Velvet Antler Growth

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Quest1001
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Velvet Antler Growth

Unread postby Quest1001 » Sun Jul 14, 2019 9:14 am

I’m using trail cams for the first time and I’ve got a couple nice bucks on the cams. The cams are set up on bean field edges and it appears the bucks are traveling from a swamp I scouted this spring, which makes me very excited.

I’m just curious what their potential growth will be for this year, meaning when is antler growth typically over in the upper Midwest?
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cspot
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Re: Velvet Antler Growth

Unread postby cspot » Sun Jul 14, 2019 9:29 am

Early August they are pretty much done growing from my experience. They will shed velvet in early September. I am in pa and I would think Midwest would be about the same.
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Re: Velvet Antler Growth

Unread postby cspot » Sun Jul 14, 2019 9:31 am

By now they usually have the points they are going to have unless they add a really small one. They will add some length to points and main beam.
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Quest1001
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Re: Velvet Antler Growth

Unread postby Quest1001 » Sun Jul 14, 2019 9:58 am

Thanks for the help. So another two/three weeks and I’ll have a solid idea of what’s in the area.

I know there is other good sized bucks in the area, especially late season so it will be fun to find out if I can hold out that long or if I’ll take the first one that gets the blood flowing. :think:
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stash59
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Re: Velvet Antler Growth

Unread postby stash59 » Sun Jul 14, 2019 1:05 pm

Yeah by mid July you'll have a good idea how big the antlers will get. Some gain in tine length will be had until about mid August for some bucks. I believe mass is set during the actual growth period. So beam mass can even be seen in June. Just remember that the velvet can be 1/4"+ thick until about mid August. As the center of the antlers harden the velvet shrinks. Just before actual shedding occurs the velvet will look quite a bit thinner. Thus the mass will look closer to what it will be after velvet shed.
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Quest1001
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Re: Velvet Antler Growth

Unread postby Quest1001 » Sun Jul 14, 2019 2:46 pm

Thanks, I was curious a about how thick the velvet is. It’s pretty fun getting a general inventory of an area with the trail cam.
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Re: Velvet Antler Growth

Unread postby moondoondude » Tue Jul 16, 2019 12:36 pm

It all depends. Some deer finish out early and are done already. Some are far from that. Growth, like shedding, varies immensely from deer to deer and herd to herd. You should be able to tell from looking at their velvet and the tips of the tines and beams.


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