No substitute for age, that's for sure. As far as your years of college comment. This particular biologist helped coin the term "the golden triangle" along with Horace Gore, the godfather's of TX deer management. He had spiral notebooks that would stack to the ceiling several times over of his in the field documented data. That, and his college education, have given him more knowledge than you and I put together 100 times over will ever hope to have. When you hear the term "he's forgotten more than most people combined will ever know"......that's him. Everyone who knows him acknowledges that as well, especially his peers.
Its nice to know that some keep on and move forward, college is to teach you more of how to learn in life the rest of your life.
But for someone to say that its worthless to do the best you can, I think that is a total dis service to the community. Will you end up with a perfect herd and 180s behind each bush? No way, hell you might not even have the genetics or nutrition to do that regardless, but regardless just flat ignoring whats going on takes us right back to what we used to have. 120 inch deer was amazing. Like a 160 now. So in a way you have growth of 40 inches due to regs and management....
I'd say thats a positive move regardless.
Just watched an 8 in velvet come by the house while ago that was a 2.5 year old buck at about 110 inches already... Years back he'd have died at 1.5..
