Whitetail Bucks: Shedding Of Velvet Completed

A week ago I featured a segment on the whitetail bucks, and the annual shedding of the velvet. Today we explore the subject in a bit more depth.

After the velvet cracks, it peels off in strips. The photo directly below is actually a strip of velvet that a spike buck just lost. If one looks at the left side they can see how the sheath is shaped like the underlying antler. I pressed the strip against the rough bark of a walnut tree to support it and provide a background to photograph the velvet against.

Shed Velvet-Interior View

Shed Velvet-External View

I hoped to get photos and video of a buck rubbing trees and saplings to remove the velvet, but that was not to be. I did see one animal that still had a few long strands of velvet hanging from one antler. This animal still had velvet at dusk on September 12th, but only a few strips remained the next morning.

Cracked Velvet: 9/12/09 6:45 p.m.

Velvet Hanging In Strips: 9/13/09 7:45 a.m.

Process Almost Complete

With the shedding completed, the bucks feel the stirring of the pre-rut, and move about more. If one frequents the same spot throughout the summer, it is common to see the same bucks over and over again, but as the pre-rut kicks in strange bucks appear.

Mature Whitetail Buck: Likely Three Years Old-First Sighting

While it is always rewarding to be afield, at this time of year the outdoors is particularly exciting as wildlife activity increases dramatically with the onset of the whitetail and elk rutting seasons.

More Whitetail Buck Velvet Shedding Photos

Situation Update

It has not been a good week for posting, or visiting blogs. I had two video projects to complete and one of my best friends was in the final stages of an extended battle with cancer. He passed away late Wednesday night and services are scheduled for tomorrow. I spent most of Wednesday afternoon with him and it was a difficult time.

Also this may be the last post for some time as it is almost time to go to the elk range for a two-week trip to videotape and photograph the rut. Benezette store is currently out of stock on the elk video, but they should have a new supply by Monday.

The Whitetail Bucks-Shedding Velvet

In most cases the shedding of the velvet is completed in a day or so, but this buck is an unusual case. He is the deer that had the vines tangled in his antlers in the previous post. On that day he was aggressive and rubbed his antlers against anything he could find to dislodge the velvet, but then he stopped doing that and surprisingly much of the velvet is still on the antlers as of this morning.


On the other hand the first buck pictured in the last post which has small drops of blood showing, completed the process in one day. When I next saw him, his antlers were completely bare and he was showing signs of aggression toward the other bucks.


He is too small to be a serious contender in fights, but he should do quite a bit of sparring with other bucks of his size class in the weeks to come, unless he is killed by a poacher or by a junior hunter in the upcoming archery season.