Doe's still yarded up

[Short Track]

Last night just at dusk, I drive into a local road. Back road, 5 acre field on 1 side. 8 doe's just yarded up, hanging out together in the field. Not a buck in sight. See a few rubs on the tree line, not alot.

I'm thinking another 2 weeks the doe's will be dispersing when they are chased. But to see such a large # of doe's, and no bucks... there must be a trophy hunter around town.

Such a disparity of bucks to doe's. or is it normal to see them yarded up this time of year...
Normally I see a mama doe, with 2 fawns.. but not 7-8 doe's together pre rut.

 

[dr.mooseknuckles]

Depends on the deer density in your area I guess.

Our property has a tremendous doe problem. We're started to work on that and killed 10 does to 1 buck last year. During the polar vortex back in the Middle of January, 5 of us hunted that coldest day in the afternoon. Four guys on food plots and I was in one of our morning stands in Long Leaf Pines just to see what I'd see. Between the 5 of us, we saw between 45-48 deer, with only 3 being confirmed antlered bucks (all young at that).

That being said, may need to start working on your does. Too many does around = reduced movement from the mature age class bucks.

 

[Macintosh]

To me "yarded up" has more to do with specific location in thermal cover for winter, not whether they are in a group or not. Depending on how far north you are your deer may never truly "yard up".
But, depending on buck to doe ratio in that area it can be very normal. My state has generally moderate to exceptionally low deer density, and they manage for a 3:1 doe to buck ratio in order to allow for a pretty high harvest % of the total population. In some areas I believe the ratio is even higher. So it's very normal for me to see a family group of a doe and a couple fawns this time of year, and no bucks. Every so often I will see a couple doe groups on the same food source--an ag field, or something that is a local "destination"--resulting in 6-9 deer, all antlerless, all together, without a buck in sight. Around me this is the norm, not the exception. Antlers are something of a rarity in relative terms.

 

[Jethro]

7-8 does together feeding in a field in the evening is an everyday occurrence and in many fields around me.