IMO the reasons for the dramatic decline in deer numbers in my area of Logan, Mason, and Menard counties since about 2005 are 1.the fall of no till farming practices. 2. destruction of habitat. 3.ehd 4.increasead hunting pressure and a wave of new hunters with a different attitude. 5.a kill all you can promotion by state officials. I see about 60 percent fewer deer now than I did then. weather means nothing imo.