I boggle my wife's mind too Doug.
My post didn't represent 2G as a whole but our immediate area that actually borders 2g.In the snow last year the first thing I noticed was the way the deer stuck out in the thick laurel.I watched deer go through from a treestand that without snow I would have never seen.The numbers were down before last season but with the two week snow cover and last year's harvests it seems numbers this year are lower then I probably ever saw.The ridge behind us was recently timbered and it seemed the deer were drawn to that area.Normally it's thick enough for most to sneak through but last year easy pickins.
This ridge is posted but gets hunted heavily.I know the area very well Doug and spend loads of time scouting/hunting so I have a good feel for the deer numbers and harvests.I don't go near rockton mountain to hunt so that's not even an option.
In our hunting area food usually isn't an issue because of the farms/woodlots.The land owner behind us grows corn specifically for the critters and the farms mostly plant rye.Browse consists of plenty of red maple,sasafrass,multiflora rose,dogwoods,oaks,grasses,wildflowers.etc.We have hard and soft mast also.Too much hunting pressure and harvests affect our numbers and as I said two weeks of snow cover didn't help.