Although I am by no means an expert in this field, I have done a-lot of reading about it. Deer densities and deer management go beyond the simple idea of crop damage and availability of food sources for a certain amount of deer per property. Having a bunch of does on your property during the November time-frame will definately increase the amount of bucks lurking around. However, most mature bucks hanging out in an overpopulated doe area won't have to do much looking around to find an easy date for few days. Bucks jumping from doe to doe, without covering much ground stand a-lot better chance of not being shot as opposed to a buck with a limited amount of does in his home turf. An overpopulated area can often be harder on a mature buck as he is forced to tend estrus does possibly throughout a 3 month time frame as does that aren't breed the first go around come back in a full cycle later. The rut and winter are hard enough on mature deer alone, without having to spend a fourth of the year doing what he feels he needs to do by making sure all the does have been breed. Overpopulated areas tend to have a lot of does breed at later times, in turn giving those new fawns a later start at life, which in turn makes them smaller and less healthy as opposed to those born one or two months earlier. Most of you have probably seen this from time to time. You can definately tell a later born fawn as opposed to one that was born from an early November breeding. Think how much tougher things will be on it during its first winter if it's already behind one or two months and 10 or 20 pounds. Doe/Buck ratios can be argued from many different points, but I know I want to see a 2/1 average. I think the overall group will be healthier, crop damage may be a little less noticeable, and most importantly I think I'll see more bucks cruising during November looking for does. Like I said, I'm no expert, just my two cents.
