like flowers) and synthetic velvet (as mentioned earlier) are gaining favor. If you shoot a animal in velvet and may want to mount in that form you should freeze it, if their will be a delay in getting it to your taxidermist.

You can also have the velvet stripped and darken the antlers. I have stripped a few spiker (elk) over the years that we have taken and just left them to drywithout staining- bone colour is the result.

I have shot only 1 deer in velvet, it was not worthy of mounting IMO. Other then thinking it would cool to get one thathad dried velvet strings still but stripped,I haven't got a deep desire to get one in velvet to mount. That said i wouldn't pass one b/c it was still wearing velvet either.

BarnesX.308

You passed up a big 5X5 because you wanted a doe??????

StillHunter90

I was thinking the same thing about passing up the buck.

frontier gander

I respect you a lot for passing on that buck. The way i look at it, He'll be bigger next year! Not one thing wrong with taking a doe. 3 of us this year have doe tags and we'll be taking some nice sized mule deer doe this september.

StillHunter90

But he did say freezer first and he does get a 2nd tag.

whitetaildreamer

Just wanted him to grow. Harvested a real nice doe 20 min. later. Well maybe this year. On my way to set up deer camp, will let you know how it goes.