Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Serious Deer Talk Forum Antler Growth Period in Alabama

Seeing swamp_fever2002's post in the pictures forum made me start thinking about when the Alabama antler growing period ends. Having run trail cameras for 3 years now, I know that most of the deer I get on camera shed their velvet in late Sept. Does the antler grow right up until the velvet comes off? Or is there a couple days/weeks that the growing has stopped before the velvet starts coming off? I am going to check a couple cameras I've had out all summer tomorrow so it'd be neat to know about how many days/weeks of growing they have left to do.

In my opinion, the antler growth that I see is almost complete by the end of August. Sure they may grow a little more in September but usually it will be minimal.

Yea, I'd say with in another 30 days they will be 99% done on our place. Right now the tines and main beams should be continuing to grow but spread and mass and G-1's are done.

in south Montgomery co. they don't lose their velvet until Oct.

They are typically through growing inches of antler by mid-late August, and the last month is hardening. We don't usually see much growth after August.

a seven year old buck I watch sheds his velvet Sept 15-17 every year....

A buddy of mine sent me a picture a couple years ago of a buck that shed on September 1. His buddies in that same group he hung out with all year didn't shed til October.

ours shed around the 20th. Back in 2007 I had pics of a bachelor group in August and Sept. and was able to see them grow their horns and then shed their velvet. I tried to find them on my computer but can't. Anyway, it was interesting that once the velvet started shedding these bucks disappeared. I really don't want to deer hunt in Sept. but I'm sure there would be a lot more mature bucks killed if the season opened around the 15th of Sept.

What I find interesting,is that whitetails in Canada cast there antlers in December and Whitetails in the deep south may not until March. It pretty much starts in far north and gets later as you come south. However they all shed thier velvet in a much smaller window. With some exeptions but for the most part last couple weeks in Sept. When I used to bow hunt Carter Mt. Tenn. their bow season opened 3rd Saturday in September. There would be bucks killed with and without velvet.
Hey, L. Thompson just figured out I know you. Known your dad for years, good guy , very good hunter to.

Most of the bucks on our lease in Perry county start losing their velvet in the last weeks of sept and first couple weeks of october. it varies about 3 or 4 weeks. Once a deer starts losing its velvet on our place it only takes about 2 days and it is gone.

They usually start growing on our place is late may but grow at a very slow rate until early july. Then the pace picks up and they grow very fast with the majority of the growth being finished by early August. Then they just go through a period where they harden before they shed their velvet.

This is what i have seen on cameras since 2006 when i started working them.

From trail camera photos over the last few years, I noticed very minimal, if any growth after the end of August.

Bless your heart.

Thanks for the input. I was thinking about mid Sept but maybe it is the end of August...I'll play closer attention this season.

Boydawg,
How do I know you?

He saw where I called you a fat bastard and he immediately knew who you were....go figure! LOL!

L.Thompson Ate lunch with you and your dad at Shorty's last season, we talked baseball. Hey fellas, he does come from a good family. Some of it musta rubbed off!

Doubt it! LOL!

You ate lunch with that loser one time and think you've got a good read on him? Pfffft. That boy ain't worth a chit and couldn't kill a deer or turkey in a zoo.

I know you are slow but I didn't think you were a retard...Quit confusing myself with you!

And I with you now Boydawg. Did you end up killing any good ones last year? And don't you think you need one more person hunting with you up there this year???????

Hey Pot/Kettle....is that proper grammar in the infamous Scottsboro school system?

Nah...just knew I have to type like this so you'll understand...