I really question any study because it is only as accurate as the focuse groups agenda.
In the case of the McAlester study, the focus group was the U.S. Army, specifically the folks who are in charge of herd management at the depot. The ever increasing hunter success rate got to the point where too many deer were being taken during their annual draw archery hunts and many deer were being reported wounded and lost. Their agenda was to determine how to reduce the wound/loss ratio and decrease the overall harvest back to proper management levels. Nothing sinister.
As a result of the study, the hunt was made traditional-only and I think it still is. Traditional allowed them to keep drawing the same number of hunters and still meet their goals.
You can get a copy of the study from Oklahoma State University. You can get hunter success rates from most states' DNR websites. They keep statistics to help them set seasons and bag limits and it's all public information.
And this bit:
Trad gear got the biggest bashing due to the time and effort needed to be proficient.
Bashed by lazy clods who didn't want to take the time and make the effort to be proficient, as I recall.
By the way, burnie... If you listed your DOB right on your profile, you were just a baby during the big anti-compound battles I'm referring too. I believe I'm remembering back just a tad further than you are.