Or conversely, it's an appointment of a neutral third party meant to give validity to a largely discredited DNR. I think the biologists largely do good work, but this gets distorted in the media and by policies enacted by politicians (and their politically appointed administrators).

I doubt Dr. Kroll will come up with anything that differs much from the conclusions of the DNR's biologists (the science of deer management is well researched). Unfortunately, the goals of the insurance companies, farmers, and hunters are often vastly different...and that's where policy comes into play.