While I am no expert on New Jersey, I think that you have plenty of deer there.

Keep shooting the does, particularly if you can get doe tags. Reserve your antler tag for a deer that is bigger than your previous biggest. Tell other people what you are doing ( hunters ) and encorage them to do the same. ( Don't get preachy unless it is land that you control. ) One more year on your small eight point and it would have been much more respectable trophy.

Reducing population by shooting does helps the remaining deer to grow faster with less competition for winter food and less population stress.

The reason Iowa has always had the monsters is that the gun seasons are after the rut when bucks are more difficult to kill. This allowed more of them to survive to the age where they become large in body and rack, that and they are corn fed in farm country. I hunt in a county not known for trophies, where a 130" deer is a "nice" one and a deer has to be near the 160's (typical) for oohs and ahs. A big bodied deer will get comment too, a 220lb+ field dressed deer is impressive. Most years we do not get one though. The odds go up when the small ones walk though.

In recent years I've noticed more bruisers being taken in Illinois and Kansas (and other states). At least part of the reason for this is the willingness of more and more hunters to let small bucks walk and be willing to take does in areas where the wildlife people say are over populated.

Bob (I shoot does AND fawns)