The fact is the deer and their food supply have proven time after time that you are wrong. Your preferred method of deer management does not work for the long term, and that failure for the long term is exactly what got us to where we are with low deer populations in so much of the northern tier today.
Apparently you have a short memory and a very selective way of viewing the evidence. you predicted breeding rates would increase as the herd was reduced but, instead they decreased. That alone proves the herd was below the MSY carrying capacity of the habitat in 2000. If the harvests hadn't exceeded recruitment over the last 8 years elk Co. would still have over 25 DPFSM instead of 8 or 10. To show you I am right the over browsed habitat in 2F was still supporting 22 PS DPSM in 2005, 3A had 32 PS DPSM,2E has 32 PS DPSM2C had 20 DPSM and 4D had 21 DPSM. Isn't it amazing that all the WMUs surrounding 2G can support almost twice or more the number of deer as 2G.
Explain that one if you can.
Here is another quote from the SCS Report.
With few exceptions, the state-wide deer density in Pennsylvania has exceeded 25 deer per square
mile since the late 1920’s.
So for over 80 years the habitat supported 25 DPSM and now you are claiming the habitat suddenly decided to control the herd ? Try again.