deer behavior after losing velvet?

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It seems as if I've heard somewhere that buck become more reclusive after losing their velvet. What have you guys noticed with this?

We have been watching two slammer bucks since early July and could see them pretty regularly all the time in the same spot every morning. I have gone 4 times in a row now without seeing them. This is private property that doesn't get archery hunted so I don't believe hunting pressure would explain it.

I shot a very nice buck in this same spot last year and one of the bucks I'm seeing this year was with him last year right up til the muzzleloader hunt started so I don't believe he has left the area yet. I'm hoping he is just laying low for now and maybe his behavior has changed a little since becoming hard-horned. Anyone having any experience to share on this subject?
 
All animals that grow antlers are very careful not to damage them while their growing. They are very delicate and suseptable to damage until blood flow slows and they become hard horned. Once they rub and get hard horned they have no reason to protect them as much and they always seem to seek out thicker, brushier hiding spots. Im sure if you stick with trying to locate him again he will turn up.
 
i been watching a few whiteys almost every night or if not the weekends. from the first inch of velvet to about 2 weeks ago they just vanished. of course to the darn corn feilds and they wont come out till december.. the big bucks become noc-turnal and water at night..
 
The deer in my neck of the woods (blacktail/muley cross) literally vanish after dropping their velvet. Whole different ballgame without velvet.
 
If they were in view from the main road that crosses the mountain, odds are that regardless of them being on private property they got pressured by the drive by archery hunters. That mountain has ALOT of trespassing and it does push most the big bucks back into thicker cover.
 
Good post and yes I have the same thought of velvet bucks that when they start to shed the velvet there habits change. They seem to vanish for a while when they start to shed. They seem to be timid and not show up. That is my take on it and I have noticed this for years. Not sure how to explain it but there is a diffearnce in their behavior.
 
I believe the nutrition requirements are much less by the time their horns stop growing and they have packed on some summer weight so their need to feed 20 hours a day subsides at that time also.
 
I've experienced this behavioral change in both elk and deer. My personal field sobsrvations (scouting) has led me to believe several factors affect them such as; change in daylight, elevations in testosterone levels, the area where they feed to nourish growing antlers is different than fall dietary needs, manner in which the buck/bull has been pursued and finally migration to the area where doe's/cow's are gathering... just my two cents. Good luck this season!
 
I have heard that they become more nocturnal after rubbing the velvet off. Not sure how true this is, but their patterns change for sure. I also am not sure when they change. I hunted a real nice four point this year in Nevada with my muzzy. He was hard horned already but was hanging out with a real wide 4 point velvet buck. They both bedded down in some of the thickest crap on the mountain. They both did the same thing each morning and evening until we decided to set up at an ambush point, then they changed their patterns. The last couple days we were in there all the bigger bucks we had seen seemed to just disappear. Maybe that wide velvet buck rubbed the velvet off and him and his big friend did become nocturnal.
 

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