Cause there weren't any! Not technically evolution and overharvest has nothing to do with it. The southeast was clearcut in the early decades of the 1900's. In that open environment, subsistence hunters (farmers) killing for their families and for sale to the big cities, killed all the deer and turkeys (in addition to all the coons, possums, snakes and hawks) and ate them all! There were MORE people living across rural landscapes then than now - WAY more and they farmed small patches, and not very well - very weedy. They also burned EVERY spring to keep the ticks and snakes down - without firelanes! That regrowing, and predator free, environment is the same one that allowed quail and rabbits to flourish, which they did through the 1960's and 70's. It was an incredible ARTIFICIAL high! Perfect combination of factors. Its a deer/turkey environment now