Ok I've been hunting since Saturday mourning and have been trying to harvest a mature doe or an 8pt that has a broken back leg that will probably not make it threw the winter so we have chosen to harvest him. I know that with the number of fawns and 1.5 yr old does there has to be some bigger more mature ones why don't I see them?

anyone?

I would venture to say that there isn't enough information to answer your question. There could be a number of reasons that you are only seeing young deer. Has this trend just started? Where you seeing older deer earlier in the season? Has the hunting pressure increased? What do you typically see this time of year in your area? How does the overall herd look?

You are having the same luck I am this season. I have been seeing 90% young deer and fawns this season. Normally I would see 20-30 mature does in a 3 hour hunt but this year I have only seen maybe 4 the entire season. Our biologist said they are all on the acorns and wild rye grass right now is why. Beats me but I know what you're talking about.

Normally we see a good number of does throughout the hunt. The second weekend of the season we weren't seeing many yearlings and young does now it's all I'm seeing. The hunting pressure has little to do with it because I'm seeing plenty of bucks with these young deer. I do agree with the acorn theory and other wild forages because of the increse in rain in our area. But still I just thought we would see a few more mature does. The other mourning I had my bucks out number the does/fawns/yearling does 12 to 10.

Rainfall is part of the problem and the rut is the other. Younger deer are at the feeder due to the handouts. Bucks are there for the rut. The older does will usually be kept away fromt the feeders by the bucks harassing them. The older doe know where the better natural forage is and they are camping on it. Their fawns are weaned off due to the rut and going for the easier feed at feeders. Put you some corn out away from the feeder and put a camera on it or move a camera to water and see what you see. I just got off the phone with a buddy of mine who has a HF ranch at Brady and he said the same thing. All the deer were scattered and not coming to corn very well. He has an oats patch that is up and had very few deer tracks in it. Deer are chasing rescue grass, winter grass, filaree, burr clover, etc right now and not hitting the feeders or fields.

I agree with stx. There is plenty of food out there right now. Tons of clover. I walked in to an area on our place the w/e before Thanskgivng and the bluebonnets were sprouting everywhere. Our best blind is one we moved this year and did not put a feeder at. We just throw out corn in the area when we are there.