Although it's going to surprise many, especially coming from me, but "hunter satisfaction" is the most important aspect of a specialized QDM program. You can make the local deer herd as healthy as imaginable, yet if the hunters running/utilizing the program aren't happy with the results, they will stop managing and the whole project is moot. The hunters must be happy with the results.
Second is balance. And by that I mean a deer density in balance with what the habitat can produce, as well as herd structural balance, both sexually and age structure-wise. Exactly where the balance "numbers" should be is heavily dependent on what will make the hunters happiest (within certain limits).
If the hunters/managers can control the habitat of the managed area (have the legal authority to alter the habitat), habitat management is THE most powerful tool the managers have for producing positive results. Unless the hunters/managers are managing a very large area (thousands of acres), more can be acheived with habitat management than any other management factor, and that includes trigger-finger control.
Many other aspects of a QDM program exist, such as creating a respect for the animals and the habitat, hunter education, education of neighbors, creating a positive image of hunting and management, etc. But the above three are the major factors in producing a successful program.
