Thread: The velvet is sprouting up. Pics?

Originally Posted by Nathan F

One of seven old donks I found out feeding last night. Bit more velvet
Attachment 156527

No bey tines. Carry on. ��

Only potential this one has is this

Originally Posted by Tahr

No bey tines. Carry on. ��

Nathan F give it a nibble and report back on the effects

Might make me harden up

Theres a big stag I saw a couple times last year and would love to go after it again this year, would they be getting hard enough by about the 20th jan? I’m leaning towards possibly not but it’s a decent stag 300ish DS so thinking he may possibly be there. Due to work I won’t be able to chase him after this

I think you would be OK, the older stags drop earlier than younger ones so they will be further along in development. I shot an old stag with well worn teeth on the 8 th Dec a couple of years back and I stripped it and stained and it's fine. It may be a bit different down your way by a week or two but I still think he would be a shooter by the 20 th Jan. Good luck if you get out there and get a look at him.

Big stag are strippable in my area


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BUT if in doubt....for crying out loud dont shoot.....you will be in tears if tips are still soft.
the race to shoot stags earlier and earlier,just doesnt do it for me.... only you will know when time comes.

Originally Posted by High Country Boy

Theres a big stag I saw a couple times last year and would love to go after it again this year, would they be getting hard enough by about the 20th jan? I’m leaning towards possibly not but it’s a decent stag 300ish DS so thinking he may possibly be there. Due to work I won’t be able to chase him after this

The Testosterone levels in stags increase rapidly from Jan 15th this quickly hardens antlers. 20 Jan the antlers will be fully grown but not quite fully hard but so close you could strip them and stain them ok. The Brows harden first and the tops last so if you cannot see much difference between their form he will be hard. What you are looking for is tyne pointing in the tops and the velvet itself looking thin and drying because the blood supply to it has stopped.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

BUT if in doubt....for crying out loud dont shoot.....you will be in tears if tips are still soft.
the race to shoot stags earlier and earlier,just doesnt do it for me.... only you will know when time comes.

I could only imagine the gut wrenching disappointment if that happened. Stuff that! End of January is usually pretty safe on the big reds. And I mean big, not the usual trophies we see some hunting shows calling a big stag............" big stag, big stag..........." For fallow add another month. Plus some. Usually early to mid March in my area. I find the best way to see if they are fully developed in the antlers is to wait till I can see the antlers.

I went out with @craigc to a private spot he hunts a bit. Saw plenty of deer, but all were either too far away or hinds with the possibility of fawns at foot meant we waited until almost dark before a target appeared.

A big bodied spiker with very hard velvet fed out into the open only 270yds from us. A quick standing rest against a manuka tree with the 284 saw him tumble down onto the track for an easy retrieve.

Job done.

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Went out Boxing Day and picked up these sat night. Bit of velvet on one but the other just a yearling.

Then went for a look on Sunday evening and found this crafty hua grazing the bush edge. The dog and I snuck in to 30 yds and gave him
A 140 gn pill in the neck.


Thank goodness for a 90L Tatonka

nothin gets me harder than some hard antler... contrary to beliefs on the velvet scale.

Yesterday evening



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