You know, its funny how its the DECs fault you guys dont see deer. Yes, their explanation of bad wintersis BS, no doubt. We shed hunters dont find all these winter killed deer, yet we find many shed antlers. So much for the theory! BUT...you guys complain that theyre managing the herd wrong. Theres some easy answers here. First off,there are those whoblame all the permits given out in the past. Well, guess who filled all those permits? The hunters. Every year they could, they did. Now those same guys b*tch because they cant get permits! Incredible! Also, I know of alot of successful hunters this year again. Theyve shot some huge bucks in the southern tier this year again. But, some areas just dont have the deer they once did. Welcome to 2005. We couldnt continue to support the record deer numbers of the late eighties andnineties, that was simply too many deer. Also, every year, more and more land gets locked up with multiple owners, as well as development. Add to this that this development supports deer while at the same time making them inaccessable to hunt, and you have a management nightmare! The total numbers suggest certain amounts be harvested, but they cant get into certain areas or zones to do so. So, they scour neighboring areas oftoo manydeer, knowing the deer population will adjust. Thats all that the DEC can do in some areas, and yes, it stinks for hunters. Add to that, less, way less agriculture, and you are just seeing populations really fluctuate from one area to another. I can tell you I still see many good bucks come to my studio, and the deer are still out there, even if not in all areas. The numbers are certainly out there, Ive seen more locked bucks the last 7 years than ever, thats an indication that theres competition within a bucksage group. Its just really hit and miss. States with open ground and solid agriculture like Ohio, Iowa, Illinois and the midwest are still enjoying great deer hunting. Some of those areas have survived over-harvest, CWD scares, and many other factors. I just think we had it too easy for too long. Sometimes a guy needs to learn how to manage his own hunting.