The "we don't see as many" argument is a very poor one. The amount of deer seen is not a reliable indicator of population. Data is the best indicator. How do the deer you harvest compare in body weight to other deer in their age class? If you're killing deer that are under the average weight, there are more than the habitat can support. If your deer weights are at or above the average for body weight in their age class, you are doing good.

Until you come to the table with some reliable data, it's hard to make an argument for what has happened to your deer herd. Maybe your numbers are down and maybe the weights are increasing and the habitat is rebounding. Would you be willing to accept a lower population in the short term if it meant that the habitat could rebound and support better numbers years from now? Deer management shouldn't be based on what a person sees or didn't see. It should be based on hard data for your area.