I can’t answer the original question with certainty, but my years of bow hunting have proved to me that the hardest deer to kill in January for us with a bow is a mature doe. The bucks are distracted with thoughts of other things, so if you limit your question to just the rut, then certainly the doe is more wary. The rest of the season, for whatever innate reason, the buck certainly would appear to be more wary.
Also, I think there is the maternal instinct factor also. A mature doe tends to be leading a group, many if not all are her family. I think for that reason, they are extra cautious. I truly believe the motherhood instinct is strong not only in humans but in the animal world also.
Last edited by jawbone; 11/10/19 06:34 PM.
