Large Velvet 8 Point Whitetail Buck

I photographed this large velvet 8-point Whitetail Buck last June at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. I am unable to visit the refuge now because of a flood (Flooding At Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge).

Before the flood, I saw several Whitetail Bucks in different stages of antler growth. I counted eight in one bachelor group. However, I couldn’t get the photo I wanted because of the light or distance.

I first saw this large 8-point Whitetail Buck in a cornfield at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. The cornfield was overhead high, so I couldn’t get a photo of the Buck. I saw another Buck that came out to the edge of the same cornfield, and I could get a few photos of it. I knew where the larger Buck would go after it left the cornfield, so I drove over to that area and waited. About 15 minutes later, I saw this large 8-point Buck coming from the cornfield, and I got the photo below.

If you look closely at my photo, you will see a large horsefly on the back of the Buck. The horseflies in this area are huge. You can also see that this Buck has two smaller tines at the base of the right antler.

I am not sure what is going on with the Buck’s coat! I see many deer at this refuge with this color. It looks like they are between the winter and summer coat. The temperatures in this area have been in the upper nineties for a while.

Large 8 Point Buck In Velvet
Large 8 Point Buck In Velvet