Let me start by saying I am not a Velvet Fan. Never have been. So when this deer popped up on my radar for a few months back I was excited to see him finish out. During the wait I would imagined what he was gonna look like in hard horn. Is he gonna be dark red or chocolate, or lighter horned critter. So when the end of Sept was approaching and all the other bucks started rubbing off I was beside myself with Anticipation. Then the last week before the opening weekend got here. Every day I would wake up and check my texting cam for hard horn pics. Nope, Still in Velvet. Then the evening, Nope, still in Velvet. Sept 29, Velvet, Sept 30, Velvet.. Night before Opening day---VELVET..
So when I climbed in the blind for the first morning I knew he was most likely gonna be in velvet if he walks in. Sure enough, walks in looking glorious in his velvet. But since I have always preferred hard horn to velvet I let him walk out. And of course that morning he gave me great shots.. Later that day I watched the video back and decided I was an idiot and decided he was gonna get it that night. Well he came in that night but was way late and I could barely see my pins. I could have done it but it was really late and camera light was pour. So I passed again. But what I noticed is that every buck in the area would run him off. He was really the only big deer in velvet and even the small hard horn deer would push him around.
The next morning had him in front of me for about 20 min. All 20 min of it he was running around trying to get his nose in my Time protein feeder. He does not like corn. Every time He would come in to the feeder I would start to draw and some small or large hard horn deer would push him off. One buck about 140 inches snort wheezed him out to 100 yards. Just walked behind him and literally walked him out of my life for the weekend.
Fast forward to this past weekend. As you probably read my sons hunts for Too Tall Jones on the other thread, I had just dropped him off and climbed up in this blind for Big V. (Big Velvet) Of course I was watching cams and had him on camera Friday morning in Velvet so figured he would walk in Friday evening rocking his velvet, or all bloody. If he was all bloody I was gonna pass him for him to get normal color on him. So the wait was driving me crazy. He normally pops in around 6pm and here it was 6:20 and no buck. Figured he was off rubbing his horns and tormenting me for my bad judgement the week before.
Then it happened. All heads yanked up and looked down Sendero to my North. I could not see that way, but knew he came in from that direction every evening per camera. Small 8 pint. Dang it.. . Then 10 yards and 3 seconds later he appeared. So I turned camera on and hit record. He walked in and again got pushed off feeder. He made his way back in and got pushed off again. I feared a repeat from previous weekend. Well He prefers the tube that is actually in front of me so when I saw him working his way back around my way and that tube opened up with no deer at it, I knew where he was going. I was already drawing my bow before he even got into my shooting window. He popped in and turned a little more quartering away then I wanted but still a good shot. Well a good shot if I hit where I was aiming. Not sure if I pulled or if he moved a little right at the end just before impact, but I hit him about 2 inches to the right. Anyway, Long story short he ran out about 80 yards and stopped. I thought he was about to fall over, but stood there for several minutes before painfully walking about.
Since Hunter had his deer down I waited for all deer to leave, then when and Met Archery1st- Bruce and we went to find Hunters Deer. Bruce also wanted to work his Dog Colt on a for sure dead deer so Since Hunter heard him crash it was a good track for the dog to learn on. We found the deer and got him back to camp and cleaned up. By the time we cleaned him up it had been about 3.5 hours since I shot. I snuck back in to the last place I saw him walk off. I figured he would not be far from that spot. Bruce Circled around to the opposite side of the creek he was headed for. Me and Hunter followed the trail. We found a drop of blood on a stick dropping into the creek. About that time Bruce said he had him. Deer went about 20 yards past my last sight of him. He was pretty stiff so he did not make it long, but when they stand there for several minutes after the shot I always wait.
Anyway, here he is in all his velvet glory. A really cool buck with all kinds of cool stuff going on. Taped out at freer deer camp at 168.4. So happy I was able to get it done on the same night as Hunter slammed his buck. Great weekend.
Here is the video as well. Sorry for the length, but I did cut out about 5 minutes...
Also, I left the part where he walks off on purpose to help with others who may see this exact thing happen and maybe what to do or what not to do. Not awesome to look at, but helpful none the less. We are not perfect archers so it happens.
Also if you missed my sons Hunt here is his thread with Video.
So when I climbed in the blind for the first morning I knew he was most likely gonna be in velvet if he walks in. Sure enough, walks in looking glorious in his velvet. But since I have always preferred hard horn to velvet I let him walk out. And of course that morning he gave me great shots.. Later that day I watched the video back and decided I was an idiot and decided he was gonna get it that night. Well he came in that night but was way late and I could barely see my pins. I could have done it but it was really late and camera light was pour. So I passed again. But what I noticed is that every buck in the area would run him off. He was really the only big deer in velvet and even the small hard horn deer would push him around.
The next morning had him in front of me for about 20 min. All 20 min of it he was running around trying to get his nose in my Time protein feeder. He does not like corn. Every time He would come in to the feeder I would start to draw and some small or large hard horn deer would push him off. One buck about 140 inches snort wheezed him out to 100 yards. Just walked behind him and literally walked him out of my life for the weekend.
Fast forward to this past weekend. As you probably read my sons hunts for Too Tall Jones on the other thread, I had just dropped him off and climbed up in this blind for Big V. (Big Velvet) Of course I was watching cams and had him on camera Friday morning in Velvet so figured he would walk in Friday evening rocking his velvet, or all bloody. If he was all bloody I was gonna pass him for him to get normal color on him. So the wait was driving me crazy. He normally pops in around 6pm and here it was 6:20 and no buck. Figured he was off rubbing his horns and tormenting me for my bad judgement the week before.
Then it happened. All heads yanked up and looked down Sendero to my North. I could not see that way, but knew he came in from that direction every evening per camera. Small 8 pint. Dang it.. . Then 10 yards and 3 seconds later he appeared. So I turned camera on and hit record. He walked in and again got pushed off feeder. He made his way back in and got pushed off again. I feared a repeat from previous weekend. Well He prefers the tube that is actually in front of me so when I saw him working his way back around my way and that tube opened up with no deer at it, I knew where he was going. I was already drawing my bow before he even got into my shooting window. He popped in and turned a little more quartering away then I wanted but still a good shot. Well a good shot if I hit where I was aiming. Not sure if I pulled or if he moved a little right at the end just before impact, but I hit him about 2 inches to the right. Anyway, Long story short he ran out about 80 yards and stopped. I thought he was about to fall over, but stood there for several minutes before painfully walking about.
Since Hunter had his deer down I waited for all deer to leave, then when and Met Archery1st- Bruce and we went to find Hunters Deer. Bruce also wanted to work his Dog Colt on a for sure dead deer so Since Hunter heard him crash it was a good track for the dog to learn on. We found the deer and got him back to camp and cleaned up. By the time we cleaned him up it had been about 3.5 hours since I shot. I snuck back in to the last place I saw him walk off. I figured he would not be far from that spot. Bruce Circled around to the opposite side of the creek he was headed for. Me and Hunter followed the trail. We found a drop of blood on a stick dropping into the creek. About that time Bruce said he had him. Deer went about 20 yards past my last sight of him. He was pretty stiff so he did not make it long, but when they stand there for several minutes after the shot I always wait.
Anyway, here he is in all his velvet glory. A really cool buck with all kinds of cool stuff going on. Taped out at freer deer camp at 168.4. So happy I was able to get it done on the same night as Hunter slammed his buck. Great weekend.
Here is the video as well. Sorry for the length, but I did cut out about 5 minutes...
Also, I left the part where he walks off on purpose to help with others who may see this exact thing happen and maybe what to do or what not to do. Not awesome to look at, but helpful none the less. We are not perfect archers so it happens.
Also if you missed my sons Hunt here is his thread with Video.
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