That's exactly what we're seeing. Amazingly, over 7 seasons, the percent of the buck population that is 3 1/2 and 4 1/2+ haven't changed a bit. The one big change is the percent of the buck population that is 2 1/2. The percent that are 2 1/2s has been climbing steadily over the 7 year period.

It used to be if you didnt reserve a room in advance you were out of luck. I remember the parking lots at both the Bucksnort BP and at 'the store' on the Waverly exit being absolutely overrunning with hunters and people in line to check in their deer.

I remember on weekend a group of us brought back 24 deer on Thanksgiving weekend, we had 9 on a hitch hauler and 15 in another truck.

Question: Statewide Kill Down.......

Answer:

Winchester and his group killed 'em all!

It used to be if you didnt reserve a room in advance you were out of luck. I remember the parking lots at both the Bucksnort BP and at 'the store' on the Waverly exit being absolutely overrunning with hunters and people in line to check in their deer.

Every truck had orange in it and you could literally count hundreds of shots on opening weekends of Rifle and MZ.

This has been the strangest and most disppointing year I've had on our TN farm. For the last few years, deer numbers have steadliy increased, and buck to doe ratios were typically around 1:1.5 during the hunting season (summer ratios were 2.5:1!), with a good number of 2.5 and older bucks.

However, this year with nutrition, deer numbers (total), and fawn recruitment being at an all time high, buck numbers have decreased dramatically (through all age classes), and I have not even seen 4 or 5 bucks that were 2.5-4.5 years old last year (they spent the whole summer/fall on my property). I've been running trail cameras since late July, and they are still running today, with no luck. I've only photographed 3 bucks 3.5+ year old (1 4.5 year old) all season, and was fortunate to take one of those bucks 2 weeks ago.

I just don't understand the hugh downward trend in buck numbers this year. There is very little hunting pressure on my farm, and not a great deal of pressure on the adjacent properties, so I know that not all of those bucks from last year were killed. I just don't know what happened. Hopefully things will get back to normal next year.

I do wish we had more doe opportunities in my county. We had one antlerless quota hunt (300) that ran from November 29-Dec. 2, which was Saturday through Tuesday after thanksgiving.

He was still alive after the season and a total homebody, so I was really expecting to catch him as a 5.5 yr old this year, but he never showed.