Deer hunter numbers

According to the latest deer harvest estimates, 27% of our deer hunters were successful at taking an antlered deer. Running some math results in a estimate of only 636,000 deer hunters left in this state. This is down from a estimated 1.2 million in the late 80s and early 90's. We have lost around 575,,000 deer hunters and most of those are rifle only folks. 
 
I am a bit skeptical of it though. The last PGC numbers I saw on deer hunters was around 750,000 and that was just about 5 years ago. Did we really lose another 100,000 deer hunters in just a few years? 

I see this happening in my own family. The number of new hunters not replacing those that quit or pass on. I see it also in the field especially with small game hunting. On the first day of small game season you could count on seeing an orange army crisscrossing fields along any road followed up by regular sightings in the preceding weeks. Today during hunting season I see few to none. Add to that the over burdening amount of state regulations and you have ample reason for the decline. Most of us on the site have grown up with the changing laws and have adapted to them slowly. To a new person looking to begin hunting it's a near nightmare. I do not believe it is intentional but the game commission is pushing people away from this activity. 
JUST MY HUMBLE OPINION!