That's a combination of Quality Deer Management,Out of Staters buying up property,and the old timers dying off.It's the same in many places,there are a few places a little more southern hospitable Eastern Ky is still not as bad as the other end of the state,but Elk hunting is slowly changing that,my area of the less populated outer bluegrass is still fairly hospitable,at least you can still knock on doors and get permission to hunt as Leasing hasn't totally taken over here.
If you can get access,nobody can stop you from floating a creek or river,but you can't touch the ground.I'm afraid over-population has changed things even out west,but they have alot more Govt Land.,yet our Liberal Pals think we should usher in Millions more people to turn our country into a concrete jungle.