First, in NV, you're hunting muleys, which can't really be compared to whitetails. Where I live we have about a perfect 50:50 mix of whitetails and muleys, and I can tell you there's no comparison. If whitetails are Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison, then muleys are Larry, Moe, and Curly. (Look I like muleys, too, they are a wonderful critter, but anybody selling muley IQ stories can try the next mark, 'cause I ain't buying.)

Second, that NV country is basically wide open, right? In your basic whitetail country, they have lots of hiding places.

Finally, individual hunters are absolutely atrocious sources for judging how many animals are out there. It cracks me up to see some of these guys who spent three weekends in the woods but they know more than the experts. Guys sit around the cafe after a tough day in the woods, and find another guy who agrees that the deer numbers are down, and next thing you know we got a crisis on our hands!