Yeah...Hell Yeah.
I'm in Florida, and 'round these parts, I don't have to hunt large game in order to survive. We've got nice Supermarkets every mile or so, and even when hunting to survive becomes an absolute must, there is no game down here that requires a full power rifle cartridge. Most of the people I know down here that do hunt tell me that 50-100 yards is the realm of the Floridian hunt, and if you know anything about our terrain, this is a more than reasonable assertion.
The AR is very easy to operate, simple to clean and maintain, has parts and accessories available everywhere, is lightweight (so long as you didn't blindly load it down with crap), is very reliable, and ranges from accurate to "watch this" depending on how you've got it configured.
If you're one of those guys that really believes that ARs are not reliable, then I have to be suspicious that your experience revolves around poorly built ("parts is parts, I got this!") or improperly spec'd rifles/carbines ("I gots $600, what's the best AR for my money?"). If you're one of those guys who believes that the AR's operating system runs "too dirty" then I have to assume you don't know the first thing about HK pattern roller-delayed blowback rifles.
I'm in agreement with the assumption that the majority of folks here need a hunting rifle first and foremost, and that they live in remote areas where taking a long distance shot at an Elk is much more likely event than letting off a controlled sequence at some bad guys. Where I'm at, the reverse is true.