the rut is on here in ks we have shot quite a few bucks this year in our bow camps. i was out bird hunting this morning and watched a nice little buck chase a doe in the middle of a wheat field

Saw 8 does and fawns and not a single buck from noon to dark this afternoon.

I know this is not the case everywhere. But on our Florida lease the dern coyotes have really putting on the pressure. and the deer are extremely skittish.

Our club has declared war on the yotes.

There is a ranch in Florida that did a study with the University of Florida they found that Coyotes were killing 85% of their fawns. So they got aggressive setting up traps and shooting them on site. 85% WOW

I hunt state land, and I saw 3 guys dragging out a family of does. 2 fawns and a mama. Next year there will be no deer to drag out at all.

Sometimes the does hafta go but... not a whole family. If that's the case, DNR/DEP will need to modify the cull for the following years.

Still not much moving here in CT...

If the ratio of bucks to does are out of proportion (more does than bucks) then taking more does is a great thing. If not then it's excessive to take only does. From my perspective, Maryland had mandated hunters could take only bucks in a lot of areas for years. What we have now as a result is less than profound rutting activity among other things. To compensate, the bag limits for does is virtually limitless in a lot of areas currently. Places like Texas go to great lengths (on private ranches anyway) to ensure the doe to buck ratio is proportional. In addition they take out inferior bucks.

Think about it. A mature doe has 2 maybe 3 fawns with each litter. If the bucks are limited in the area then the does mate with whoever is there. This means spikes and other non dominant bucks mate with them and continue that line since the competition is virtually nonexistent. Hence the significance of proper game management.

I tend to think that may be contributing to the lack of movement currently, but perhaps there are other factors as well. I saw of ray of hope today in my locale. I had two bucks feeding in my backyard that I haven't seen regularly and while driving to work I noticed a decent eight pointer (not a shooter) chasing a herd of about 7 does across the road. Maybe all hell breaks loose this weekend? If it wasn't for this dang warm weather...

they are locked down breeding right now in So. IL. Tough hunting during this time of the rut