does it really matter if you see more bucks, if you can' t shoot them? what does that accomplish?
vtbuckrulrss - Kind of ironic isn' t it? QDM hunters are often accused of being obsessed with antlers, yet they are more satisfied just watching bucks than the average buck-only hunter.
You seem pretty educated on the subject of QDM/biology, so I would be willing to bet you could pretty much answer your own question. More bucks generally means a better buck:doe ratios and a shorter, more intense rut. Older bucks take the breeding responsibilities off 1.5-year olds. Less fawns born late the following year (etc.). Hard to answer that question without writing a novel.
Going beyond the basic biological reasons for improving buck:doe ratios, I think QDM hunters tend to just enjoy observing bucks, even if they choose not to harvest them. When you hunt your buck population down to the point that few deer live past 1.5-years of age, deer will actually start behaving differently. You miss out on some great experiences, even though you are filling your buck tag every year. If a hunter needs to harvest a buck in order for the hunt to be satisfying, then QDM is probably not going to satisfy the needs of that hunter.