Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

2022 Velvet Bucks

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
49,369
288
Appalachia
I have a question for you guys in southern Ohio. Do your bucks quit growing earlier than northern Ohio? Velvet come of earlier?
I would imagine there's a lag, but don't know the northern data points to compare it too. Typically, bucks in my area (western Washington County) are all but done growing by the 2nd week of August and shed around Labor Day every year. I have bucks on cam at the same mineral site as the big one I shared a couple days ago and they're basically done, whereas he still has plenty of growing to do. Anecdotally, and fairly obviously, the bigger the buck, the longer the process.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Boarhead

Boarhead

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
That's the truth @Boarhead! The neighborhood has patient dads, but a lot of budding youth hunters, so the 4 and 5 year old bucks are even harder to find nowadays. I do the same, so I'm not pointing fingers, but corn, cams, crossbows and kids are hell on deer! 😂
@bowhunter1023 I will say if you have the hunting pressure around you which I think most of us do anymore and you like him when he walks by then SEND IT!
The girls or you might not get that second chance, they sometimes only come around once gotta take advantage when it happens that's why we do this.
 

Bankfish

Junior Member
763
71
STC950137.jpg
STC950110.jpg
a few from Butler co.
STC_0013(1).jpg
 

Spencie

Senior Member
5,046
145
Constitution Ohio
I have a question for you guys in southern Ohio. Do your bucks quit growing earlier than northern Ohio? Velvet come of earlier?
I’m also in Washington county and Jesse is generally right on those times. But some deer start earlier than others and finish earlier. Others don’t get going until early July and they end up the same size. The (very) few special ones grow from April to late august. I imagine it’s similar all over the state.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
49,369
288
Appalachia
Took them a while, but they finally found and took to the feeder behind our house. The buck on the front side found it a week ago and has been a regular. He brought his buddy yesterday. Last night, I saw 17 bucks within 1.5 miles of my house, so it won't be long before more buddies show up. Especially when I start going full on #grapedrankmafia on them 😎

77a63ad1-b010-4e5f-8c07-e6031194f54c.jpg
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
49,369
288
Appalachia
I saw 17 bucks within 1.5 miles of my house, so it won't be long before more buddies show up.

Right on cue. Two new faces this evening, but only new for this year's rack. The first buck is very familiar to us as he was a frequent visitor last year and we have a shed from last year. The 8 point is one of 3 within 15" of one another. 7 different bucks were in there today.

6a439e08-78ee-4d3f-b379-4188765d2476.jpg
660571e0-91a2-42e6-8308-c4e7663c38e0.jpg
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
49,369
288
Appalachia
Textbook old, big 9 point. I have 3 of these on the wall from these same woods. It's a great spot for deer to get to 5+, but rarely are they big scorers. It seems the genetic studs either get killed (quietly) or they go elsewhere to get old. He's one that disperses a good ways after velvet shed, so I doubt we get to hunt him much.

2cc5e5fd-75b4-4528-8ad9-7dec9707d8ab.jpg
 

Wildlife

Denny
Supporting Member
5,396
191
Ross County
What's the point in the trough if you're still spreading it around?
The trough got cleaned out and replenished earlier today. The old corn from the troughs on the ground is what keeps all the smaller wildlife satisfied.
What you see on the ground within the photos will be gone in less than two days.
Approximately 100lbs. gets eaten out of the troughs every two days now that the weather is fair. I expect that intake volume to increase in the coming months. Each trough easily contains 150lbs. of corn along with one mineral lick.

The other farm gets 200lbs. every 7-10 days to replenish that corn feeder. That feeder dispenses twice a day for 20 seconds. Once pre-dawn and around 4:00 p.m.

A lot of deer made up for their food intake today. Much cooler temperatures in the forecast this week so, I fully expect the feed stations to get hit hard all week.
There were at least one deer at the feed station every hour all throughout the entire day today.
 
Last edited:

Gern186

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,362
215
NW Ohio Tundra
Do you not have natural food like soybeans in your area? Just curious why feeding corn by the truckload in July? Does that keep them close to your stand locations?
 

Wildlife

Denny
Supporting Member
5,396
191
Ross County
Do you not have natural food like soybeans in your area? Just curious why feeding corn by the truckload in July? Does that keep them close to your stand locations?
Nope. Nothing but corn this year in the surrounding farm properties. If they want beans, they'll have to travel a few miles.
 
Last edited: