Pre-LK patch, Hunters topped the Raid damage meters if they were being run right. The only time I ever fell into the #2 or even sometimes #3 slot, in Kara, was when a MUCH better geared Hunter, Mage or Lock was with us and the Lock was only useful in some places in Kara. I never felt embarassed.
After the initial LK patch (but pre-LK), you couldn't strip me out of the #1 spot except for another BM hunter and we were usually very close. It was rediculous damage bonuses. Volley rocked so much that in the AOE mob groups I was routinely beating out a better geared Lock in AOE. Nothing lived long enough to hit me more than once or twice.
This is why the comments of 'you should have seen this coming' are being said.
Blizz will work out realistic numbers on the PTR so just take what you see as preliminary numbers, it says so in the posts. Let them work it out, almost all of us saw this coming after the first week of the patch release and we collectively went 'wow, whatta boost!' just look at the past threads.
Most hunters do not PvP because right now, PvP'ing Arena-wise is an exercise in futility. BG's are another matter, currently we rock if played right. World PvP, we suck if we don't get the first shot in we are dead against most melee classes. Against ranged classes, we should eat their lunch and dinner even if they get the first shot in. If you are a BM hunter, any ranged caster class should see you and run the other way unless they way out-level or out-gear you.
So when Blizz is talking PvP here they mean 'Arena'. There are a lot of problems with Hunters in Arena and I think they'll find that Deterrence won't fix crap. It's the build of the Arena's. Make 1 or 2 Hunter friendly ones and you might see some team balances change. As it is, a Hunters' strengths run opposite of the 'blood and gore' in the middle concept Blizz wants out of their Arenas. Hunters need to have slightly elevated, limited access, edge bound positions to overlook and fire across long LOS positions. Catwalks, raised pathways, etc. would allow a team to fully utilize a hunter as fire support. Mages do not need this, Locks don't need it. Hunters excel at these kinds of open field fights. We then need the tools to disengage when someone is in our face. Most are already there but need a little polish, now we just need the arena designs to cooperate. That's just my $0.02 on the Arena PvP and "Why Hunter Suck" topic. I could be entirely wrong... ^_^