I have to say I have always thought the goal ofQDM was to raise mature bucks to harvest. It never occured to me that you might just be looking for a well balanced herd.
It just seems to stand to reason that if you would be unwilling to shoot a BB than anything less than a mature deer would defeat the purpose. I would think a young small racked buck would stand a better chance of reaching maturity than a BB.
Early.. I really admire your QDM practices on public land and think your priorities are commendable..I should follow suit.