I love seeing the last July, early August bucks on the mountain, in the velvet. Thus the slick reddish brown look, in puffy velvet.
But with me there is always a “however”……., I can’t stand the nasty, dusty, look of an any animal mounted in the velvet. Especially after they have been hanging for a few years.
So…… for a mounted buck I like the early gray, before it gets to looking like a ruffed up prize fighter, in mid November.