To my way of thinking, QDM is having a measurable impact on herd health (which does include age structure). Typically, body weight and antler size are metrics used to determine progress. I've been at it for about 15 years. We own close to 400 acres and we have some neighboring properties that have some level of cooperation. Our total is about 800 acres. We might be seeing a slight improvement based on these metrics but I'm not yet sure it is statistically significant. QDM requires scale. 1,000 acres is a rough estimate and that number might be 700 acres or 1500 acres depending on habitat and region. The bottom line is that while improving habitat might make deer spend "more" time on a smaller property, they still spend a significant amount of time off a smaller property, especially during the rut.
I completely agree that a smaller property owner may have even more reason to use one technique or another to make his land more huntable than someone doing QDM. QDM is not directed at improving hunting except for the purpose of population control. I'm also not suggesting that improving small properties is not good for the local deer herd, it is. I'm simply saying that folks often delude themselves thinking that are having a measurable impact on the herd when it is not realistic.
You can have both QDM and hunting goals combined when managing a property. We do here. But those goals are different and we are striking a balance between them. One great example is quality food in cover. When you manipulate you habitat so you have quality food in cover, it really benefits QDM. Deer get quality food without having to expose themselves and it takes very little hunting pressure to make them nocturnal. Separating quality food and cover is less beneficial for QDM because deer must move between them exposing themselves to hunters. This makes deer much more huntable.
The point I was making to the OP who ask about how to employ this technique, is that how it is employed is more related to your objectives than the species of trees you cut. Someone only interested in QDM may simply have 50 acres of hardwoods clear-cut and refrain from applying herbicides or burning for 5 to 10 years. This provides great food in cover. Someone only interested in archery hunting might select a stand site in hardwoods between bedding and a feeding plot and then strategically make mineral stumps in bow range of the stand. Deer traveling between the two would much more likely stop and munch on leaves in bow range.
Thanks,
Jack