Full velvet in early December

Rake Aboot

Well-Known Member
Had an odd one today,

After a days stalking,(4, a very good day :D ) We were heading off the estate, and spotted a big Roe Buck sitting under a tree chewing the cud, Healthy looking beast, with a nice looking head, quite big, but in full velvet.

Velvet looked healthy, and fresh. No sign of shedding or damage at all.

Damaged testicles maybe ?? any other ideas ? First I`ve ever seen of this, and was quite baffled.

Edited to add

Wasn`t sure if this would be an abnormal late velvet but after reading up a bit, an exceptionally early velvet is obviously the case,,
anyhoo, never seen it before.

Rake
 
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I'd agree RA, early likeliest. I had a look in my record book and have seen an old buck (first to cast and thus to grow) in Galloway in 1999 with 'half grown' antlers on December 16th. My bucks were late to clean this year (cold spring?) but seem to have cast early so I wonder if it's just one of those funny years?
ATB
Nick
 
I was out last Sunday lying up waiting for some Does to come out. First to show was a mature healthy looking Buck with well grown antlers in full velvet, I watched him for twenty minutes, I guessed he was very forward, given the great summer we have had. I also shot my heaviest Doe in nine years, fat as butter.

Hammy
 
Further to the above I was on a peg on a pheasant shoot at home on Saturday (14th Dec) and a buck flushed with horns in velvet up to the top of his ears. In body he looked mature so head was probably half grown, I think just a funny old year and they are forward.

Nick
 
Further to the above I was on a peg on a pheasant shoot at home on Saturday (14th Dec) and a buck flushed with horns in velvet up to the top of his ears. In body he looked mature so head was probably half grown, I think just a funny old year and they are forward.

Nick

The one I saw was about as close to Bowland as you could get
Saw another with a very big head in full velvet at Balerno at the weekend as well. First time I have really seen this as early, my initial query sounds a bit stupid in retrospect, but it seemed odd to me at the time,
 
Sorry RA my avatar should say 'Forest of Bowland' (Englandshire) rather than Bowland on the A7 north of Galashiels. However I think the bucks' are forward where I stalk on both places in Galloway also.
 
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