In thinking about wild deer herd management, a landowner only as so much ability. At the state and county level, some states, like Indiana, have gone to a one buck rule and liberal doe permits to copy states that have successfully increased their trophy take. One can argue about why it works, but not about if it works. To get more trophies, bucks need to reach maturity, and smaller bucks must get out-competed with mates. Some hunters may also pass on those easy shots at stupid young bucks in the hopes of bagging a larger one later. I shot a lot of small deer in my first 10 years of hunting, but have switched to being more selective over the last ten years as the challenge of taking smaller animals has lessened. Ultimately, state wildlife biologists, not a popular vote, set the hunting regulations, and I am good with that.
