Estimating Antler Score while Bucks are in Velvet

By GrowingDeer,

  Filed under:

← Grant's Answers — Ask Grant

Question
When I look at a buck in velvet how can I tell how big his antlers are?  Some guys at work think that there is 2 inches of velvet around the antlers.  I think that it is more like 1/4 inch.  Can you tell me for sure?

Thanks,

Mitchell

Mitchell,

I’ve never seen the velvet more than ¼ to ½ in thick.  Once the blood flow to the velvet stops the velvet will shrink before it is removed by the buck.  So the thickness of the velvet varies based on the portion of the antler development cycle.  Just like humans, each buck is an individual and the thickness of the velvet will vary from buck to buck.  As a rule of thumb, I reduce my estimate of gross score of velvet bucks during August by 15% to compensate for the removal of velvet.

Growing Deer together,

Grant