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Shortage of bucks?

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TheMadCatter

TheMadCatter

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Anybody else having this problem? I'm not saying shortage of deer, I'm saying shortage of bucks in general. I'm not saying big bucks either. Tonight I went out to check a place for shotgun (surprise) 20 does were under my blind. But not a single buck. I've been seeing this a lot lately on this property. I'd say now the ratio is 1 buck to every 10-15 does. The year before the shotgun group that hunts the property 1st season shot 12 bucks (Second season group shot 4). I personally shot my buck on that place this year. But, it's one of the few bucks I've seen on the property.
 
More small bucks than normal. I have more nice bucks on camera than normal, just not showing themselves during daylight. Doe numbers are about the same as the last few years, maybe a little low.
 
I think it has to due with the time of year, temperature, and snow cover. The does are starting to group up. Last night I saw 46 deer. 3 were antlered bucks, and all three were 3.5 year olds and this was in the timber. They were all heading to feed, but all the bucks were on a hot doe. A little doe fawn running around bleating like crazy. Trail cams tell me the bucks are around, but they are still looking for does to come into heat.
 
Lack of does for me... tons of yearling bucks... big boys seemed to disappear... a little nervous about EHD in areas might have got them... I have seen only a handful of deer this year over 3 1/2... and I missed a giant due to a twig... so that's par for the course this year
 
I would say buck to doe ratio is pretty good, I would just say in general deer numbers are down, therefore we are all just seeing less deer.
 
Seeing what I consider to be a fair number of young bucks, nothing older. I have got a couple of pics of older bucks on the limited trail cams I'm running, all at night.

Antlerless dominated by yearlings, only seen a few older does.
 
This year my sightings of younger bucks is down and have definitely seen more quality bucks this year. Just haven't closed the deal
 
Mature bucks are way down...guaranteed.

My big boy patterns are producing next to nill on multiple farms. I have seen 1 buck over 4 1/2 years old this year.
 
For me this year I have seen a pretty even buck to doe ratio. The day I shot my buck I saw what I would guess to be nearly 30 deer ( most deer I saw all year, I was just in the right spot at the right time when a few does went into estrus), probably at least half were bucks. Does are way down where I hunt.
 
I hunt chickasaw county and doe numbers here seem to be very low. I have only had a few hunts this year where I seen multiple does. I have seen Lots of yearlings, mostly button bucks from what I have seen. Also seeing the most young 1.5yr old bucks I have ever seen. I have seen 6 mature bucks over 3.5yrs old which is the most I have seen in a season here. They issued 400 antlerless tags in chickasaw this year, I would be surprised if there are 400 does in our county lol
 
Hard to really tell the doe/buck ratio by trail camera pics but I'd agree with many on here. Does same or down slightly from last year and a much higher number of young bucks. I'd guess I've gotten over 20+ different bucks on cam in the 230 acres I cover.
 
Call me crazy, but maybe your observations have something to do with the 16 bucks that were shot off this property last year.
 
Deer numbers are good at my grandfathers farm down in Clarke County, I have only seen 4-5 mature bucks while hunting down there but have mature bucks on camera all the time down there. (Probably cause my grandpa is always down there messing around with the tractor and skid loader, plus it also doesnt help that one of my uncles has to change stands every 2 hours and gets out of the stand an hour before dark.......lol.....and gets in a hour after sunrise) but it looks like buck numbers are good, have seen a lot of smaller bucks!:D:way:
 
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