Confused, you definitely posted one of the most well thought out objective posts I've seen in awhile.You point out the often forgottenfact that we need to find as much common ground as possible.

Unfortunately, the horsemay beout and the barn doormay be shut.
No matter what ones viewpoint is, we can't spin back the clock. If we we're to return tothe management style that managed for maximimum deer PSM many who weren't all that unhappy before all the changes would then be unhappy after having seen the differences that AR HR has made. If we continue on the path we're now on, those that want to return to the former deer densities will be unhappy.

IMHO, the solution likely to satisfy the most hunters on both sides is both simple and complex at the same time.

Lets set aside AR fior the moment and talk abour HR only. I do beleive that the vast majority here at least shares concerns that it may need to be throttled back a bit. We will never all agree totally on how many deer ought to be where but we can get closer than we are now.

As I see it, the simple butcomplicated soultion is smaller WMU's For example, DougE and has had great success finding deer in 2G while Germain, Sproul and others have seen their deer hunting decline. Livbucks and I both have good success in 2F but we both agree that there are places in 2F where the deer are almsot gone.

OK simple, go to smaller WMU's right?

Maybe, but how small do we make em? The county system was one of smaller WMU's and it was cerrtainly less than perfect. If we truly make the WMU's small enough to address the hotspot/coldspot issues, we could have hundreds of different WMU's. It would definitelyimpair our freedom to just get in the truck with the guys and just go hunting without having first planned it like a mission.

Hey joe, lets go up to camp and bowhunt this weekend. We'll start at beaver swamp, maybe hit bobcat hollowor otter creek. If that doesnt look good we'll try gameland 2796 or hit the timber company ground out the road. Wait a minute, do you haveyour doe permits for 325A, 743B, 996D, 777E and 324G and DMAPs for the timber co?!?!?!Thats an exaggerated example but I remember guys at the gun club and in the gun stores bitching about the few WMU's we now have being confusing when they were new.

I used that example above to point out that there will be no easy answers. Confused is right though, we have a better chance of doing something good if we all try to remember that we're all hunters here andwhile we'll never all agree on everyhting, maybe we can agree on some things and capitalize on those areas to get something done.