Obviously a touchy subject at best! I am just tired of hunting my tail off to kill a 2 1/2 year old eight pointer.For the most part the only folks around here 3a and 3c that "consistently" kill big bucks are the people who camp high in the mountains.They wont see many deer but there is a greater liklihoood they will see a buck that has a few years under their belt.Other than the mountain hunters it is all about access (isn't it always)If you have accesss to prime ground you will have more opportunities at older age class bucks.
In the area's I hunt I saw a dramatic difference in the number of 2 1/2 year old bucks i saw during this pastarchery season.Antler restrictions have most definitely made a difference.
There are many challenges with this.I for one don't believe that the DEC can manage precisely enough.The circumstances vary by unit,very often area's within the same unit are vastly different.The farmland of western NY is a whole different situation than the adirondacks or where I am,2 hours north of NYC,more and more residential sprawl,huge anti hunting sentiment,decreasing amounts of land to hunt,no logging on state land which translates to over mature forests,no browse,no cover.The effect is to push deer down in to the 5,10,20 plus acre residential area's thatcan't be hunted typically for a variety of reasons.
I am very fortunate to rifle hunt whitetails unguided every year out in Idaho,where the natural elements of their wilderness and their population density contribute to a much more balanced deer population across the age classes.When I come home after my ten days out there,I "hardly" even feel like hunting at home.It is not easy to kill big deer out there but at least it is possible.
If I spent ten days up high in NY I would kill big deer most every year (at least I believe I would).I think it comes down to what is a reasonable expectation in having an opportunity to kill a better than average buck.As someone who works at it very hard on an all year round basis I don't think my surrounding units are there.
I am not faulting anyone's opinion here,I am just stating my own.