Blacktails On Low, Middle & High Ground
Improve your game plan this deer season. Recognize the behavior of blacktail bucks at all elevations.
By Scott Haugen
As anticipated, a small three-point blacktail buck walked down the trail, right under my tree stand. He wasn't a shooter, but the one following him was close. He also was a three-point, pushing 18 inches wide. He, too, wasn't the buck I hoped for.
Chris Toy patterned this mid-elevation buck along the edge of a logged unit, then hung his tree stand in the perfect place. The brute buck carried exactly 150 inches of antler -- every blacktail hunter's dream. Photo by Scott Haugen.
I saw these bucks and one more -- a tall, heavy-racked brute at least two years older than the others -- during my midsummer scouting missions. I saw all three bucks together a few days prior to the Sept. 1 opener. They were in velvet then. Now, their antlers gleamed.
After an hour of holding out for the biggest of the three blacktails, I knew it wasn't going to happen. "He should have been here by now," I thought to myself, perched 23 feet up in a tree.
The three bucks had been traveling together since July. Now, something had changed, something more than the shedding of their velvet.
"Maybe he already went nocturnal," I pondered. After all, he was the oldest of the trio.
The following day I found the buck, dead. A cougar killed him 75 yards from my tree stand. As if trophy blacktails aren't hard enough to tag, toss a predator into the equation and the challenge rapidly rises.
During the month of September, the physiology of blacktail bucks shifts, as does their daily routine. The most successful hunters recognize these changes, know what they mean, and adapt their hunting strategies to meet the challenges in the wake of these changes.
THE CHANGES
Columbia blacktails inhabit a vast range -- from the shores of the Pacific Ocean to the ridges of the Coastal Range through the valley floors to the Cascade Mountains that reach more than 8,000 feet elevation.
Trying to categorize blacktails into a single, neat little package can limit the scope of how we view their lifestyle and, thus, how we go about hunting them. Though they are the same species of deer, how they live and act greatly varies within their individual habitats. Whether you're an early season archer or you hold a special-draw rifle tag, the key to taking your blacktail is focusing on the deer and their predicted behavior.
One constant blacktail bucks share this time of year is the timing by which they shed their velvet. By the third week in August, a buck's rack is pretty much done growing. Once the growing stops, the velvety tissue begins to dry, itch and the bucks can't get rid of it fast enough. Some bucks shed their velvet on a single tree in a matter of minutes. Others take longer, rubbing their racks on multiple trees over the course of a day or two.
By the last week of August, most blacktail bucks have lost their velvet. Sometimes the velvet may hang on through the first few days in September. Of course, in the mysterious world of the blacktail, there are no set rules as to the exact day the velvet is rubbed off.
Blacktails On Low, Middle & High Ground
Once the velvet is gone, bucks undergo further changes. Now, they engage in pre-rut behaviors. They acquire nutritious food, preparing their bodies for the rigors they'll be facing in a month's time. Not only will they be traveling more come late in October; they'll also grow more aggressive toward other bucks. They instinctively know that after the rut the nutritional value in the food they eat greatly declines. This means gathering quality food and staying healthy is important in September, even though the rut may be more than a month away.
BLACKTAIL BUCKS AT HIGH ELEVATIONS
Generally, blacktail bucks at high elevations -- 2,500 feet and higher -- face different needs than those that live at lower elevations. In dry, hot years water can be scarce at these elevations, making water sources key places for hunters to focus their efforts.
Physically seeing bucks at water holes is the best indicator of which ones they are using. Trail cameras can also help figure this out, but it can be tough for many hunters to find the time to set them up and check them, especially when hunting far from home. Deer tracks can often be found, too, along the edges of waterholes.
From my experience, high-elevation bucks are the last to turn nocturnal after shedding their velvet. This could be due to several factors, the most important being less hunting pressure at these elevations, and the fact that temperatures are much cooler late in the evening, through the night and into the morning.
Temperatures -- both cooling and warming -- surely affect blacktail behavior. On north-facing slopes temperatures are cooler and bucks may be active well into midmorning hours. As the month passes and night temperatures cool at extreme elevations, bucks will often shift their feeding activity to south-facing slopes where they can catch warming sunshine.
Into October, bucks are still active during daylight hours. At high elevation, hunters -- including bowhunters -- can often pattern these bucks easily because of the typically open features of the terrain. Try spotting a single buck or a bachelor group and watch them to see where they bed. From there, plan your best stalk into shooting range, keeping the wind in your favor at all times. Be patient, don't push things. If the wind changes, back out and return another day. All other things considered, your buck won't be far away.
Also, deer food resources are quicker to dry up at high elevations, meaning bucks are more likely to stick close to a productive food source once located. When you locate a big buck in the vicinity of a food source, keep working that area. Chances are he won't stray far from fresh groceries.
BLACKTAIL BUCKS AT MIDDLE ELEVATIONS
Blacktail bucks living near the 500 to 2,500-foot elevation range can behave differently than those living above and below them. Of course, elevation varies depending on where and in which valley or drainage in Washington, Oregon or California you're hunting.
Blacktails On Low, Middle & High Ground
During September, these mid-elevation bucks can be the toughest of all blacktails to hunt. Typically, the hunting pressure is greater, which sends the bucks deeper into their core areas, where they feel safe and can be all but impossible to find. Vegetation also is dense at middle elevations, making it a challenge to locate blacktails even if they are moving in daylight hours. Likewise, food resources are more readily available at the mid-elevation ranges than in the higher, drier country. This means bucks won't have to move as far or as often to find food, and they have more varieties to choose from.
The lack of logging these days is, perhaps, the greatest detriment to middle-elevation blacktail hunters. Not only does logging open the ground, whereby making it easier to find deer; cutting away the canopy also spurs the growth of much-needed deer forage. Unfortunately, when areas are logged these days, land managers frequently spray vegetation killers that eliminate any possibility for valued food sources for deer (and other big-game animals) to grow in the clearings.
Because moisture levels at middle elevation can vary greatly, it's important for deer hunters to pay attention to rainfall patterns and ground-water resources. September can be seasonably dry along the West coast and into the mountains, and waterholes can pay dividends for hunters. But beware that when there's enough moisture in the air or on the ground in the form of dew, blacktails may not even go to water, getting all they need from the vegetation they consume. Look closely to see what the case is in your area.
Amid the thick habitat of middle elevations, "spot and stalk" hunting tactics can be tough. Patience can pay off when you work the edges of forest openings, as well as bedding areas, but where deer are using waterholes, get off the ground and into a tree stand. Mid-elevation wind currents can swirl around variably and are far less predictable than air motion at high elevations. Getting above those wind currents can mean the difference in filling a tag or not. I like being at least 25 feet up in a tree stand.
BLACKTAIL BUCKS AT LOW ELEVATIONS
Terming blacktails as low-elevation bucks includes all those bucks that live on the valley floors. In some areas, the "low" elevations can be well above 1,000 feet. In other habitats, the deer may be living only a few feet above sea level.
Low-elevation bucks are born, live and die within a very small area. They are non-migratory, meaning they know everything about all the deer in their area, as well as their habitat.
Low-elevation deer are also more conditioned to humans. Still, they can be patterned. Many low-ground hunts take place on private land, which -- if you're an archer who has permission to hunt such properties -- can be a hunt of high success early in the season. But where low-elevation blacktails are not too pressured, the bucks can be patterned. Their bedding areas are usually no secret. Locate one, and from there it's just a matter of figuring out where they're feeding and then intercepting them.
Blacktails On Low, Middle & High Ground
However, blacktail bucks quickly can turn nocturnal after shedding their velvet. They may enter feeding zones well after dark and leave well ahead of first light. This means hanging tree stands or situating ground blinds should be done with care and close --sometimes within 100 to 150 yards -- to the bucks' core areas to increase the odds of getting a shot during daylight hours. It's a good idea to hang multiple stands in such areas. If the wind is wrong in one spot, you can quickly relocate.
Spot-and-stalk tactics also can work to intercept deer on the move. You should expect hot, dry, noisy conditions in the early season, however. Remove your boots and proceed in your stocking feet. You may want to take an extra pair of thick socks to slip on, not only to cut down on noise, but to further protect your feet.
Compared to big blacktail bucks living at higher elevations, individual bucks in the lower elevations tend to use a lot of trails. Patterning these bucks, especially in thick river bottoms and in areas where multiple food sources flourish, is a challenge. From grape vineyards to hay fields, acorns to wild flowers and numerous types of brush, lowland blacktails utilize dozens of food sources. Trail cameras can help you determine what they like best. Big bucks may not access the foods via the same routes every day, but they will usually keep going to them as long as someone or something doesn't run them off.
Your odds rise for filling your blacktail tags this deer season when you focus your attention on the deer, their routines and their needs. From one elevation range to the next, your success hinges on narrowing down deer movement and adjusting your approach.
Keep in mind, too, the ever-shortening daylight hours will cause a blacktail buck to shift his routines, no matter what elevation he lives at. Observe, adapt, be patience and be persistent. What you learn will make you a better hunter of Columbia blacktails no matter how, when or where you hunt these glorious deer.
We suggest you to check The Hunter Store website to find quality hunting gear before going out hunting.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Kentucky Deer Outlook -- Part 2: Finding Trophy Bucks
Every serious sportsman knows that big bucks abound in the Bluegrass State. However, some places are better than others. Here are some of the best to try! (November 2007)
By Norm Minch
The 2006 Kentucky Deer Season was the third-best ever, in terms of the number of Boone and Crockett (B&C) Club trophy bucks reported in a single season. Couple that with the third-best overall harvest on record, and Bluegrass State deer hunters racked up exceptionally well.
In recent years, trophy buck production in Kentucky has been nothing short of outstanding. Each year since the 2000 season, the state has averaged 32 whitetails qualifying for the record book. That includes typical bucks scoring 160 or higher, and non-typical bucks scoring 185 or higher.
The 2005 season produced 27 bucks that met the minimums for B&C recognition. Biologists with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) actually expressed some disappointment that compared to some previous seasons, that number was just average.
Last year, as the law of averages would have it, Bluegrass hunters reported a very impressive 40 bucks that were big enough to make the record-book cutoff scores.
Said KDFWR senior biologist David Yancy, "The 2005 season seemed like a so-so year to us for B&C deer. We questioned ourselves whether that was just a quirk of weather-related hunting conditions, or something else," said the biologist.
"We might have been a little anxious for another big year for trophies, because our track record this decade has been so good.
"It now appears -- after we've gotten the scoop for the 2006 season -- that trophy whitetail production continues to be very good," he said. "We continue to claim a top-five state status in the U.S. for our land size in pumping out Boone and Crockett-class bucks."
Yancy didn't expect 40 trophies from last season, but based on the overall harvest, he believed that there would probably be some increase from the year before.
"It does look like there's a link between the number of deer Kentucky hunters take each season and the number of trophies reported each season," he said.
"Higher harvests correspond with higher numbers of record-book bucks. But to see a jump of 13 from one season to the next is really phenomenal."
What does this information tell us in terms of what hunters can expect from this year's deer season?
Given the history of recent years and the bumper crop of big bucks that showed up last year, we'll highlight it for you here. You'll quickly see that it adds up to another potentially super year for huge bucks in Kentucky.
To find the counties with the best potential, you need to string together a couple of years' worth of information and look for a pattern. Then consider the habitat quality and season structure for each area. When all those factors are positive, you've got a formula for predicting the trends for trophy deer production in Kentucky.
Let's take a look at which regions and counties blossomed last year, and examine some historical data about where the big boys have come from. Then let's look at how the 2007 season shapes up for finding you a buck of a lifetime.
I think you'll agree that there are some very exciting findings.
PURCHASE REGION
Last season, four of Kentucky's top bucks came out of the Purchase Region to the far west, compared to five the previous season. A two-season total of nine trophy deer (especially given that 2006's top non-typical is among that nine), strongly suggests that this region is coming into its own as a place to find high-quality bucks.
Check these statistics:
Dan Miller dropped a monster Pennyrile Forest (Christian County) non-typical that topped Kentucky's list last season with a score of 246 3/8. His buck is miles ahead of the rest of the biggest non-typicals for 2006.
Coincidentally, another Dan -- Dann Hughes -- shot Kentucky's biggest non-typical the year before in nearby Trigg County, which also lies within the Purchase Region.
Hughes' buck scored 249 3/8 and was "far and away" the leader in that category two seasons ago.
Kentucky Deer Outlook -- Part 2: Finding Trophy Bucks
An observation? If your name is Dan, and you have a place to hunt in the Purchase Region, you're this year's odds-on favorite to score a really big, chart-topping non-typical.
(For the rest of us, perhaps name changes are in order -- as well as some work to get permission on a farm in this region.)
And there's more to note for the Purchase Region, and for Christian County in particular.
Christian County accounted for a big 189 3/8 non-typical in 2005 as well. And Randy Green added a big typical in 2006 that missed the B&C All-Time record (of 170 or better) by a half-inch. Nevertheless, his 169 4/8 bruiser demonstrates that this county has a good trend going into the 2007 season. So keep your eyes open!
Elsewhere in the Purchase Region, Tony Moore stroked the top non-typical bow kill reported for 2006, with a big daddy 185 2/8 that placed his name in the B&C Awards Book.
His buck came out of Crittenden County, one of a handful of counties that has shown trophy-buck potential year after year. It is always highlighted on the maps indicating counties with high potential. The season before, Crittenden gave up the fourth biggest non-typical. Like last season, ironically, it was the top bow kill in 2005.
When the smoke cleared from his muzzleloader in Lyon County last year, David Stevens made the All-Time B&C Club listings with his 170 5/8 typical, rounding out a solid showing for big bucks in the Purchase Region. Many of the bucks qualifying as trophies last year weren't necessarily in the "top" 10 or 15 ranked scores. But all four bucks taken in the Purchase were.
There is good-quality habitat in most of these counties. A lot of crops are grown in this region, giving whitetail bucks the boost they need to generate those record-book antler lengths and circumferences.
"The Purchase seems to kick out three or four trophy-class whitetails each season," said Yancy. "But I believe the potential for more is probably there.
"In recent years," the biologist said, "almost every county has been represented on the list. Perhaps after the 2007 season we will be able to legitimately shade in another county or two on the map for best trophy potential counties in this region."
Yancy's prediction is certainly supported by the "pattern" we described earlier. It's clearly there in the Purchase Region from several angles. Better give this region a hard look this season.
GREEN RIVER REGION
The Green River Region tied for top trophy-producing honors in 2006, with a whopping 11 bucks making the elite cut of being considered trophy whitetails -- out of more than 63,000 bucks taken statewide last fall.
That translates into the top 2 percent of all bucks taken, and so is a remarkable achievement indeed. The Green River Region gives up quality bucks consistently, over and over.
Here's what I'm talking about.
The Green River Region -- and more specifically, Paul Campbell -- claimed the top bow kill in 2006 with a tremendous 192 4/8 buck from Warren County that got things rolling. Hulen Sanders' 176 0/8 Grayson County buck was the best typical from the region, ranking third of all typicals last year.
John Wilcox added a second typical, again from Grayson County. It scored 165 1/8 and helped the Green River Region tie with the Northeast Region for best trophy production last season.
The eight other big bucks from this region that topped Kentucky's charts came from Hopkins, McLean, Union, Edmonson, Todd, Butler, Logan and Hancock counties. Now -- as if we needed another impressive statistic about the Green River Region's trophy-buck potential, consider this:
In the last two seasons alone, at least one B&C Club qualifier has been reported taken -- are you ready? -- in 16 of the 22 counties that make up the Green River Region.
Kentucky Deer Outlook -- Part 2: Finding Trophy Bucks
Yeah, just about everywhere you look. You may have glanced at the Top Trophy-Buck Counties map and wondered why almost all the Green River counties are shaded for high potential. The reason is that they provide big bucks consistently, year after year after year. Historically, there's no better place in Kentucky to encounter a wallhanger whitetail than in this richly agricultural section of our state, so perfectly suited for deer.
While other regions have big years and small years, the Green River counties produce every time.
If a county is off the list this year, it's usually back on the next -- with a record book buck. If history repeats itself, then this region is also one of the best to consider for the hunter seeking a trophy whitetail in 2007 . . . and beyond.
BLUEGRASS REGION
In 2005, Bluegrass Region deer hunters had a bit of a dry year for big bucks. But they got on track last season, according to the KDFWR's official list of B&Cs from 2006.
Trophy bucks jumped from three to nine, again, with some very interesting developments that you need to stay on top of.
Most hunters know that Pendleton County claims Kentucky's best-ever typical buck taken: At the end of the day, Robert Smith came home with his record-book dream-fulfilling 204 2/8 buck -- top 10 in the world.
Over the years, this little county along the Ohio River has produced many trophy-caliber bucks. The 2006 season proved once again that Pendleton County is a hotbed for big bucks anywhere in Kentucky, not in just the Bluegrass Region alone.
Eddie Manning's 169 5/8 typical gun kill and Brandon Bruin's 165 0/8 buck are two more reasons to explore some territory in this area this season, for sure.
But you won't want to stop looking there, in the mid-part of the state.
It's tough to swing permission to hunt on farms in Fayette and Bourbon counties, where extensive horse operations cover much of the land. So you might think it rather strange for me to recommend that you give it a try. Yet it's hard to argue with the facts.
Each of these counties has very limited typical deer habitat, compared to what you'll find in more urban counties. The Bluegrass Region's interior counties aren't generally thought of as top places to find trophy whitetails because they contain so much open, rolling pasture. But as we know, the whitetail is a very adaptable species, capable of doing quite well even in landscapes with fragmented habitat.
But in these two counties, some spots here and there held bucks of a lifetime for three hunters last season -- and for one the season before. In the last two seasons, Fayette and Bourbon counties have yielded two trophies apiece.
It's time to start scanning those big, open fields for more than the next Derby winner. There are some big, big bucks on some of these farms. And if they can, bowhunters especially should be forging some friendships with landowners in this region.
Judging by recent trophy kills, other spots in this region to consider will include Grant County. There, Matthew Jones took Kentucky's top reported muzzleloader non-typical kill -- a 185-class buck.
There too, Rick Pelphrey harvested the top typical muzzleloader from Trimble County when his 165 3/8 buck hit the ground.
True, Bluegrass Region hunters may have to contend with more surrounding pressure than other areas. But that doesn't mean the potential for big bucks isn't present.
Remember that counties in this region have some of the highest deer densities in Kentucky. And when that's the case, just because more deer are present, a buck has a higher chance of making it untouched through three or four seasons.
Kentucky Deer Outlook -- Part 2: Finding Trophy Bucks
Big bucks are good at avoiding getting shot at when there are lots of other smaller deer around to walk out of the woods first. Most hunters will take the first decent buck they see, rather than have the patience to wait and see if a much bigger buck is holding back until he's sure it's safe.
NORTHEAST REGION
Well, what can you say? In recent years, the Northeast Region's production of trophy bucks has been a little volatile -- down, then up. There were only three book bucks in 2005, then all of a sudden, 11 in 2006.
Go figure! But one thing is as sure as anything in the hunting realm can be: If there is only one record buck a year taken in this region, it's going to be from Lewis County.
In six of the last eight seasons -- including the last four in a row -- somebody has taken a trophy buck from Lewis County. I'd almost wager that during the two seasons where no record of one exists, somebody killed one but just didn't report it.
Look what went on during the 2006 season: Dale May dropped a 170-class All Time B&C listing buck with a rifle. Darrell Armstrong and Brian Cooper each took typical 160-class bucks with a gun and a muzzleloader, respectively.
Floyd Bolander even found a 165 7/8 typical in Lewis County.
Four trophies in one season! Is that amazing, or what?
And there were seven more in the region last year, including a 199 2/8 non-typical for Dallas Stacy out of Morgan County -- and the top typical of the 2006 season overall for Larry Walters, with his 180 6/8 gun kill from Pike County.
Morgan County has been out of the picture for a while, but made a good B&C showing last season, when it produced two listings. It was one of about four counties with multiple trophies during 2006 statewide.
So what's the pattern here? Lewis County is the place to be. Sell your house and move, if you have to.
Otherwise, the potential is there, but except for Lewis, no more so in one spot than another. Scouting to find farms not hunted for a few years is probably the best bet in the Northeast Region this season.
SOUTHEAST REGION
For many years, biologists have been highlighting Pulaski County, mostly because of what they believe are some excellent genetics in that part of the Southeast Region. Since 2000, not so many trophies have popped up -- until recently.
In 2005, Darrell Scruggs recorded a big typical. And in the banner year of 2006, Rick Gosser posted a huge non-typical of 202 1/8 of his own, to "re-up" Pulaski as a hotspot for high-quality bucks in Kentucky.
William Bertram also helped out by showing that while the Southeast doesn't always post a lot of trophies, they're generally some of the most impressive when they do show up. Last season, Bertram took a Cumberland County non-typical, scoring 197-plus, that would make any deer hunter envious.
Also among the total five record deer in this region last year were bucks from Bell, Knox and Casey counties, all surpassing the 160 minimum score for typicals.
For the last couple of seasons, Casey County has also been one of the more consistent spots to find a big buck, so don't overlook it this year.
Try to hunt farms where there's some measure of grain growing, or where the habitat's not the same thing acre after acre. Deer like those ecological edges where one type of habitat borders another, and a variety of food supplies are available.
Also key on spots where you find more does congregating. Sooner or later, they'll attract most of the bucks in the area to the same place.
These days, a trophy whitetail can show up about anywhere in Kentucky, at anytime. Play the odds this season, and you'll boost your chances of being in the right place at the right time to eyeball one.
By Norm Minch
The 2006 Kentucky Deer Season was the third-best ever, in terms of the number of Boone and Crockett (B&C) Club trophy bucks reported in a single season. Couple that with the third-best overall harvest on record, and Bluegrass State deer hunters racked up exceptionally well.
In recent years, trophy buck production in Kentucky has been nothing short of outstanding. Each year since the 2000 season, the state has averaged 32 whitetails qualifying for the record book. That includes typical bucks scoring 160 or higher, and non-typical bucks scoring 185 or higher.
The 2005 season produced 27 bucks that met the minimums for B&C recognition. Biologists with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) actually expressed some disappointment that compared to some previous seasons, that number was just average.
Last year, as the law of averages would have it, Bluegrass hunters reported a very impressive 40 bucks that were big enough to make the record-book cutoff scores.
Said KDFWR senior biologist David Yancy, "The 2005 season seemed like a so-so year to us for B&C deer. We questioned ourselves whether that was just a quirk of weather-related hunting conditions, or something else," said the biologist.
"We might have been a little anxious for another big year for trophies, because our track record this decade has been so good.
"It now appears -- after we've gotten the scoop for the 2006 season -- that trophy whitetail production continues to be very good," he said. "We continue to claim a top-five state status in the U.S. for our land size in pumping out Boone and Crockett-class bucks."
Yancy didn't expect 40 trophies from last season, but based on the overall harvest, he believed that there would probably be some increase from the year before.
"It does look like there's a link between the number of deer Kentucky hunters take each season and the number of trophies reported each season," he said.
"Higher harvests correspond with higher numbers of record-book bucks. But to see a jump of 13 from one season to the next is really phenomenal."
What does this information tell us in terms of what hunters can expect from this year's deer season?
Given the history of recent years and the bumper crop of big bucks that showed up last year, we'll highlight it for you here. You'll quickly see that it adds up to another potentially super year for huge bucks in Kentucky.
To find the counties with the best potential, you need to string together a couple of years' worth of information and look for a pattern. Then consider the habitat quality and season structure for each area. When all those factors are positive, you've got a formula for predicting the trends for trophy deer production in Kentucky.
Let's take a look at which regions and counties blossomed last year, and examine some historical data about where the big boys have come from. Then let's look at how the 2007 season shapes up for finding you a buck of a lifetime.
I think you'll agree that there are some very exciting findings.
PURCHASE REGION
Last season, four of Kentucky's top bucks came out of the Purchase Region to the far west, compared to five the previous season. A two-season total of nine trophy deer (especially given that 2006's top non-typical is among that nine), strongly suggests that this region is coming into its own as a place to find high-quality bucks.
Check these statistics:
Dan Miller dropped a monster Pennyrile Forest (Christian County) non-typical that topped Kentucky's list last season with a score of 246 3/8. His buck is miles ahead of the rest of the biggest non-typicals for 2006.
Coincidentally, another Dan -- Dann Hughes -- shot Kentucky's biggest non-typical the year before in nearby Trigg County, which also lies within the Purchase Region.
Hughes' buck scored 249 3/8 and was "far and away" the leader in that category two seasons ago.
Kentucky Deer Outlook -- Part 2: Finding Trophy Bucks
An observation? If your name is Dan, and you have a place to hunt in the Purchase Region, you're this year's odds-on favorite to score a really big, chart-topping non-typical.
(For the rest of us, perhaps name changes are in order -- as well as some work to get permission on a farm in this region.)
And there's more to note for the Purchase Region, and for Christian County in particular.
Christian County accounted for a big 189 3/8 non-typical in 2005 as well. And Randy Green added a big typical in 2006 that missed the B&C All-Time record (of 170 or better) by a half-inch. Nevertheless, his 169 4/8 bruiser demonstrates that this county has a good trend going into the 2007 season. So keep your eyes open!
Elsewhere in the Purchase Region, Tony Moore stroked the top non-typical bow kill reported for 2006, with a big daddy 185 2/8 that placed his name in the B&C Awards Book.
His buck came out of Crittenden County, one of a handful of counties that has shown trophy-buck potential year after year. It is always highlighted on the maps indicating counties with high potential. The season before, Crittenden gave up the fourth biggest non-typical. Like last season, ironically, it was the top bow kill in 2005.
When the smoke cleared from his muzzleloader in Lyon County last year, David Stevens made the All-Time B&C Club listings with his 170 5/8 typical, rounding out a solid showing for big bucks in the Purchase Region. Many of the bucks qualifying as trophies last year weren't necessarily in the "top" 10 or 15 ranked scores. But all four bucks taken in the Purchase were.
There is good-quality habitat in most of these counties. A lot of crops are grown in this region, giving whitetail bucks the boost they need to generate those record-book antler lengths and circumferences.
"The Purchase seems to kick out three or four trophy-class whitetails each season," said Yancy. "But I believe the potential for more is probably there.
"In recent years," the biologist said, "almost every county has been represented on the list. Perhaps after the 2007 season we will be able to legitimately shade in another county or two on the map for best trophy potential counties in this region."
Yancy's prediction is certainly supported by the "pattern" we described earlier. It's clearly there in the Purchase Region from several angles. Better give this region a hard look this season.
GREEN RIVER REGION
The Green River Region tied for top trophy-producing honors in 2006, with a whopping 11 bucks making the elite cut of being considered trophy whitetails -- out of more than 63,000 bucks taken statewide last fall.
That translates into the top 2 percent of all bucks taken, and so is a remarkable achievement indeed. The Green River Region gives up quality bucks consistently, over and over.
Here's what I'm talking about.
The Green River Region -- and more specifically, Paul Campbell -- claimed the top bow kill in 2006 with a tremendous 192 4/8 buck from Warren County that got things rolling. Hulen Sanders' 176 0/8 Grayson County buck was the best typical from the region, ranking third of all typicals last year.
John Wilcox added a second typical, again from Grayson County. It scored 165 1/8 and helped the Green River Region tie with the Northeast Region for best trophy production last season.
The eight other big bucks from this region that topped Kentucky's charts came from Hopkins, McLean, Union, Edmonson, Todd, Butler, Logan and Hancock counties. Now -- as if we needed another impressive statistic about the Green River Region's trophy-buck potential, consider this:
In the last two seasons alone, at least one B&C Club qualifier has been reported taken -- are you ready? -- in 16 of the 22 counties that make up the Green River Region.
Kentucky Deer Outlook -- Part 2: Finding Trophy Bucks
Yeah, just about everywhere you look. You may have glanced at the Top Trophy-Buck Counties map and wondered why almost all the Green River counties are shaded for high potential. The reason is that they provide big bucks consistently, year after year after year. Historically, there's no better place in Kentucky to encounter a wallhanger whitetail than in this richly agricultural section of our state, so perfectly suited for deer.
While other regions have big years and small years, the Green River counties produce every time.
If a county is off the list this year, it's usually back on the next -- with a record book buck. If history repeats itself, then this region is also one of the best to consider for the hunter seeking a trophy whitetail in 2007 . . . and beyond.
BLUEGRASS REGION
In 2005, Bluegrass Region deer hunters had a bit of a dry year for big bucks. But they got on track last season, according to the KDFWR's official list of B&Cs from 2006.
Trophy bucks jumped from three to nine, again, with some very interesting developments that you need to stay on top of.
Most hunters know that Pendleton County claims Kentucky's best-ever typical buck taken: At the end of the day, Robert Smith came home with his record-book dream-fulfilling 204 2/8 buck -- top 10 in the world.
Over the years, this little county along the Ohio River has produced many trophy-caliber bucks. The 2006 season proved once again that Pendleton County is a hotbed for big bucks anywhere in Kentucky, not in just the Bluegrass Region alone.
Eddie Manning's 169 5/8 typical gun kill and Brandon Bruin's 165 0/8 buck are two more reasons to explore some territory in this area this season, for sure.
But you won't want to stop looking there, in the mid-part of the state.
It's tough to swing permission to hunt on farms in Fayette and Bourbon counties, where extensive horse operations cover much of the land. So you might think it rather strange for me to recommend that you give it a try. Yet it's hard to argue with the facts.
Each of these counties has very limited typical deer habitat, compared to what you'll find in more urban counties. The Bluegrass Region's interior counties aren't generally thought of as top places to find trophy whitetails because they contain so much open, rolling pasture. But as we know, the whitetail is a very adaptable species, capable of doing quite well even in landscapes with fragmented habitat.
But in these two counties, some spots here and there held bucks of a lifetime for three hunters last season -- and for one the season before. In the last two seasons, Fayette and Bourbon counties have yielded two trophies apiece.
It's time to start scanning those big, open fields for more than the next Derby winner. There are some big, big bucks on some of these farms. And if they can, bowhunters especially should be forging some friendships with landowners in this region.
Judging by recent trophy kills, other spots in this region to consider will include Grant County. There, Matthew Jones took Kentucky's top reported muzzleloader non-typical kill -- a 185-class buck.
There too, Rick Pelphrey harvested the top typical muzzleloader from Trimble County when his 165 3/8 buck hit the ground.
True, Bluegrass Region hunters may have to contend with more surrounding pressure than other areas. But that doesn't mean the potential for big bucks isn't present.
Remember that counties in this region have some of the highest deer densities in Kentucky. And when that's the case, just because more deer are present, a buck has a higher chance of making it untouched through three or four seasons.
Kentucky Deer Outlook -- Part 2: Finding Trophy Bucks
Big bucks are good at avoiding getting shot at when there are lots of other smaller deer around to walk out of the woods first. Most hunters will take the first decent buck they see, rather than have the patience to wait and see if a much bigger buck is holding back until he's sure it's safe.
NORTHEAST REGION
Well, what can you say? In recent years, the Northeast Region's production of trophy bucks has been a little volatile -- down, then up. There were only three book bucks in 2005, then all of a sudden, 11 in 2006.
Go figure! But one thing is as sure as anything in the hunting realm can be: If there is only one record buck a year taken in this region, it's going to be from Lewis County.
In six of the last eight seasons -- including the last four in a row -- somebody has taken a trophy buck from Lewis County. I'd almost wager that during the two seasons where no record of one exists, somebody killed one but just didn't report it.
Look what went on during the 2006 season: Dale May dropped a 170-class All Time B&C listing buck with a rifle. Darrell Armstrong and Brian Cooper each took typical 160-class bucks with a gun and a muzzleloader, respectively.
Floyd Bolander even found a 165 7/8 typical in Lewis County.
Four trophies in one season! Is that amazing, or what?
And there were seven more in the region last year, including a 199 2/8 non-typical for Dallas Stacy out of Morgan County -- and the top typical of the 2006 season overall for Larry Walters, with his 180 6/8 gun kill from Pike County.
Morgan County has been out of the picture for a while, but made a good B&C showing last season, when it produced two listings. It was one of about four counties with multiple trophies during 2006 statewide.
So what's the pattern here? Lewis County is the place to be. Sell your house and move, if you have to.
Otherwise, the potential is there, but except for Lewis, no more so in one spot than another. Scouting to find farms not hunted for a few years is probably the best bet in the Northeast Region this season.
SOUTHEAST REGION
For many years, biologists have been highlighting Pulaski County, mostly because of what they believe are some excellent genetics in that part of the Southeast Region. Since 2000, not so many trophies have popped up -- until recently.
In 2005, Darrell Scruggs recorded a big typical. And in the banner year of 2006, Rick Gosser posted a huge non-typical of 202 1/8 of his own, to "re-up" Pulaski as a hotspot for high-quality bucks in Kentucky.
William Bertram also helped out by showing that while the Southeast doesn't always post a lot of trophies, they're generally some of the most impressive when they do show up. Last season, Bertram took a Cumberland County non-typical, scoring 197-plus, that would make any deer hunter envious.
Also among the total five record deer in this region last year were bucks from Bell, Knox and Casey counties, all surpassing the 160 minimum score for typicals.
For the last couple of seasons, Casey County has also been one of the more consistent spots to find a big buck, so don't overlook it this year.
Try to hunt farms where there's some measure of grain growing, or where the habitat's not the same thing acre after acre. Deer like those ecological edges where one type of habitat borders another, and a variety of food supplies are available.
Also key on spots where you find more does congregating. Sooner or later, they'll attract most of the bucks in the area to the same place.
These days, a trophy whitetail can show up about anywhere in Kentucky, at anytime. Play the odds this season, and you'll boost your chances of being in the right place at the right time to eyeball one.
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