Questions on velvet rub timing 2023

[robby denning]

hey Rokslider-mule-deer people.

It came up several times this summer after a bunch of us noted that antler growth was delayed in the hard winter areas. Some wondered if that meant they'd rub later.

In four days of hunting, and seeing about 15 different bucks, not one was rubbed as of 9/2. Usually I'd see 10-20% of those bucks rubbed by then. so yes, it seems delayed. These were all lower elevation bucks btw

Anyone else able to contribute to this with experience in the last week?

@Travis Hobbs

 

[littlebigtine]

yup i saw 1 of 10 bucks as of yesterday with out velvet. on a normal year id expect 5-8 out of 10 bucks without velvet by this time

 

[87TT]

Saw a bachelor group of 5 bucks on our walk with the dog the other night and all were still fuzzy at 3000 ft.

 

[Plainsman79]

3 days of hunting-looked at 14 bucks and only 1 was rubbed. Low country bucks.

 

[BeaverHunter]

1 160ish buck was rubbed. All other bucks I saw which were smaller were full velvet. High country Wyoming.

 

[Tahoe1305]

10,000’ CO. Of the 5 I’ve seen this weekend all in velvet.

 

[sndmn11]

I laid eyes on more than a dozen adult bucks 9/1-9/4 and they were all in velvet. I can't remember seeing any in early Sept that had rubbed in the past.

 

[Hnthrdr]

10’000 in Co 2 nice shooter bucks, both still all fuzzy 9/2& 9/3… no buck tag till November though

 

[BH2010]

This gets me stoked. First mule deer hunt at 10k' starting this weekend, and I'm tickled that I might see some in velvet.

Sent from my SM-G986U1 using Tapatalk

 

[brn2hnt]

SW ID, right at 40% of the bucks seen between 8/30 and 9/1 were rubbed/rubbing already. 7,500-9,200'

Possibly due to the milder winter on this side of the state?

 

[Deucebump]

I saw 42 bucks between 8/31-9/3 all were velvet except the last deer I saw of the week was hard horned. All over 11,500’

 

[wyoguy]

I wasn't looking for deer but the ones I did see were in velvet still over the weekend.

 

[ilikefunkymusic]

Every deer I've seen in my until is still fuzzy. 9,000 feet in western Colorado.
How do you care for, treat, or preserve velvet antlers? Never had to consider thos before... good problems. Need a big deer this year, BIG DEER hahaha

 

[hunterjmj]

Saw 3 decent 4 points by my house the other night still with full velvet.

 

[Deucebump]

Every deer I've seen in my until is still fuzzy. 9,000 feet in western Colorado.
How do you care for, treat, or preserve velvet antlers? Never had to consider thos before... good problems. Need a big deer this year, BIG DEER hahaha

Velvalok spray. I used this on mine the day I shot it, and when I got to the taxidermist, he asked me instantly if I had used it because he could smell it. (Not a bad smell) He was ecstatic when I said I had. He said it is awesome stuff and I saved myself over $100 by using it because he didnt have to soak them in a methane tank for 2 weeks.

Also try not to touch the velvet anymore than you have to, your hands will mat it down the more you touch it.

 

[JNDEER]

I have season low elevation blacktail to high elevation mule deer in CA growing later and longer. Killed a blacktail early august still in velvet (historically I have seen them strip in July) and for the mule deer the buck I killed still was growing in mid-late august when normally they are done the beginning of august.

I don’t think California had a harsh winter- so I was assuming the late and longer growth was just due to the extra moisture we got?

 

[Brandon.miller.4]

As of 9-4 in the badlands of western ND (~2000 ft) roughly 50% were rubbed. The first rubbed deer I'd seen was on 9-1.

 

[dirtytough]

I saw 1 rubbed buck. He was the best scoring buck I've seen. There is a big heavy 3 with him that could possibly be more mature though. The big 3 was still in velvet along with a couple other bucks I would guess are 3 years old.

I didn't feel like it was out of the ordinary really. By the end of this week I would expect to see most of the bucks 3 plus years old be rubbed here.

 

[robby denning]

SW ID, right at 40% of the bucks seen between 8/30 and 9/1 were rubbed/rubbing already. 7,500-9,200'

Possibly due to the milder winter on this side of the state?

that would be my guess.

 

[IdahoHntr]

Just looking at harvest pictures year to year, Idahos archery season usually doesn’t produce a ton of velvet bucks, but I do sure seem to be seeing a lot more than usual this year. Only seen a couple bucks with my own eyes so far and they aren’t rubbed. Central Idaho.