Oh I won't argue that they're not more easily patternable. My argument is and always has been that it doesn't necessarily make them easier to hunt. If you have access to where bucks are during the velvet season, you're already in a major minority. Then if you're lucky enough to have them, you now have to capitalize. You had your shooter within tough but reasonable bow range. Did you get him? Did you hunt?

Most of the people who talk about how easy it is to kill a big velvet buck are the same ones who don't actually hunt the velvet season. The actual velvet hunters don't seem to think it's so easy, and 4% success odds seem to agree. My argument is that patterning a buck isn't the same as setting up and killing him. If you think a mature buck will do the same thing day in day out then set up to hunt him and see what happens. 96% of the hunters this season can tell you exactly how that works out .... or more appropriately doesn't work out.