September 6, 2017

Bucks in Velvet and Stand Placement

with Marshall Collette

two bucks with velvet antlers

North Carolina will have a lot of hunters come in from out of state for early bow season in hopes of taking a buck in the velvet, but I've never taken a buck in the velvet. I prefer to let the bucks get in hard antler before I take a buck to mount. But I don’t have a problem with those hunters who want to take velvet-antlered bucks. Some of our club members enjoy hunting and taking velvet- antlered bucks. About 10 years ago, one of our members took a velvet-antlered buck that scored 140 inches.

My friends and I have been hunting two properties for so long that we've pretty well got the bucks patterned. On the 500-acre agricultural farm, my stand is on a hardwood ridge with a trail that comes up the hill from a creek down in the bottom. That creek bottom is right on the edge of an agricultural field that’s either planted in soybeans or corn every year. On top of the ridge, are plenty of acorns. Because deer are browsers, they don’t target just one food. They’ll eat acorns, and they’ll eat agriculture.

I have a tree stand on top of the ridge where the deer come out of the agriculture, go through the hardwood bottom and come up on top of the ridge to eat acorns. We call that stand the Lucky Tree. There's no telling how many deer have been taken from that stand that’s about 30 yards from the edge of the woods.

On the cattle farm, I hunt out in the cutover. We have stands on the edges of the cutover as well as out in the cutover, and we put stands around the food plots that are out in the cutover.

Part 2: Early Season Deer Hunting with Marshall Collette

Part 4: Hunting Club Management and Camaraderie

Early Season Deer Hunting with Marshall Collette

I bowhunt as well as rifle hunt. We tend to take our biggest bucks off both properties during muzzleloader season, which arrives at the end of October and continues through the first of November. The first week or two of rifle season generally starts the second Saturday of November. Like many other states, at the first of bow season, I do more scouting than I actually hunt.

Deer, BioLogic, Mossy Oak, Bow

Latest Content

Mossy Oak’s Annual Fox Hole Shootout Hits Record-Breaking Year with $290,000 Raised for St. Jude, Conservation

This year, the annual Fox Hole Shootout raised an incredible amount of $290,000– the highest amount raised in the event’s history.

Turkey, Fishing, Small Game, Deer, Waterfowl, Conservation, Land Management, News, Mossy Oak Properties

Waterfowl Population Surveys: How Wildlife Managers Assess Waterfowl Populations

Among the most important components involved in calculating how many birds can and will be taken in a given year is the annual waterfowl population surveys.

Waterfowl, Conservation, Land Management

Duck Hunting Rice Fields in Arkansas: The Rich History and Modern Strategies

Although mallards had been descending on the bottomland hardwoods, bayous, and swamps of Arkansas long before the 20th century, the legend of duck hunting in the natural states tends to coincide with the advent of rice farming.

Waterfowl, Mossy Oak Companions, Mossy Oak Gamekeepers

Mossy Oak's 2024 Christmas Gift Guide for Hunters and Anglers

Whether you need Christmas gift ideas for fisherman, Christmas gift ideas for deer hunters, or Christmas gift ideas for camo lovers, there's a great selection of products on our list here.

Fishing, Big Game, Small Game, Deer, Waterfowl, Gear

Duck Confit Garlic Fries

Duck confit is a cooking method that leave the meat insanely silky that just melts in your mouth. So, get in the kitchen and try something new.

Waterfowl, Wild Game Recipes, Ingredient Wild, Mossy Oak Gamekeeper Butchery

Toxey Haas's Tips for Brushing in a Duck Blind

Toxey Haas loves to hunt ducks. In these videos, he takes us through his essential kit for brushing in and repairing a duck blind as well as how he prepares his duck blinds every year.

Waterfowl, How-To

Mossy Oak's Woodsman Series is Back

The Mossy Oak Woodsman Series is Back. Rooted in everything core hunters expected from us in the early days, the Woodsman collection is thoughtfully designed, constructed with quality materials, quiet fabrics, sturdy stitching and of course, our timeless camouflage patterns. We're proud to celebrate the core of hunting, woodsmanship, and with seasonal collections on the horizon, we're excited to open the archives, add a few things and re-introduce these classic designs. The Mossy Oak Woodsman

Turkey, Big Game, Small Game, Deer, Waterfowl, Predator, Conservation, Land Management, Gear, Mossy Oak

From the Archive: Deer Calling Tips from the Pros

Originally published in the 1994 Mossy Oak Bowhunting Magazine, this article talks to professionals like Will Primos on calling in deer.

Deer

How a Fistful of Dirt Started a Revolution

"That day was the beginning of a revolution in hunter concealment. It was the beginning of Mossy Oak, America's most effective concealment system."

Turkey, Deer

From the Archive: Ask the Pros! Mossy Oak Experts Answer Key Questions

"Pay attention as Mossy Oak Pro Staffers Will Walker, Mark Drury, Mike Fine and Stan Oakes--archery hunting's A Team--delve deep into the sport for insight and info that only they can provide."

Deer, Bow

From the Archives: Tune-Up Clinic

Originally published in the 1994 edition of Mossy Oak Bowhunting Magazine, this article discusses how to make sure your bowhunting set up is perfect come season.

Big Game, Deer, Bow

From the Archives: Bob Dixon and Steve Burnett on the Art of Mix and Matching Camo

By Terry Madewell, originally published in the 1994 edition of Mossy Oak Bowhunting Magazine As big whitetail bucks are inclined to do, this one had done the unexpected. I'd studied this buck's pattern for a couple of weeks, being extremely careful not to leave any scent in the wrong places. I'd selected a stand site where the dense underbrush funneled into a 40-yard-wide strip. I was sure this was where he would walk and I

Turkey, Big Game, Deer, Waterfowl, Predator, How-To

Explore All Posts