Take this for what it's worth ($.02). Wyoming has dallied in APR's for quite a few years; off and on and in varying areas. When B/D ratios get lower than they like, they have employed this tactic in the past. But only for a period of 2-3 years usually. One particular unit that I hunted quite a bit was used for this management option. In 2 years, the number of bucks exploded, with many larger than normal bucks being taken. Some 200" bucks were taken the 2nd year after the APR was put in place. G&F kept the APR for one more year, and then dropped it when the B/D ratio got up to where they wanted it. That summer, I found more good bucks scouting than I ever had before (or since). I had at least 10+ shooter bucks located, with one possible 200" class (biggest buck I've seen in this unit). Some great bucks were taken that year. None by me; but I had a blast trying to kill that big one.
So...I had a talk with the biologist for this area. When I suggested that the APR seemed to be producing a lot of larger bucks, he told me that could be due to a myriad of reasons. One was we had great spring/summer moisture that year. True enough, but that is a bit of a reach, IMO. The APR definitely helped bring the buck numbers up. Of course, when 2-3 year old bucks don't get killed, they can get to be 4-5 years old with some luck.
Once the APR's were dropped, the unit was back to normal within a couple years. But...the B/D ratio has since stayed reasonable.
Doesn't seem there was much of an issue with smaller bucks being killed and left, although I have seen/heard evidence of that in other areas.
IMO, APR's are good in certain instances. If left for periods of more than 3 years, I think they can have the unintended consequences of working just the opposite as intended. Too much pressure on the 3pts or 4pts.