Deer body condition

We shot a couple of 130 class bucks on my place opening weekend that went about 140 pounds on my scales. What surprises me is the body condition. Last year we had a lot of rain, a massive acorn crop and saw dang near no deer of any kind. They didn't even come to corn, didn't move around much and we wound up shooting a bunch of hogs. They just didn't have to move. This year, no acorns, just some browse and not all that much of it. Every deer I see is in great shape. Even the does we see are about 25% larger than last year.

I've owned the place, just South of Bowie, for about 40 years and haven't seen this for a long time.

Same here in Palo Pinto County. I have never seen the deer with this much fat on them

Same here...but deer came out of winter this year in better shape than any year in a while. Spring was average here for rainfall but the forbs and browse were excellent due to all that winter moisture. The mast crop last year lasted longer than other years also. Lot of things came together to make for a great year.

I agree with Dave. This year has been phenomenal for deer sightings.. Last year it was like aliens had come and beamed up all the deer. I've seen numbers of deer every sit, highly unusual around here. I've been watching two nice bucks this morning harassing my doe. Both were shooters. It's too much fun watching them to shoot one, at least right now. I'll probably regret it after the rut is over and we get some rainfall. That's when our bucks disappear.

Same
Leon co and Coleman co
Hardly any acorns in Leon co very unusual
Mesquite in Coleman no beans

Our deer have been in good body condition for the last few years. Weve just had enough rain at the right times its seems.

Leon County, no acorns.

The does I am seeing are in poor shape, you can see their ribs.

On our place in Coryell they seem bigger and fatter than normal. No acorns here either. Surprised how nice they all seem to be body wise

Same in shackleford co
More healthy bucks than ever but hardly any does
Usually the other way around

Same thing in eastern Oklahoma where I went in late October for muzzleloader season. Had a little three point buck walk under me that I would have sworn was a big buck based on body size. He was fat, fat, fat. Never seen deer like that in the 15+ years I’ve hunted that area.

We have taken two bucks so far this year and 3 does. The bucks are our heaviest to date on our place over the past 13 years at 195 lbs and loaded with fat. The does while not skin and bones have next to no fat. I am assuming still running a little lean from raising the fawns.

I have pics of a nubbin' buck that looks like a tank. Rolls of fat around his neck. No acorns at all this year. We do feed protein and have food plots but that doesn't explain why these deer are so fat this year. We've fed protein year round for the past 5-6 years. I'm perplexed but I like it.