OK - some good thoughts here, but are you ready for the truth?
Why is a buck harder to kill than a doe? It's the same with the human species: Superior Skill and Intellect

You've made some very good points. I believe that a mature buck, 4 1/2 years and older, is the hardest deer to kill. Super old does are very sharp, but they have one thing going for them. I believe that more often than not, does are passed on, whereas mature bucks are not. In short, I think that whatever has been shot at the most will be the most wary. Bucks are the most sought after deer so it makes sense that they are harder to kill.

I would say old does are more difficult to kill because they survive more human encounters then bucks and get more opportunities to learn from. When older bucks encounter humans the percentage that survive is probably less than older does I would think.

I think both doe and buck are equal in their survival skills and reflex reactions. I do think the mature doe is easier to pattern than old mossy horns. She goes from A to B and back where as the buck can really mix up his travel route and times. JMHO

I always get a big thrill out of hiding from a mature does' ears, nose, and eyes.
Especially when she is with her fawns, she is extremely cautious!

Yes her overall pattern is still very predictable but her entire movement is based on caution with the fawns in mind.

Is she harder to hunt? I don't know. But I still get that rush whenever she is nearby!

I think there's two things that play into this:
1.) Numbers; there's simply more does in the woods than bucks.
2.) Darwinism (survival of the fittest); an old mature buck that is still alive is alive because he is master of his craft. An old doe may still be alive just becasue she got passed up all her life, not because she's particularly crafty.

Put one mature doe and one mature buck within the same property.......each will be equally as hard to kill.
Put several mature does and one or two mature bucks within the same property..........it will be easier to kill a mature doe simply because of the higher numbers of mature does.

Put young does and young bucks in the same category........both much easier to kill.

Ya know Buckeye I don't understand it ether.
All I can say is those older bucks are pretty darn smart, than the younger ones.
The only time the does are somewhat careless is when they are being chased by a buck.
A mature buck thats been around awhile will stay back and watch the others, if they are safe then he'll come out.
When the rut is in full swing thats a whole diffrent ball game, its every buck for himself then.

I see we are going on the laws of probibility here in a few repies.

I am not so much talking about the odds ofkilling one to the nextbut rather the difference between killing a buck and a doe.

As was mentioned by Cougarmag. If the ratio was 1:1 is a buck really harder to kill than a doe? Especially with age in consideration? In my opinion I think not. This is more what I am getting at.

Rack-attack I enjoyed your valid point and agree with fawns in tow a doe is more susceptible to fall to a hunter, than when they are solo.

I say the reasons we are busted more often by does is simple. How many more does than bucks do we see every year? I can't speak for everyone, but I saw litterally hundreds of does last year, and I can count the bucks I saw on one hand. Didn't get busted by a single buck, but I was busted plenty by does. Obviously.

I also agree that the bucks, even at a 1:1 ratio would be harder to kill. It's just darn hard to kill something that don't move much till the sun goes down. Bucks are, IMHO, simply more nocturnal. Not much we can do about that.

You know, I just realized something. I've killed, oh, I don't know how many does, but I've ever only killed one buck. And that was w/ a rifle, so what the hell do I know? ........[&:][&o][&o][&o]