In Velvet

One advantage I've recently found to having a trail camera is the chance to see bucks in velvet. This is something that I rarely got to see before, and almost never close up. I might happen to see a buck during the summer while driving down the road, or the very rare occasion when I would see one very early in bow season, but they soon lost their velvet and the majority of the deer season here in western NC the bucks are hard horned. Checking the trail camera the other day, I was excited to see a total of three velvet bucks visiting my mineral site. Two of these deer I shared pictures of in a previous post. The third buck only recently showed up, but I hope he sticks around!

He's going to be a nice 8 pt

I think that it is simply amazing the way that deer shed their antlers every winter, and then regrow them through the next spring and summer, with the velvet covering providing the antlers with a blood supply and nutrition for growth. All of this yearly growing and shedding antlers, all for the purpose of fighting during the rut for a chance to breed. The more I study nature and spend time in the woods, the more amazing it seems to me. These deer grow their antlers ultimately to have a chance to pass on their genes, but whatever the reason for growing them, whitetail deer antlers are impressive both for the way they look and grow, and the effect they have on us hunters.

Thanks for stopping by!

- Joseph