Lol, you and me both. And still, I believe that bucks become the smartest between their second and third birthday and more so between their third and fourth. But I do believe there is dramatic increase in intelligence between 1.5 and 2.5 years old. For most bucks they experiencing their first breeding season at 1.5 years of age and their inexperince and ignorance shows. Thus meaning by the time a buck is 2.5 years old he is smarter even if it's just a LITTLE bit.

Let me ask another question....

Could crop rotation have anything to do with this phenomenon?

Jeff, you've hunted that spot pretty hard over the last couple of years and really put some pressure on it this year with your mission to shoot does. IMO when you start killing deer on property it has a very adverse affect on future sightings. I feel this is for several reasons. First when you shoot a deer it causes a lot of noise and if there are other deer around they notice something just happened that wasn't good. Second, you have to track the deer that leaves your scent around and causes you to go in areas that you otherwise may not go. Third, you have to drag the deer out and that doubles the effects of tracking. So, while I agree that you probably should have been seeing some 1.5 olds running around it could be that deer are starting to avoid your area because of the pressure.

Fortunately for you, you acquired some new property to hunt so you can ease up the pressure on your regular spot and hopefully those sightings will start to increase again.

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I think you're right (and others, also), Bry. I will be in there less and less this year......and depending on what I get on game cam....maybe a LOT less.

Unfortunately, I cannot help you hear GMMAT. I know very little about ag. crops. I'm guessin that if the deer hit those crops pretty heavy as a constant food source that they would alter their travel patterns. Deer are nomadic animals that shift their travel patterns/home ranges according to the best available food.

Jeff, to answer the other question, yes absolutely crop rotation could have something to do with it. For example, there is a patch of property that I hunt in NJ that is public land that I have decided that if they plant anything other than soybeans I'm saving my license money. I have hunted this property for over 5 years and they have had soybeans rotated in there twice during that time. With the soybeans it is a slammer spot. Lots of deer and good hunting. This year corn[:'(]. I saw some deer there, but it was hard hunting and we saw tons of deer on the neighboring property where there is no hunting and soybeans were planted.

If you can find out what the areas around you had planted when you were seeing all those deer and find out when it will be planted again you should see an increase in activity.

Deffinately can have an effect!

I have no access to the ag fields.....but they sure use the places I have as travel routes.....and the does call this area home (REALLY close to where I hunt).

But the beans were in '07!

Another reason to plant your own field with the proper forage.