Around here on the NF, any burn or cut has more deer than the rest of the area for the most part. It takes a few years to be noticeable, though.Everybody keeps talking about habitat and cutting and burning. While a very very huge percent of nf land is older growth there is areas and like I said earlier thousands of acres in places of very hot burns that simulates a clear-cut. All sun blocking mature trees gone and far as the eye can see and dense new growth so thick you can't walk. How come there are no more deer there than any other places? Those blocks of prime habitat should be the areas tested in these studies to see how they compare to mature woods. Results will be the same. To many predators. The deer in the mountains can't stand the pressure. I'd be willing to to volunteer several weeks of my time to help with restocking deer into these areas just to see if the population can bounce back in those areas of prime habitat. But I believe it won't make a difference until some more bears are gone.