re: B & C ruined deer and hunting camps

I'm just playing devils advocate


let's say you have the current herd on say Giles Island

would venture to say it's a healthy herd, probably enough food to support the herd, with a all age classes represented

let's say you let loose a group of coonasses or rednecks on that place for two years and they take out half the population (all age classes)

now you have fewer deer on the same amount of property which allows those remaining deer more access to the food so those will get bigger (more "healthy") all age classes are still represented well

I would say the latter population is more healthy because they have an abundance of food due to less competition for resources

tl,dr

a healthy herd has to do with carrying capacity not size of antlers