I think its a combination of pressure, buck to doe ratio, and I believe they are just smarter than most and wily. I'm comparing them to whitetails I've hunted from NJ to FL to WY. I grew up in NC/VA and they respond very well to grunts and rattling, and definitely aren't as spooky as AL/FL deer. Illinois/Ohio/Nebraska deer (just my opinion from experience) are not as spooky. I think they are not pressured as much and just seem big and dumb at times. It seems you have to put in the time here and you'd better do your homework if you want to kill that 4+ year old deer.
