Harvest Hunters Success % Antlered % 4 Pts
2013 1,808 8,987 20% 1,498 28% (An average year)
2014 1,962 10,492 19% 1,622 37%
2015 3,234 10,935 29% 2,528 36%
2016 3,844 10,960 35% 3,283 42%
2017 3,214 13,211 24% 2,697 34%
2018 ? ? ? ? ?
Great research, idelkslayer. I maintain a similar data matrix for mule deer in SW Idaho hunt unit 39, the largest hunt unit in the state and arguably one of the hardest hit by the devastating Winter of 2016/2017. Although the numbers for each season, for various reasons, are different than your unit, the pattern of rise and fall in hunter numbers and buck harvest relative to mild vs. severe Winters over time in my unit is a mirror of your SE unit. I imagine this pattern holds true for all of the hunt units across the Southern half of our state, where mule deer are most prevalent.
Since I mainly chase after the big boys (a la' Robby Denning, maybe yourself), I do the data research, make inferences, and act accordingly. I do this every year for multiple units. Sometimes I get lucky and get it right, but more often than not my inferences can be wrong. Hunt season stats in 2016 for mule deer in unit 39 imply that that was a banner year, easily the best in this century so far. But after the harsh Winter of 2016/2017, the numbers have already started their inevitable decline. Reversion to the mean, I think statisticians call it. The numbers for the individual units for 2018 aren't published as yet, but my bet is they will continue on a steady decline over the next several years.
The big bucks will still be out there in 2019, as hard to find as wolverines or maybe bigfoot. There will be does, a smattering of "toy" bucks...spikes, forkies, spindly 3-Pts...but the breeders, the big boys, will be increasingly harder to find. I talked to a F&G Biologist after the 2018 season, a disappointing season from my perspective, and he frowned, shrugged his shoulders, and said: "It is what it is". All I can say is, I hope 2019 will prove me wrong. The Lord only gives us so many seasons, and I'm not getting any younger. Mother nature, of course, couldn't care less.