My observations are the same as yours. The priivate land with high hunting pressure got hit hard from 2000 to around 2004 or 2005.The herd was reduced significantly and the number of 1.5 buck dropped like a rock. There are a few nice buck around but they are nocturnal and protected by safety zones. The habitat is excellent with unlimited food and cover but the hunting is lousy. I only saw 3 deer in 10 days of hunting. It gets old fast when you're not seeing deer.