Roe still in velvet

[Matastrophe]

Hi All,

I wanted to put this to the collective wisdom of the SD.

Last night whilst out to see if the fields on a nearby farm had been cut i happened to notice a Roe buck who appeared to still be in velvet.

I had driven to and parked in the field gateway before noticing this buck, who was about 30 yards away. After watching him for a minute I thought there was something wrong about his appearance, when i looked through my scope i could see that his antlers appeared to be slightly blurred and indistinct, as i watched i could see that he appeared to be in the process of shedding his velvet still. I watched the buck for about 10 minutes and in that time he did scratch at his head a few times and thrash gently in the long grass.

I should mention at this point that his coat appeared to be in great condition and that he appeared to be well fed.

He certainly wasnt a perruque, as i could see the points of his antlers. It did not appear to be normal though.

I left him alone in the end, i would rather have a healthy deer on that ground than shoot one without a good reason, but if i was mistaken and welfare is an issue then i will go back and try to catch up with him.

I would appreciate any thoughts and wisdoms from those more experience than myself in such matters.

Thanks

Matt

 

[User00003]

Most of my yearlings in the southern parts of the borders are still in good amounts of velvet, the real small ones can go the whole season in full velvet

 

[tunskeen]

As above, the younger deer are first to shed their winter coat and last to come out of velvet, mature one's are the opposite

 

[novice]

I put a post on here about I spiker I shot last July, still in full velvet. Appears that it can happen with the yearling bucks but I'd be interested myself to hear of any mature bucks shot late in the season in full velvet.

Novice

 

[Matastrophe]

I did wonder this, but this buck appears to be quite well developed with 7 points. I shot a buck last week who was completely clean and obviously had been for some time, and on the same day saw two younger bucks who were also clean. If the general consensus is that he is fine then i am more than happy to give him the benefit of the doubt, but i would rather check. If i can get a picture of him that clearly shows him i will post it up on here.

Thanks for the swift replies.

Matt

 

[long_range_rob]

down here everything I have seen for a couple of weeks is clean, even the little button bucks. Saying that, they are of course soft southern deer.

 

[bogtrotter]

Not that unusual for a young buck still to be in velvet,point wise youngsters can also have well developed heads.

 

[NickJ]

Even my yearling roe bucks are generally clean by mid May.

I don't know Devon well but suspect 7 points means he's mature. (I have seen six point yearlings in Hampshire mind.) If a mature buck is still in velvet now I'd suspect some hormonal imbalance - if he looked bonny then imbalance most likely caused by (fence usually) injury to testicles IMHO.