Here's my take on this debate:

It's very true that QDM is more about managing and maintaining a healthy herd, and most hunters view that as having mature deer, and harvesting them when they reach their full potential while maintaining a steady buck:doe ratio. I think that the bigger bucks are just an added benefit of practicing QDM. By passing up the younger 2 1/2 and sometimes 3 1/2 year old bucks, you are giving yourself a shot at a larger 4 1/2 or 5 1/2 year old mature buck--which would have a larger rack in nearly every case. Does this necessarily mean you are managing "antlers" instead of "deer"? Sure, I can see where you can make your case; but I can also see where a hunter that truly practices QDM can attribute a large buck to their willingness to not harvest young deer in general--beit buck or doe.

Again, "QAM" is--in my opinion--just part of the routine for those hunters that will allow an animal to reach its full potential by practicing QDM...but, that is just my opinion on the this