I live in the Yoop and quit hunting it around 2015. Does that tell you anything? Even then, I was only half heartedly hunting it since 2005. Not good hunting at all. Numbers have decreased substantially in the past 10 years. The goofs around here shoot every 1 1/2 year old buck they see too...even going back 20 years. Some big woods areas have less than 1 deer per square mile.
That seems to be the way in areas with low numbers in a lot of states. Antler restrictions don't apply in a lot of the big woods areas and the hunters shoot young bucks because they are unlikely to get a chance at anything else. I can understand that but a few years with antler restrictions might change the number of mature bucks around. Still, I have managed to shoot a couple of mature bucks in areas without antler restrictions (an a bunch of younger ones too, I'm no hero).
As for the difficulty, anyone can got to a Texas ranch and shoot a buck. I like the challenge of hunting difficult areas.
