Sylvan - First - you and I agree on alot more that you think. But I think you are dead wrong on this:
Age is not a criteria for health. You can have healthy 5 1/2 year olds and you can have unhealthy fawns. A herd where the average age is 2 1/2 can be just as healthy or unhealthy as a herd where the average age is 1 1/2.
I want you to understand - that Personally - I'm not for AR being legislated. I've never taken a buck that I would mount, and though I might someday - I do not want my chances improved by legislation.
I do however have a big thing for biodiversity, and a true appreciation for nature and the way things "should be". For example, Its not OK to have One aged stands of trees, or a Mono-Species plantation of tree types. Its Not OK to have swamps drained. Its Not OK to indiscrimantly shoot Coyotes - the only natural predator of deer in most areas. And its not OK to have entire Deer Populations skewed towards Young Does & Bucks.
I truly think this - I think its not right for many reasons, but its the reasons we don't know, or understand that worry me most. Young populations are Dynamic, they are primed for change - and while that can be a good thing for building a population - it is a detriment for maintaining a population (deer or any species).
I could go on more - but I really just wanted to get my point out there.
FH