There are different opinions on the season as there are hunters. I had a good year even though i didn't get a deer. Saw good bucks in bow, saw deer in shotgun (1st 2 days) and had an excellent ML (deer everywhere). The key point to realize is that the deer population can fluctuate on a regional and very localized level. Additionally, just because you did not see many deer doesn't mean they aren't there. Then again, maybe it could. Some hunters may say they see no deer, but they where only out 3 times. Conversely, someone could see 100 deer and have hunted 80 days. The fact is, the deer population is a tricky thing to manage because of the above.