Wilderness hunting-- will there be more deer?

[salsola]

I guess this a general question and it kind of relates to the recent developments in the Organ Mountains.

Do you find that wilderness (or roadless) areas are more productive for deer hunting or is it the opposite?

I drew a southern NM deer hunt that has a mix of private ranch land, national forest and wilderness. I've always tried to hunt a mile or two from roads, but it seems like the further I go, the more predators and fewer deer. I still like the backcountry for other reasons, but in terms of finding and killing deer I'm starting to have doubts.

Is hunting the wilderness counterproductive? I'd love to hear everyone's opinions.

 

[mozey]

I suspect that with all of us that head into wilderness now, the few deer that are around are being pressured onto private land. But then, I believe the overall deer numbers are way down, so there are just less deer to be seen no matter where you go.