Old bucks gravitate to the thickest, nastiest habitat. The larger the area, the more big bucks there will be. Big bucks don't dessert prime habitat, no matter how hard or sloppy it is hunted. There are many collared studies on that.
No need to draw crazy lines on ocd maps. Qdma had an article back in the day, and it was titled cover is key, it's really that simple!
I agree with your first sentence. The rest.......not so much. No way you can pigeon hole that theory into every set of circumstances. Too many variables for all habitat plans to be that simple. Many others must think a lot farther outside the box than that to improve their herds.
And there ain't a darn thing wrong with drawing lines on a map to do it!!!!