As a marketing guy by education, you can make the #s say whatever you want them to say. Sure, we're #2, but what if that means the entire country has lost 20" net inches on average across book buck entries, or we're killing 20% less qualifying bucks? In other words, the entire country is moving in tbe wrong direction and I guess it's cool to be #2, but if today's #2 was 2010s #7, I don't necessarily think that's a good thing.
I'm speculating a little without digging up the data, but anecdotally, I believe this is the case. Here's another analogy: Is it better to be #2 in the SEC or #2 in the SWAC? Sure, you're #2 either way, but one is prestigious and the other not so much. In my opinion, being #2 today is not what it would have been in the early 2000s and I think that's the measuring stick many, myself included, are using to measure their satisfaction or frustration with today's herd.
Mike has a point, but it's oversimplified for my liking. If you've been hunting for more than 20 years in Ohio, I think you have a case to complain and if I were making mine, it would be to ban baiting and move to a NR lottery for non-landowners.