Just as an aside, here is a description of the area that I hunt….
I hunt a private 160 acre piece. Its maybe 70% open farm feilds in the middle of the property. The north and south woods connect some bigger woods sections, but are bordered by other private owners (who also hunt). a nice ridge runs the north side, but the south side is flat. Corn and hay is what is being grown this year by the rent-a-farmer, and the landowner is a deer nut but doesn’t gun hunt opening week on that property (which is great for me! 
) He has put in a small pond on the property, 20,000+ trees and shrubs and actively manages 20 or more acres of food plots solely for the deer. He has a few acres of turnips, 7 or 8 acres of beans, 5+ acres of corn, plus rape, chicory, oats, etc… He lets this stuff stand all winter for the deer. He logged this year solely as a method of providing more bedding and hiding cover for the deer in his north woods. The only thing it is lacking (besides about 10,000 acres of surrounding QDM cooperation) is bedding cover in the middle of his property. A large patch of some sort of thicket or big bluestem or something would really help to attract and hold the deer on his property while they are resting between meals.
Anyway, the neighbors all hunt and usually shoot a number of deer… Most of them roughly follow QDM principles and generally shoot some really nice deer, a few shoot anything. He sees TONS of deer in the evenings/at night. I don’t always see tons of deer during the day because they are often on the neighbors thicker areas, waiting til dark to come into the fields. So based on my experience actually personally seeing deer while hunting, I might be inclined to say the population is so-so at best. But every night you can shine his food plots and see 20-40 deer no problem. We shined one (of the many) of his food plots the other night and saw 20 sets of eyes. Those were just the ones looking at us, I’m sure there are more around. Obviously this is way above carrying capacity for 160 acres, but they certainly filter in from the surrounding areas to feed. Tons of food. Surrounding landowners have food plots as well, so I’m sure they also have a similar situation.
I know some other hunters who hunt the county forest land and see few deer some years, then shoot a bunch every so often. Usually, though, I just hear about how bad it was simply because its more fun to complain about a bad hunt then it is to say, “ya, we did fine this year”. All of this is in zone 59A near EC.
My point, I guess, is that perceptions about deer populations may or may not be accurate based on cameras, deer sightings, word of mouth, etc… I may not see a ton of deer while hunting, but I know they are there. And my eperience is obviously different than my buddy’s who hunts some bigger pieces of timber just to the north. Again, impossible to micromanage by parcel, so the next best (or should I say “practical” option is to do so by DMU.
Anyway, so many eperiences and so many opinions… None of us are really wrong I guess… Neither, though, are any of us probably 100% right….
Maybe the ultimate point of all of this is simply to realize that the issue is so much bigger than we probably realize…. While the DNR is far from perfect, I’m sure constructive critisicm, guidance and well thought out input would help much more than bashing, badmouthing or simply quiting hunting altogether. None of us (including the DNR) want any of these negative things, and I would think working with (in hopes of change, if needed) instead of against the DNR would be a better option???
Anyway, very glad to see all the input.. great discussion!
Just kidding… 
, but I would love to bring up another question for you. Why are the deer being accused for all the crop damage, racoons and turkey do their fair share, but no one complains about those. 
