Then why is it that places like Minnesota and the northern penisula of Michigan also have tough winters, but much better deer herds?

Apparently, it wasn't always this way in Vermont. My father, and most other old timers, tell me stories of seeing up to 20 deer in a day of hunting. I usually see a doe or two every other season. What happened to result in such a downward spiral?

I know Vermont will never have the seemingly limitless amount of deer that places like PA and TX seem to have, but we can certainly accomodate a lot more deer than we have now.