Early Velvet season this year?

[themanpcl]

Curious about the velvet hunt "haters" posting here. I have hunted the "velvet weekend" every year since the start, even in the hurricane remnants a few years ago. I have yet to even see one and I have sweat my ass off every year but I'm there because I love hunting. Are you upset that people who are willing to gut it out legally in the heat and bugs to get a chance at a velvet buck are afforded the opportunity to do so? Aside from the poaching issue which happens year round and is seemingly not a priority of the TWRA, if there are so few people legally hunting and killing and it's part of your bag limit, what makes you so mad? Is it that someone else may get "your deer"...lol... I haven't seen any stats that reflect a negative impact to the deer population from "velvet weekend". And, I don't completely understand the objection to rifle and CWD tie in to the velvet season. Is it just the poaching problem that seemingly gives them 3 days to shoot the gun and not raise suspicion? Isn't the goal to remove as many deer in those CWD zones as possible? Thought that was what was "needed" to curtail the disease (per the "experts")? If I'm missing something, please educate me on why CWD counties are allowed to use rifles (not in one of the counties and hope never to be). Personally, if they open a slingshot season, I will be out there regardless of the weather. I don't worry about what other people are doing as long as they are doing it legally. Hunting for me is personal. I don't get jealous when other people have more free time to hunt than I do or have better land and are able to take deer every year. I didn't get mad when they legalized crossbows in bow season or inline muzzelloaders. This whole "velvet" season started because some people got jealous that KY and some other states started their season early enough to be able to kill velvet bucks and they wanted to have their opportunity. It was not biologically based nor was it based on the hope to get more folks into hunting (additionaly revenue). I was not one of those clamoring to get that season opened but as stated earlier, I will participate in any legal season for game I hunt. I guess bottom line (trigger warning...lol), if you don't like that others have an opportunity to get a velvet buck, get your ass in the woods or stfu.

 

[Team Yuma]

I don't see anything wrong with the early season velvet hunt except another opportunity to get in the woods. Especially for archery hunters, it's a great weekend.

 

[timberjack86]

Curious about the velvet hunt "haters" posting here. I have hunted the "velvet weekend" every year since the start, even in the hurricane remnants a few years ago. I have yet to even see one and I have sweat my ass off every year but I'm there because I love hunting. Are you upset that people who are willing to gut it out legally in the heat and bugs to get a chance at a velvet buck are afforded the opportunity to do so? Aside from the poaching issue which happens year round and is seemingly not a priority of the TWRA, if there are so few people legally hunting and killing and it's part of your bag limit, what makes you so mad? Is it that someone else may get "your deer"...lol... I haven't seen any stats that reflect a negative impact to the deer population from "velvet weekend". And, I don't completely understand the objection to rifle and CWD tie in to the velvet season. Is it just the poaching problem that seemingly gives them 3 days to shoot the gun and not raise suspicion? Isn't the goal to remove as many deer in those CWD zones as possible? Thought that was what was "needed" to curtail the disease (per the "experts")? If I'm missing something, please educate me on why CWD counties are allowed to use rifles (not in one of the counties and hope never to be). Personally, if they open a slingshot season, I will be out there regardless of the weather. I don't worry about what other people are doing as long as they are doing it legally. Hunting for me is personal. I don't get jealous when other people have more free time to hunt than I do or have better land and are able to take deer every year. I didn't get mad when they legalized crossbows in bow season or inline muzzelloaders. This whole "velvet" season started because some people got jealous that KY and some other states started their season early enough to be able to kill velvet bucks and they wanted to have their opportunity. It was not biologically based nor was it based on the hope to get more folks into hunting (additionaly revenue). I was not one of those clamoring to get that season opened but as stated earlier, I will participate in any legal season for game I hunt. I guess bottom line (trigger warning...lol), if you don't like that others have an opportunity to get a velvet buck, get your ass in the woods or stfu.

Just one question, would you be down for night Hunting in unit CWD? Kill em all right?

 

[tbadon]

I am grateful for the velvet hunt. Our lease is mostly ag land. See shooter bucks during the summer up until the velvet comes off. Then sightings and photos begin to drop. It is very difficult to kill a trophy buck even though we have several hundred acres. But during August, those trophy bucks are less wary, and frequent ag fields. I was able to harvest a buck of a lifetime because of it last season. I agree with themanpcl. Outside of poaching, velvet season harvest has very little impact on the population. IF the velvet season is an excuse for poachers to take a buck for their season tag, then they are likely checking it in. If the harvest data shows that very few bucks are taken during the 3 days, then what is the problem? There will always be sinners in every aspect of life. Anyone who participates in poaching knows it, and theirs is a hollow victory that is not fulfilling. If poaching is a problem in your area, be the Persistent Widow(Luke 18:1-8).

 

[BSK]

Curious about the velvet hunt "haters" posting here. I have hunted the "velvet weekend" every year since the start, even in the hurricane remnants a few years ago. I have yet to even see one and I have sweat my ass off every year but I'm there because I love hunting. Are you upset that people who are willing to gut it out legally in the heat and bugs to get a chance at a velvet buck are afforded the opportunity to do so? Aside from the poaching issue which happens year round and is seemingly not a priority of the TWRA, if there are so few people legally hunting and killing and it's part of your bag limit, what makes you so mad? Is it that someone else may get "your deer"...lol... I haven't seen any stats that reflect a negative impact to the deer population from "velvet weekend". And, I don't completely understand the objection to rifle and CWD tie in to the velvet season. Is it just the poaching problem that seemingly gives them 3 days to shoot the gun and not raise suspicion? Isn't the goal to remove as many deer in those CWD zones as possible? Thought that was what was "needed" to curtail the disease (per the "experts")? If I'm missing something, please educate me on why CWD counties are allowed to use rifles (not in one of the counties and hope never to be). Personally, if they open a slingshot season, I will be out there regardless of the weather. I don't worry about what other people are doing as long as they are doing it legally. Hunting for me is personal. I don't get jealous when other people have more free time to hunt than I do or have better land and are able to take deer every year. I didn't get mad when they legalized crossbows in bow season or inline muzzelloaders. This whole "velvet" season started because some people got jealous that KY and some other states started their season early enough to be able to kill velvet bucks and they wanted to have their opportunity. It was not biologically based nor was it based on the hope to get more folks into hunting (additionaly revenue). I was not one of those clamoring to get that season opened but as stated earlier, I will participate in any legal season for game I hunt. I guess bottom line (trigger warning...lol), if you don't like that others have an opportunity to get a velvet buck, get your ass in the woods or stfu.

What I don't like about it is what I've already stated: mature bucks are on VERY predictable summer patterns at this time (late August). They come to ag fields using the same trails every day and their arrival is like clockwork. Picking off these mature bucks is much, much easier at this time of year than during the fall hunting season. And the problem gets even worse in the CWD Zones, where a rifle can be used. Picking off bucks feeding in bean fields in August is not difficult at all, and hunters with guns could put a world of hurt on their buck age structure by hunting in late August. Now bow hunters aren't going to have as much impact, but a higher impact than during the regular bow season when mature bucks have stopped those highly predictable ag field patterns. I have clients with property very near CWD Zones, and these properties will be included in the CWD Zone is the next fewer years. They've already decided that they will not allow hunting on their property (some of these are big clubs) during the velvet hunt. They could wipe out their mature buck population with rifles in late August.

 

[BSK]

I am grateful for the velvet hunt. Our lease is mostly ag land. See shooter bucks during the summer up until the velvet comes off. Then sightings and photos begin to drop. It is very difficult to kill a trophy buck even though we have several hundred acres. But during August, those trophy bucks are less wary, and frequent ag fields. I was able to harvest a buck of a lifetime because of it last season. I agree with themanpcl. Outside of poaching, velvet season harvest has very little impact on the population. IF the velvet season is an excuse for poachers to take a buck for their season tag, then they are likely checking it in. If the harvest data shows that very few bucks are taken during the 3 days, then what is the problem? There will always be sinners in every aspect of life. Anyone who participates in poaching knows it, and theirs is a hollow victory that is not fulfilling. If poaching is a problem in your area, be the Persistent Widow(Luke 18:1-8).

You write the above about how much easier it is to kill mature bucks in the velvet hunt but then say it isn't effecting population. Well it most certainly is for the population of mature bucks!

 

[tbadon]

You write the above about how much easier it is to kill mature bucks in the velvet hunt but then say it isn't effecting population. Well it most certainly is for the population of mature bucks!

The buck was a minimum of 6.5 years old(photos). In 40 years of hunting the property we have only killed one of that age structure, and maybe a half dozen 3.5-4.5 year olds. Most of our harvest has been does. Hunters on adjacent properties have been harvesting the older bucks during traditional seasons. The point is, that for our property the only serious chance of harvesting a buck of that age range(and corresponding size) is during the velvet hunt.

 

[themanpcl]

Just one question, would you be down for night Hu

Just one question, would you be down for night Hunting in unit CWD? Kill em all right?

Not sure you read my post correctly... I never advocated for "kill 'em all"?....I do not know about the long term plan for CWD areas but what I have always heard is that they intend to wipe out as many deer as possible to end the spread. I personally willl do whatever is necessary to pass on the tradition of hunting to the next generations so if it kept the disease from spreading, bet your ass I'd sign up today for night hunts. If it meant I'd have to go a few years without hunting, I'd become a better fisherman....lol....

 

[themanpcl]

What I don't like about it is what I've already stated: mature bucks are on VERY predictable summer patterns at this time (late August). They come to ag fields using the same trails every day and their arrival is like clockwork. Picking off these mature bucks is much, much easier at this time of year than during the fall hunting season. And the problem gets even worse in the CWD Zones, where a rifle can be used. Picking off bucks feeding in bean fields in August is not difficult at all, and hunters with guns could put a world of hurt on their buck age structure by hunting in late August. Now bow hunters aren't going to have as much impact, but a higher impact than during the regular bow season when mature bucks have stopped those highly predictable ag field patterns. I have clients with property very near CWD Zones, and these properties will be included in the CWD Zone is the next fewer years. They've already decided that they will not allow hunting on their property (some of these are big clubs) during the velvet hunt. They could wipe out their mature buck population with rifles in late August.

So you are saying that in the CWD zones, more ppl will be gun hunting the velvet weekend vs the rest of the state and in so doing if they are able to kill (only 1 buck I assume) then they will kill a disproportionate number of older bucks and leave fewer for bow hunting in the regular season? So in CWD zone there are proportionately more hunters in the velvet season than the non CWD zones? Back to my CWD question, isn't the TWRA trying to have people kill as many of the deer in the zone as they can? If not, what would be the point in allowing gun basically the entire season?

 

[deerhunter10]

It was nothing but a money grab by twra imo. Absolutely will never allow hunting on our places during velvet and that will never change.

 

[redblood]

Free fishing day is in June. Free hunting day is the overlap in August, but it is squirrel only. Still gotta have a big game tag (or qualify for the land owner exemption) to be legal to hunt deer that weekend.

Ok. For some reason i thought that weekend was free for fishing as well

 

[redblood]

It was nothing but a money grab by twra imo. Absolutely will never allow hunting on our places during velvet and that will never change.

Is it too lure out of state bowhunters to kill a velvet buck?

 

[Andy S.]

I thought it was an ofd decision myself, but at least it wasnt a bonus tag.

Unit CWD hunters start the season with 3 "statewide" antlered tags, and have unlimited opportunity to "earn" more "Unit CWD" antlered tags through "hunter incentive" programs. Buck tags in Unit CWD can be plentiful if you play the game with killing does for testing, have a buck test positive for CWD, etc. I can easily believe a serious deer hunter in Unit CWD could legally tag 5+ statewide "Unit CWD" bucks if he/she wanted to, especially if he/she started the season early and got out ahead of the gang. Unit CWD rifle season starts October 30th this year. Of course, hunters can use rifles for a lot of the areas in Unit CWD during the 3-day august velvet hunt. Bottom line, limited buck tags are not a distractor for most hunters in Unit CWD these days. Few key points below taken straight from TWRA website:

Unit CWD Earn-a-Buck Program

• Tennessee's antlered deer bag limit for Unit CWD is 3. The rest of the state has a 2 buck limit.
• Unit CWD hunters may earn an unlimited number of antlered deer for harvest in Unit CWD in addition to the bag limit.
• An additional antlered deer is earned for each and every single antlerless deer harvested in Unit CWD and submitted for CWD testing, regardless of the test results.
• Earned antlered deer must be harvested in Unit CWD.
• Valid for 2023-2024 hunting season only.

Replacement Buck Program

• Hunters will receive a replacement buck if they harvest an antlered deer with an official test result of positive.
• There is no limit on the number of replacement antlered deer.
• Replacement bucks may only be harvested in Unit CWD or in the county where the qualifying CWD-positive antlered deer was harvested.
• Replacement bucks must be harvested in the current deerseason or during the following year's deer season. The next antlered deer harvested counts as the replacement buck.

 

[deerhunter10]

Is it too lure out of state bowhunters to kill a velvet buck?

Yes in my opinion. I've seen countless people now selling velvet hunts guided or unguided. Probably have seen 5 to 8 different local people do that. And 99 percent of those people are out of state

 

[Andy S.]

Except the fact that virtually no one hunts it. The last few years has seen harvest during the velvet season in the teens in my county.

3 day buck harvest totals from prior 3 years August velvet hunt, over 95 counties:

2020- 764
2021- 563
2022- 858

I'll add. I do not believe harvesting 1% of annual statewide kill in a 3 day velvet hunt impacts buck harvest structure on a statewide level, MAYBE a very localized level in Unit CWD. For example, last year, there were 858 bucks killed/checked in on velvet hunt. At the end of season, there were right at 88,000 bucks killed across the state. IMO, this is a drop in the bucket in the big picture. For the record, I have not hunted August velvet hunt last three years.

 

[BSK]

So you are saying that in the CWD zones, more ppl will be gun hunting the velvet weekend vs the rest of the state and in so doing if they are able to kill (only 1 buck I assume) then they will kill a disproportionate number of older bucks and leave fewer for bow hunting in the regular season? So in CWD zone there are proportionately more hunters in the velvet season than the non CWD zones? Back to my CWD question, isn't the TWRA trying to have people kill as many of the deer in the zone as they can? If not, what would be the point in allowing gun basically the entire season?

Yes, I am saying in the CWD Zone, hunters are hunting with guns during the velvet hunt. No, I am not worried they will kill more mature bucks, hence there will be less for bow hunters. I am saying there will simply be less period. A bad thing for the deer herds. Mature bucks are wary enough the rest of the year that they can take care of themselves during the hunting season. But they are HIGHLY susceptible to harvest in late summer, due to their predictable patterns.

The State wanting to kill down the deer herds to slow the spread of CWD is a massive mistake. A mistake for which West TN hunters will pay the price for a long time to come. Killing down the deer herds will just kill down the deer herds, not slow the spread of CWD. This has been tried in multiple locations and it did not work.

 

[BSK]

3 day buck harvest totals from prior 3 years August velvet hunt, over 95 counties:

2020- 764
2021- 563
2022- 858

I'll add. I do not believe harvesting 1% of annual statewide kill in a 3 day velvet hunt impacts buck harvest structure on a statewide level, MAYBE a very localized level in Unit CWD. For example, last year, there were 858 bucks killed/checked in on velvet hunt. At the end of season, there were right at 88,000 bucks killed across the state. IMO, this is a drop in the bucket in the big picture. For the record, I have not hunted August velvet hunt last three years.

Problem is, what percentage of those bucks are in the advanced age-classes? THAT is what could be troubling.

 

[themanpcl]

Yes, I am saying in the CWD Zone, hunters are hunting with guns during the velvet hunt. No, I am not worried they will kill more mature bucks, hence there will be less for bow hunters. I am saying there will simply be less period. A bad thing for the deer herds. Mature bucks are wary enough the rest of the year that they can take care of themselves during the hunting season. But they are HIGHLY susceptible to harvest in late summer, due to their predictable patterns.

The State wanting to kill down the deer herds to slow the spread of CWD is a massive mistake. A mistake for which West TN hunters will pay the price for a long time to come. Killing down the deer herds will just kill down the deer herds, not slow the spread of CWD. This has been tried in multiple locations and it did not work.

So at this point for CWD there is either kill them all or let it decimate the herds and spread? One would think there was a better plan than that?

 

[Andy S.]

A mistake for which West TN hunters will pay the price for a long time to come. Killing down the deer herds will just kill down the deer herds, not slow the spread of CWD. This has been tried in multiple locations and it did not work.

While I agree with what you are saying, if the orange text is accurate, the blue text can be edited to say State of TN (not just west TN), because eventually most/every county will be Unit CWD (assuming CWD continues to spread east, like it has last few years).

 

[Andy S.]

Problem is, what percentage of those bucks are in the advanced age-classes? THAT is what could be troubling.

Without adequate sampling, we are just all guessing. I suspect "most" Unit CWD hunters are more selective, and likely looking for 3.5+ bucks, due to hunting with a rifle with plenty of killing range, when compared to hunters outside of Unit CWD, who are limited to archery equipment on private property. I suspect non-Unit CWD hunters are more eager to take first ethical shot within archery range due to desire to kill velvet buck, limited effective range, and just a three day hunt opportunity. These are generalizations, based on the more eager younger hunters I have talked to that have hunted velvet hunt over last few years, both in Unit CWD and outside of Unit CWD.