Can find significant agreement in your points, with two thoughts for consideration.
One: while nature certainly throws large horns, it is not the norm. Should we be intervening to try and change that?
Two: if we are going to intervene, then it takes finding some way to track the female component in order to have the most correct answer.
I realize I"m jumping in here.... to many fire/ems pages this morning....
But I agree on the female thing. Unfortunately in nature we have only a few things we can visibly see. And doing our best there, is better than nothing? No?
Heck I odn't like folks that go for the doe thats the biggest and carrying twins behind her because they get the most meat... shoot the scrawny ones or old ones. Or shoot the youngest ones before they become the mainstay of the herd.
Penned up breeding colonies of deer are just a whole other subject and not what we talk about when we talk about managing wild deer populations.
The only time I have issues with myself is when I do find a great big bodied buck, very healthy, large long big body frame and in fine shape, but with only a 4 point or 6 point rack. Obviously being a mature deer at that point. I've even let a couple of them walk... but then again I've shot a few too. lets face it. While I profess I"m not after antlers, 99% of folks out there are and if you can get rid of the 4 points, that could actually be 10 points, kinda one of those why not questions/situations.
And I've seen quite a few low fence situations end up having a majority of mature deer being 10 or better. its just management that does that. Not natures selection.
What would we have cattle wise if we just let nature run it all by herself?
