I don't have a problem with the stated goals at all. Like I've said before, my problem is the obsession with antlers that is what many, possibly most, advocates are truly driven by. The rest of these goals are only broght up to defend themselves when they are called on it. No offense but this debate always seems to go the same way. It starts out with the QDM guys saying we should all start "passing the buck" so we can all kill bigger bucks and we will all be happier for it. The big assumption, as Atlas says, is that we all have the same goals. Once the advocates begin to realize that others don't put the same level importance on increasing their chances for the big one, they start to appeal with the "its for the good of the deer" argument. Well many of us just aren't buying it. I will say that there is nothing wrong with QDM in its pure form but in practice it usually winds up just being AR and worse to me its just TM. And its almost always presented with arrogance and sometimes (e.g. PA) force.

I was trying to be sarcastic by responding in kind. If it sounded arrogant I appologize but I think it might have sounded that way because I was using the words of a QDM advocate to make a point.

That is a blatantly inaccurate depiction of traditional management. In any TD state I have ever seen it is the harvest of does that is the focus of the program. When populations are low, the number of doe permits are reduced, when populations are too high, the number of doe permits are increased. This is a priciple that will be used by QDM as well. Doe harvest is the primary valve to turn in order to control numbers. TD programs are not as concerned with buck harvest simply because as long as the bulk of the harvest takes place after or late in the rut most of the doe have already been inpregnated thus insuring adequate recruitment. In practice the primary difference between TD and QDM is the resulting age structure. The rest is just smoke. QDM will increase the average age of the deer thus giving hunters more trophies to shoot at. TD offers fewer trophies and therefore as Atlas says is more challenging. TD is a proven success. Programs with antler restrictions are not and in fact some states (Mississippi) are starting to be concerned that they made a mistake by restricting the buck harvest through AR. You might find this interesting...

http://www.remington.com/NR/exeres/0...ookie%5Ftest=1

Ohio is of particular interest. They have no antler restrictions, they harvest 80 to 90% of the yearling bucks and yet are 4th in the nation for the number of trophies taken.