t's not disputable that at the 1.6 million level, the deer numbers took a toll on the habitat and other wildlife.
Wrong again. It is highly disputable that 1.6M deer took a toll on the habitat and other wildlife. As the deer herd increased so did the turkey and bear populations. There is no evidence that deer had a more negative effect on other wildlife then the fact that the majority of our forests were in the pole or saw timber stage.