I once talked the guy that managed Indian Island for the Navy. Since it was very controlled access there was likely little poaching and probably very few dogs chasing deer. They had 100 deer per square mile. Angel Island, in the middle of San Francisco Bay, had 100 or more per square mile. Again, no access for poachers, and the other predators.

Kinda gives an idea of what deer populations could be like in the absence of illegal kill. I do most of my deer hunting now on some land with tightly controlled access. See more deer in an afternoon than I used to see in 5 years of hunting elsewhere. And, there are cougar, bear, and coyote running around down there, too.