Velvet shed, and its immediate aftermath, changes everything for bucks
The rut gets all the ink for craziness, but shedding velvet comes in a close second in terms of shaking up a buck’s world. While the process of shedding is short-lived—it takes only a day or two for most bucks, and some will have clean antlers within a matter of hours—the event signifies a whole new phase for white tails. Here are three key things that happen when bucks reach hard antler, and how to deal with them.
1 TESTOSTERONE DUMP
Peak breeding may seem like a dot on the horizon, but velvet shed is actually the first stage of the rut. As soon as antlers harden, testosterone levels start building, and bucks start ritual behaviors associated with the rut.
This story is from the September 2017 edition of Field & Stream.
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This story is from the September 2017 edition of Field & Stream.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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