During the 70's the herd in the NC counties peaked at over 40 DPSM compared to 8-10 DPSM that we have today. Furthermore, in 1983 the herd in what is now 2G was around double what it is today and still they had 72% regeneration.
Maybe if you knew the whole story, your view would be relevant..and correct. The herd in the 70's lived in a regenerating forest derived from massive clearcutting decades before. There was simply no way they could eat all the regrowth, and the understory was healthy as well because of available sunlight.
Clearcutting is not happening now, and it seems it probably never will again. The forest has matured, and the understory has vanished. Any selective cutting that happens, does not provide the amounts of food that earlier logging methods produced. As soon as the regen starts, the deer move in and decimate it, leaving beech in their wake. The beech is left alone, all else is decimated. The beech then grows a canopy that chokes the sun from all else. You end up with a jungle of beech saplings and bare dirt under it. No wonder there. Just reality.
BTW...Oak is very dependant on soil chemistry. I know of huge expanses encompassing thousands of acres where you will not find one single Oak, of any size. They simply will not grow.