When numbers are closer to each other.. bucks to does.. competition for those does is high. We all know this.. nothing new.

Bucks travel great distances to check doe family groups.. laying down scrapes to show the ladies who he is.. and they continue to lay them down all over. And check them often for the first hot does. Picture lots of bucks doing this.. all over.. and imagine the sign thats laid down.

When does outnumber bucks alot.. bucks don't have to go very far. They'll stick close to bedding and walk MUCH shorter distances. In fact.. they travel substantially less.. only putting scrapes nearby with the local ladies.

No reason to go far.

I could go on.. but you get the point.

You likely have far too many does around compared with the breeding stock bucks. They don't have to put down much sign.. no reason too.

As far as rubs. Well.. the bigger deer can hang back.. have smaller homeranges.. core areas ETC.. all because the high doe pop. So rubs exist somewhere.. but again closer to bed of the bucks.

All this.. in a nutshell.

I hunt all over.. I've seen this many times.