whitetail buck shedding velvet
Justin Hoffman

Video: Whitetail Buck Shedding His Velvet

Here's a cool glimpse into the velvet-shedding stage.

As a wildlife photographer, long days spent lost in the wild are the norm. With a serious passion for whitetail deer, capturing rut behavior with the camera is a ritual I eagerly look forward to each fall.

For all those countless days spent in the field, I had yet to capture a buck during the velvet-shedding stage. That changed in 2017.

I hit my favorite bean field only 10 minutes from my home. The bachelor groups of bucks have been numerous that year, with a few nice 10-point trophies thrown into the mix. On this particular evening, one of the big boys showed himself, but it was this 8-point fella with velvet dangling conspicuously from his tines that got me excited.

whitetail buck shedding velvet

whitetail buck shedding velvet

Here's some video footage I shot. As you're about to see, he had a few friends in tow:

It was definitely a memorable highlight for me, and I finally accomplished a longtime goal of mine.

Here's one of those 10-points. He was the last buck I spotted before making my way back to the truck. An omen for good days ahead I'd say.

whitetail buck shedding velvet

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NEXT: THE STORY OF 'OLD BUCK,' MY FAVORITE DEER IN THE WILD

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