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after they lose velvet

bigbukfevr

bigbukfevr

New Member
Hey guys a quick question, say ive got a big buck spotted and somewhat patterned, in the next few weeks when he loses his velvet what can i expect him to do different from whats hes doin now? obviously he will start to rub on everything in sight but will he leave where he is staying right now or will he stay until we start havin some does cycling?
 
I am no expert on this but many things can change once they lose velvet. Their testosterone levels will increase and bucks will not tolerate each other near as much. If there are does, good cover, food, and water in the area I imagine he will remain close as long as he is the dominant buck and isn't ran off by another.

I am sure some others will have additional insight on the topic, it will be interesting to see what other factors determine the differences in summer/fall/rut/winter range of deer.

Good luck with the big one!
 
He will prly stay as long as he is not pressured. He may become more nocturnal, but should stay in the area.
 
I have seen it many times. Right when he loses his velvet he is going to disappear for a week or two. I am not sure why they do, but they sure seem to. It seems like if you can catch them on a field the last week of September you might have a shot at him. I have also seen them travel a mile after they shed. I would scout from far away heavily that least week for the season then hopefully he will show himself as long as the youth hunter haven't chased him around.
 
thanks for the input guys. as far as pressure goes, there isnt ANY. hes used to cars drivin by all day long and i can glass him easily from 300-600 yards. i would assume hes the dominant buck on the farm, he runs around now with a 130-140 class forked g2 8. i have pics of the 8 but none of the big 10. i have a bunch of pics of a 160ish?? nontyp but have only laid eyes on him once. its giving me the fever bad!
 
what are you saying here bigbukfevr?? are you debating buying an early muzzleloader tag? imo i think you should just based on your stats for the last 22 yrs of late season.. just messin with ya.. good luck with him man. kill him
 
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Bill Winke recently wrote an article in Peterson's Bowhunting on this very topic. He had multiple velvet bucks on his hit list last year that vanished after velvet shed. The bucks that he captured after velevet shed and on into October seemed to stick around through the season, the others just diappeared. I have experienced the same in recent years.

I think that if he is truly the dominant buck in the area he will stick around. If there are multiple 4 year olds, 5 year olds, or older bucks in the area I think there will be more dispersal when the testosterone level starts to climb.
 
often times a deer's summer range is quite different than their fall range. as soon as the velvet comes off the pre-rut begins (to a certain extent) With each passing day the bucks become less and less tolerant of each other's presence, thus many of them move off. could be a few hundred yards, or a few miles.

Much of it depends on the buck to doe ratio in your area and as mentioned the pressure. I think in most cases, a deer like the one you are describing will be around still. keep running your cams and hopefully they will show you what HIS plans are!

Good luck!!!
 
I think it depends on what is exactly located on the property in terms of food and cover, if he has both I don't see any reason to leave. There is a good chance that older bucks may disperse from an area if there is a good number of them in the area, but I also feel that is more likely to happen as November gets closer.

I think that ultimately it depends on the area. If the area has a large amount of food, water and escape cover I'd bet until the rut comes, he'll be there somewhere, just maybe not quite as predictable as he was.
 
in my previous post, i forgot to mention that he has incredibly thick cover and both food and water within 200yds. really he has everything he needs to stay put.
 
well today is wednesday the 26th, and i just got back from glassin my farm. last tuesday i watched the big ten do some rubbin on a dead cedar tree but he still had all his velvet. that was the last night i saw that big dog. i watched him on the 14th, didnt go on the 15th, saw him the 16th, 17th, 18th and now havent see any sign of him. i thought i kinda had him patterned but he doesnt show up anymore. his partner, a 140class 8 ive seen twice since then but not for very long. hopefully he shows up again or im gonna go nuts!
 
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