# shot a velvet buck last week...will my velvet be ok???? :\



## BigDeer (Aug 9, 2005)

Opening day of Kansas season (Wednesday) I killed a nice velvet buck. The temps were below freezing. We took it back to my parents house and caped it out and I let it sit in their garage for a few days. Now the temps never got over freezing and in the teens at night and their garage is not heated and stays very cold. Did not have the freezer space to put the rack in a freezer. The following Saturday it rode on the back of the truck on the way home, still cold around freezing or under and I put it in a freezer when I got to my house and then took it to my taxi the next day. He didn't seemed overly concerned about the velvet other than if it was bleeding anywhere on the rack when I shot it, which it was I think at one spot from hitting some limbs taking off. I was never concerned about the velvet until reading some information today on velvet preservation and how it needs to go to a freezer asap and to a taxi asap. So now I am worried a little bit because technically I didn't have it in a freezer for a couple days, but it was freezing cold out lol. Maybe just paranoid, but I need some input please. 

Thanks!


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## Rockyoutdoors (Jul 31, 2008)

Hard to say without knowing the actual temps that the rack was in after your harvest but, from what you said it was freezing outside so you should be fine. I prefer to have my velvet racks freeze dried. Good luck!


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## M.Magis (Oct 2, 2003)

Freezing *temps *are the important part. You should be fine. The reason we always say to get in a freezer ASAP is because velvet deer are typically taken in much warmer weather.


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## TimberlandTaxi (Aug 29, 2009)

You will probably not have any problems. Velvet racks are usually full of blood and soft tissue which spoils very quickly in warm weather. You however, having taken the buck so late in the year, do not have to worry about that nearly as much. By now, the rack is dry, and contains very little blood and almost no soft tissue. Even though they are basically dry, the velvet will still need to be treated. Since it contains very little blood, this can be done topically. Your taxidermist hopefully knows that. I've taken in three similar bucks in the last couple years. Here is one of them:


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## BigDeer (Aug 9, 2005)

TimberlandTaxi said:


> You will probably not have any problems. Velvet racks are usually full of blood and soft tissue which spoils very quickly in warm weather. You however, having taken the buck so late in the year, do not have to worry about that nearly as much. By now, the rack is dry, and contains very little blood and almost no soft tissue. Even though they are basically dry, the velvet will still need to be treated. Since it contains very little blood, this can be done topically. Your taxidermist hopefully knows that. I've taken in three similar bucks in the last couple years. Here is one of them:


Thank you guys, and yes he's done a bunch of caribou and deer before in velvet. This buck was taken in freezing temps in Kansas, so I won't worry about it anymore. wheeeeeeeeew  lol


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## StraightShotSam (Aug 11, 2010)

TimberlandTaxi said:


> You will probably not have any problems. Velvet racks are usually full of blood and soft tissue which spoils very quickly in warm weather. You however, having taken the buck so late in the year, do not have to worry about that nearly as much. By now, the rack is dry, and contains very little blood and almost no soft tissue. Even though they are basically dry, the velvet will still need to be treated. Since it contains very little blood, this can be done topically. Your taxidermist hopefully knows that. I've taken in three similar bucks in the last couple years. Here is one of them:


I love the way you airbrush the lips and lower nose. Very realistic with the more brownish tone as apposed to the solid black.


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