The other mortality rate link wouldnt open, so I cant comment on it.
This was actually why I posted this link for you. I was responding to what you said indicating that mortality rates go down with the age of buck. The data in this link shows that it does not.
It is also saying that you need hunters to be selective in the bucks
Actually it doesn't say you NEED to. Need is a subjective value judgement. The modeling was simply showing the effects of simulated selected harvest. There are other ways to accomplish the same goals without selective harvest.
What you have posted here is in argument against QDM?
Absolutely not. Like I have said, I am not against proper QDM, I am against what most QDM advocates turn it into. I think the majority of QDM advocates are just on a big buck band wagon and know little of what QDM is. I strongly object to the big buck mentality and I believe it is harmful to the sport. I have written extensivley on this. See an old thread called "Passing the buck" if you want to know more of what I think.
I also have to point out that you acknowledge and cite literature from a fish and wildlife division, and then turn around and state that most divisions are politically driven. So should we use the data that our biologists give us, or dismiss it as political heresay?
That does seem a bit silly but I do believe the work the biologists produce is valid and probably not influenced by politics. My point however, was that in many states (NY is one) the decisions all must go through the political machine before they can be put into practice. That is simply a fact and there is no question in my mind that politicians are influenced by "popular" opinion more than they are by what the biologists that work for them think. The biologists can only make recomendations. Here in NY for example we have been trying to get the age for hunting lowered. We are currently the highest starting age in the country. The DEC is all for it but it has been stopped in Albany several times now. The politicians are too influenced by the NY city vote.
OR we can become selective in the harvesting of young bucks, and increase our doe harvests. Thereby keeping the herds at a level that is acceptable to the general public, but also increasing the quality of our deer. Eventually seeing and having more opportunities at larger bucks.
AR is not the only way, there are other alternatives that de emphisize the trophy mentality and do a better job of expanding the age structure and eliminating the "old scragly buck" contaminating the gene pool problem. Limiting the buck harvest is a better way. But even the most diehard QDMers don't want to hear it. They claim to be for a healtheir herd which limited buck harvest should by their own definition of healthier should achieve in a better way but they don't want to take a chance on being denied a buck tag for a seaon or 2.