Lots of deer little sign?

[jbone23]

Has anyone noticed areas with lots of deer having disproportionately small amount of buck sign. Scouted AL this weekend and VA in past both of which have a lot of deer and does. Never really found a lot of buck sign. When I compare that to scouting public land in south LA (way worse hunting and less deer) I find a lot of buck sign. Dosn't make sense

[thwack16]

I would imagine the buck to doe ratio is way out of whack, leaving little buck competition. I’ve always found that the better the ratio, equals more buck sign.

[Lockdown]

I would imagine the buck to doe ratio is way out of whack, leaving little buck competition. I’ve always found that the better the ratio, equals more buck sign.

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[Matt Gill]

I would imagine the buck to doe ratio is way out of whack, leaving little buck competition. I’ve always found that the better the ratio, equals more buck sign.

I highly agree with the above statement. Living and hunting a lot in WV I typically see minimal buck sign due to lack of mature bucks and way to many does, thus making my thought process that they simply don’t have to compete much for breeding. But I also hunt Ohio a lot ( I live 25 mins from the Ohio river ) and it’s like a different world there with a much better age structure for bucks and far less does in most areas, therefore I see much more good buck sign which I attribute to the fact they have to compete more for doe breeding rights

[gsquared23]

I’m also scouting a high deer/low buck density area, and it’s extremely tough to find buck sign with the exception of rubs 1. on the edge of obvious doe bedding areas, likely when they’re tending or checking and 2. on cedar trees. There are very few around me, and they are drawn to them like a diabetic to an ice cream sundae, and similarly they get torn apart.

[MrT]

I would imagine the buck to doe ratio is way out of whack, leaving little buck competition. I’ve always found that the better the ratio, equals more buck sign.

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[Kraftd]

What others said. If they don't have to work for or compete for as many does as they can handle, less reason to move and lay tracks and also rub/scrape.

I hunt a chunk that is loaded with does, and also had decent buck numbers with some good bucks based on camera, but they have to move so little and there are enough does to go around, it's really hard to get on the better bucks without a little luck during the rut.

In those situations, my experience is you need to keep looking for an focusing on buck bedding throughout the rut.

[may21581]

I agree with all that is said above. From my experience I have seen first hand that in low buck to doe ratios that the more mature bucks will be found in the most secure, overlooked, and lowest pressured areas. They will almost have like a hierarchy of age class to specific spots.
In one area I hunt it's a given every year where the small bucks can be found and where the mature ones can be found. I dont think it's a coincidence, i think in these situations the older ones have just learned and adapted. In most higher pressured areas they will do very little to be noticed and draw attention to themselves.
Now take an area where the ratios are more in line and pressure is very low. I believe this is when guys see the big mature ones running each other off chasing and fighting each other in the open. It almost seems like the rut hits harder in these situations.