NVMIKE - I will buy that, the elk upswing, and deer downswing. But, then I ask, (and not trying to argue your point), what is the common denominator, then, that allows for whitetails, and or elk to thrive, and cause the mule deer population to decline? I think in the case of elk, a big one is water, not entirely food sources. But what about whitetailed deer? What causes them to thrive in areas where mule deer have historically been? Just not making sense at all.