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TN velvet hunt Aug 25-27

Was a definite success. Nothing for me but I was able to get my son on one and he is on cloud 9. He had winded us and was nervous but he 10 ringed him (exit in pic is back slightly but still rear lungs) and the deer ran 5 yards, stood and then fell over dead. He did awesome and I couldn't be more proud. Just a little 8 but a memory that will last a lifetime.
All that sweat, the bugs, and all the other "uncomfortables" that you two encountered today melted away like butter when that deer stepped out.

Great job dad! I hope he stays on cloud 9 for a long while!
Good deer!
 
I
All that sweat, the bugs, and all the other "uncomfortables" that you two encountered today melted away like butter when that deer stepped out.

Great job dad! I hope he stays on cloud 9 for a long while!
Good deer!
Have to agree that it was definitely worth it to see how happy he was. I don't think we would be saying the same thing if he hadn't killed one though. Lol
 
This will probably be the first year I skip. We've gotten on camera or seen about 75 bucks so far. 7 mature in the 120 to 135in range. No giants this year, and I'm not shooting one in velvet unless he's mid 140s and mature. Plus I'm coming up the following weekend for a funeral.
I hope to see you next weekend!
 
Was a definite success. Nothing for me but I was able to get my son on one and he is on cloud 9. He had winded us and was nervous but he 10 ringed him (exit in pic is back slightly but still rear lungs) and the deer ran 5 yards, stood and then fell over dead. He did awesome and I couldn't be more proud. Just a little 8 but a memory that will last a lifetime.
Smile says it all. Congratulations to you and him…
 
2023 August Velvet hunt summary:

Unit CWD – SW TN, 12 counties total, firearms allowed and select public lands are open
Remainder of State – 83 counties, archery only, private land only

Fri – 224 deer checked in
Sat – 231 deer checked in
Sun – 267 deer checked in

Total – 722 deer (a few odd ball check-ins, antlerless etc)

Unit CWD (firearms) - 134 deer, or 18% of Statewide kill.

*** based on photos I seen across the State, a few bucks killed were in hard horn.

Congrats to all who took part and made the most of it!
 
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There's a nice 8 and a fork horn that have been hanging around my house a lot lately, and I had the idea of possibly taking the 8 as a velvet buck if the opportunity presented itself. I saw the two of them yesterday evening and the fork still had his velvet but the 8 was completely bare horned with no velvet at all. Just reddish yellow horns.

:(
 
2023 August Velvet hunt summary:

Unit CWD – SW TN, 12 counties total, firearms allowed and select public lands are open
Remainder of State – 83 counties, archery only, private land only

Fri – 224 deer checked in
Sat – 231 deer checked in
Sun – 267 deer checked in

Total – 722 deer (a few odd ball check-ins, antlerless etc)

Unit CWD (firearms) - 134 deer, or 18% of Statewide kill.

*** based on photos I seen across the State, a few bucks killed were in hard horn.

Congrats to all who took part and made the most of it!
IIRC, thats a little lower than years past, but not as low as I would have expected since this was the hottest velvet hunt weekend we've had
 
IIRC, thats a little lower than years past, but not as low as I would have expected since this was the hottest velvet hunt weekend we've had
Keep in mind in years past, no one in West TN could legally use a rifle (as they did this year), in what started as an archery weekend summertime "trophy velvet" hunt.

Also, it appears the illegal use of firearms in the rest of the state has only gone up annually during the velvet hunt. Same for using legal archery equipment over an illegal pile of corn.

My take is the percentage of illegal harvest is rapidly rising,
while the average hunter has less interest in "velvet" summertime deer hunting with each passing year.

EVERYTHING about this contributes to giving hunters a bad name among non-hunters, who ultimately decide the fate of ethical sport deer hunters?
 
Keep in mind in years past, no one in West TN could legally use a rifle (as they did this year), in what started as an archery weekend summertime "trophy velvet" hunt.
August velvet hunt started in 2018, few months before CWD was first detected. 2018 was the only year that August velvet hunt was archery only and private land only across the entire State.

This is the fourth year rifles were allowed in UNIT CWD for August velvet hunt (2020-2023), and we could use a MZer for the velvet hunt in 2019 before rifles became legal.
 
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August velvet hunt started in 2018, few months before CWD was first detected. 2018 was the only year that August velvet hunt was archery only and private land only across the entire State.

This is the fourth year rifles were allowed in UNIT CWD for August velvet hunt (2020-2023), and we could use a MZer for the velvet hunt in 2019 before rifles became legal.
Correct on rifles
 
Based on recent TWRA post season hunter surveys, they estimate 17,000 hunters participate in the August velvet hunt. It is estimated that 151,000 hunters participate in traditional deer season, thus 11% of all statewide deer hunters partake in August velvet hunt.
 
IIRC, thats a little lower than years past, but not as low as I would have expected since this was the hottest velvet hunt weekend we've had
Generally speaking, I expect 600-800 bucks to be killed Statewide on August velvet hunt. This year's total fell right in the middle. I'm convinced the extreme hot temps and humidity affect "some" hunters WAY MORE than deer.
 
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