DD
You get an A+ for reciting stats.
You get an F- for using the scientific method.
Although the 2003 AL harvest was down from 2002, The AL harvest for 2002 was an absolute all time high record. If you take a ten year average of the AL harvest, you get an AL average of 278,678. The 2003 AL harvest was still above average at 322,620. I think it is negligent to state that there is something wrong with this normal fluctuation first off, and then attribute some kind of negative effect in relation to the BB harvest secondly. BTB was right in the statement that you use the stats to make your point of the day, while neglecting any real scientific study of the statistics as a whole.

I could make any point I would want to if I only used one or two years stats as a model. Look at the 1991 Buck harvest of 149,598. We didn't have AR then and, according to your method, 50,000 hunters went WITHOUT their prized forkie that year..
Oh my God, I bet they were pi$$ed!