Velvet
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://www.biggame.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/untamed.png[/author_image] [author_info]Larry Weishuhn is a widely known writer, speaker, raconteur and world hunter. He co-hosts “DSC’s Trailing the Hunter’s Moon” on Pursuit Channel, CarbonTV and the show’s YouTube Channel.[/author_info] [/author]
Temperature north of the century mark, buzzing mosquitos, perspiration soaked clothing begging for a breeze to create evaporation…. Ahhh, mid-summer scouting whitetails. For the past week, I had found every excuse I could think of, not to go look for whitetail bucks with velvet-covered antlers. I am not a fan of summertime! Finally, curiosity started getting the best of me. So there I was sitting, my back against an oak tree in partial shade, waiting for the sun to drop behind a wall of oaks and cedars to the west.
Raising my binocular, I concentrated on movement two hundred yards away in solid shade but also behind tall-growing sunflowers. I could tell the movement was a deer, although at the moment I was uncertain whether it was a buck or doe. Slowly it moved to my right, with luck the deer would expose head and antlers and with even more luck, walk through the broken shade. If it did, I was certain I would be able to ascertain the deer’s sex, and, if indeed it had antlers, the size of the rack relative to spread, height and number of points.
A month earlier, I had seen what looked like the beginnings of a really nice 8-point with decent spread, massive antlers and what promised to be rather tall tines. I had only caught a glimpse. Thinking he might stay in the area I had set up a trail camera in hopes of capturing his image for closer evaluation. But after three weeks of potential buck photos, the only photos of deer had been does and fawns.
A week prior I had dropped two Texas Raised Hunting Products (TRHP) (www.texasraisedhuntingproducts.com) “Curiosity Lure Scent Wick Cans” where three trails converged into one, leading to a late summer food plot of Iron clay peas. Now, I was set up where I could see that spot. “The cans” had obviously been moved left, right, back and forwards since I had set them on the ground.
The buck headed to that exact spot. I raised my camera loaded with an SD card, which I wished was a rifle or handgun loaded with Hornady ammo and topped with a Trijicon scope or sight. Come November my cameras would be in a backpack and Hornady loaded firearms would be in my hands. There was time for one quick photo before the buck disappeared. Just before he did, I notice something in his mouth. I lowered my camera and raised my binocular. He was carrying a TRHP can in his mouth. By the time I swapped bino for the camera, he was gone.
If the buck was doing what he was doing with the Curiosity lure, I can only imagine what might happen once I start putting out TRHP’s “Inflame Doe in Estrus” scent wick cans.
Fall hunting seasons can hardly come quick enough. In the meantime, I will continue looking for curious “velvet bucks”…
Regardless of what is going on in the world, there are always small things, of beauty and splendor, for us to enjoy, admire and appreciate!
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