ORIGINAL: bluebird2
That's pretty much what's happened in many parts of the northern tier.
I suppose that explains why there are thousands of acres of oak pole timber that is 20-60 years old all across the NC counties.
BTW, in 1983 the PGC said 72% of the clearcuts surveyed had adequate regeneration of commercially valuable species. So maybe that is the real answer.
That was then This is now.
Data from 1983 and prior is not relevant
20-60 years ago the deer population wasreasonable enough to allow oak regeneration