Hasnt been enough steady rain here to sprout or rot them. Our bucks have not been coming to feeders in a couple months. Theyre passing through now but not staying long. I think the weatherhere has more to do with it than anything. Very wet spring and early summer. Very dry late summer and fall. Good acorn crop that last well into winter= bucks staying in the woods till rut.
One thing I kept pointing out this fall. It was dry hut evidently wet enough to keep the pasture green. All the way up to frost. I’m assuming many native browse plants did as well. I think food sources were the best in a long time. Acorns galore and there it’s it is.
I’m sure the previous few years being above average with kills have a bearing on numbers but still not the end of the world either.
One of the biggest things I’ve noticed, young deer are much smaller and I’m assuming due to poor nutrition last year. 1.5-2.5 yr olds weights are down and so is their overall body size. Kinda weird but makes sense. Older deer are still the same as always so it’s makes me wonder about this group of deer overcoming the stall.
