A decline in older does is really nothing more then your speculation as you grasp for straws to support your opinions.
Show us where you came up with a lower percentage of 2 ½ and older does in the deer population and then explain why 2 ½ and older does should have a higher breeding rate then does that are 1 ½ year old. Both are equally breeding mature unless there are other much more serious problems with the food supply.
From 2001 to 2005 we reduced the herd by 600K deer because harvests exceeded recruitment. The decrease did not come from an increase in the buck harvest so the decrease came from the antlerless harvest. Now ,without a doubt we harvested more fawns as a result of the increased antlerless harvests, but the percentage of fawns in the harvest decreased and the percentage of adult doe increased. That means the vast majority of HR came from harvesting adult doe.
then explain why 2 ½ and older does should have a higher breeding rate then does that are 1 ½ year old. Both are equally breeding mature unless there are other much more serious problems with the food supply.
The 1.5 doe may be breeding mature in that they are all mature enough to be bred , that does not mean that 1.5 doe have the same breeding rates as 3.5+ doe.