BenA
5 year old buck +
From what I understand, the staining isn't permanent in most cases. It's a product of the increased gland secretions in the rut. I would imagine taxidermy hide prep could remove a lot of the chemical compounds that make up the staining. Summer and pre-rut bucks don't exhibit it.I checked the five 4.5 to 5.5 year old bucks I have, all taken during the rut. Only 1 exhibited a small amount of this trait. I see more brow coloring based on trees rubbed. In N. Alberta, darker because of black spruce and around here more rusty due to Tamarack, birch, & aspen.