DEER HUNTING -- Hot weather and a brief cooling trend followed by record or near-record hot weather greeted archery hunters out for the opening of whitetail hunting seasons the past week in western states.

Then came the full moon: Deer activity really slowed for hunters.

The change in weather should get the action back in gear.

Although the velvet seems to peel off most bucks around Sept. 1, hunters are seeing some major differences in antler appearance.

In northeastern Washington, Kevin Scheib saw two nice bucks while scouting over the weekend: One was all rubbed clean, the other still had velvet hanging off his rack, he said.

A little farther south, Brandon Enevold has had plenty of action near his stands as well as at his trail cams as bucks continue to be in summer feeding patterns.

The night of Sept. 6, he snapped photo documentation (above) of two bucks, one in full velvet and the other with a bone-clean rack.

"I'll be letting both of these bucks grow for another year or two," he said, offering an explanation for his patience: "I passed up 10 bucks over Labor Day weekend and almost got a shot at a solid 140 incher."

But he said the hot weather shut down his action last weekend. He's expecting that to change.