While that is an interesting theory , I think the answer is fairly simple. The 2.5+ buck harvest has only decreased by 22%, while the total buck harvest has decreased by 46%. So the decrease in the 2.5+ buck harvest was what was to be expected due to at least a 40% decrease in the herd.
Since ARs were implement the 1.5 buck harvest has decreased from 113K in 2002 to only 61K in 2007. The increased antlerless harvests and resulting herd reduction has resulted in a lot fewer BB and fewer 1.5 buck.
Lets not blame the AR for an ever increasing lazier and passive weekend hunters who if they can't shoot a deer from the window of there vehicle with a super magnum and star gazing scope. Would rather just stop hunting all together and blame it on anyone or anything else, rather than get out in the woods and learn a little more about there quarry
I have no idea why you would make that claim when we are still harvesting 80% of our legal buck , just like before ARs were implemented.And BTW, those lazy hunters were very effective at reducing the herd by over 40% in just 6 years. Do you know of hunters in any other northeastern state that were as effective in controlling their herd.