Where Are the Biggest Booners Coming From Right Now?

CuivreDog

Member
Two things really come as a small surprise. First, few expected Maryland to rank in the top 10. Delaware coming in just behind it only supports the fact that a pocket in the Northeast is prime big buck country. Secondly, select Midwestern states aren’t producing like they used to. Both of these things have been coming. But it’s still eye-opening data. Saw this on FB a few days ago but didn't have the time to post it.......have at it.......
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9. Missouri

Entries (per square mile) the last five seasons: .00136

Top county for typicals: Lincoln (three)

Top county for non-typicals: Mercer (four)

This is just an all-around good state for deer hunting. It’s never been near the top. But it’s never really fell from grace, either. Call Missouri Old Faithful, if you will.

https://www.realtree.com/deer-hunting/articles/where-the-biggest-booner-bucks-are-coming-from-now


5. Iowa

Entries (per square mile) the last five seasons: .00285

Top county for typicals: Allamakee (seven)

Top county for non-typicals: Warren/Harrison (four)

Iowa is the heralded state that so many want to hunt. It’s the epitome of the deer hunting world for many bowhunters. No, it isn’t what it used to be. It’s dropped off significantly from where it was 10 to 15 years ago. Plus, it’s only cranking out half as many as Booners as Wisconsin and Kentucky on a per-square-mile basis. But it’s still Iowa.


6. Illinois

Entries (per square mile) the last five seasons: .00191

Top county for typicals: Bureau/Fulton/Marshall/Ogle (three)

Top county for non-typicals: Jo Daviess/McHenry (three)

The Land of Lincoln is No. 2 on the all-time list. But it falls to No. 6 when taking into account the size of the state and considering the most recent data. It might not rank as high as it used to, but it’s still offering pretty darn good deer hunting.


8. Kansas

Entries (per square mile) the last five seasons: .00175

Top county for typicals: Riley/Trego (three)

Top county for non-typicals: Pottawatomie (five)

You might be surprised that Kansas doesn’t rank higher on this list. I was. But I fear that within the next 10-15 years the Kansas legacy won’t be what it once was. We’ve already witnessed the continuous decline in past seasons. Only time will tell, though.


As you compare the two lists above, you’ll notice the huge differences between the all-time lists and the most recent data. You’ll also notice a huge difference between total entries vs. total entries per square mile. There’s a big difference. And things are rapidly changing across the deer hunting landscape. It looks like we’re witnessing the beginnings of a shift. We’re likely entering a new era.

It’s crazy how things have changed throughout the years. It used to be Illinois that everyone talked about. Today? Hardly a peep. Illinois deer hunting has greatly declined in the last 10 years. It’s No. 2 on the all-time list. It falls to No. 5 on the top states since 2010. Dial it in to the recent data even more by just looking at the last five seasons and it drops to No. 6. There are still some big deer to be tagged there, but nothing like it once was.

Other states have really come a long way in recent years. Indiana is one such state. It’s produced 133 total entries and .00371 entries per square mile to jump up to No. 4 in the last five seasons. That’s pretty significant. And when you have states like Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and Maryland ranking in the top 15, and states like Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas ranking outside of the top 15, there’s certainly a shift beginning to happen.

Two things really come as a small surprise. First, few expected Maryland to rank in the top 10. Delaware coming in just behind it only supports the fact that a pocket in the Northeast is prime big buck country. Secondly, select Midwestern states aren’t producing like they used to. Both of these things have been coming. But it’s still eye-opening data.
 
Very interesting. Although what I gather from data like this is that the chances of seeing a booner for the average hunter is slim to none, and harvesting one anywhere is like winning the lottery.
 
One reason Texas doesn't rank higher is that many don't enter their bucks for B&C. They are producing more B&C bucks than ever there and I would argue it is THE best place in the nation to hunt whitetails.There is nothing like a South Texas hunt on a well managed ranch!
 
One reason Texas doesn't rank higher is that many don't enter their bucks for B&C. They are producing more B&C bucks than ever there and I would argue it is THE best place in the nation to hunt whitetails.There is nothing like a South Texas hunt on a well managed ranch!

No doubt Texas produces some huge bucks but I would argue that EVERY state has folks that do not enter their record book bucks.

What makes you feel as though Texas has any higher percentage of unrecorded bucks than any other state?
 
No doubt Texas produces some huge bucks but I would argue that EVERY state has folks that do not enter their record book bucks.

What makes you feel as though Texas has any higher percentage of unrecorded bucks than any other state?
Not necessarily a higher % just a higher absolute #.

Agreed there are folks in every state that don't enter, just a lot more deer and hunters in Tx.
 
I know here in my part of Illinois there are very few people that turn in our record book bucks B&C or P&Y. This is done to keep the outside pressure down. If you continually turn in B&C bucks every year in a certain county there will be hunter's come in groves to hunt that area. I know for myself personally I have at over 15 bucks that break P&Y and 2 right at the B&C mark but you will never see me get one officially scored even if I have one break 200"
 
Same goes for KY. Blizzard. I know of many bucks that never get scored to try and keep the pressure off the State. But its still ranking at number two. Ugh! LOL!
 
And quite a few, at least around here and elsewhere , don't report their record buck because use of a spot light is not recognized by P&Y….yet.:rolleyes:

I bet there is more taken that way and in the record books than anyone thinks!!!
 
Happy To see no mention of Ohio. Wouldn't know as we are covered up in NR plates every fall, trying to kill a 150 that's behind every white oak in the buckeye state.
 
Happy To see no mention of Ohio. Wouldn't know as we are covered up in NR plates every fall, trying to kill a 150 that's behind every white oak in the buckeye state.
Some friends and I have been coming up for the past 5 years to hunt. We have seen some good deer, just not in the stand. One of my friends killed a small 8 point last year and then ended up seeing a buck that was in the 150-160 range and couldn't shoot it because he had already used his tag.

This is a pic that we captured, from the video he made, of the buck chasing another buck around in the brush.
IMG_0374_zpsg1pac6f9.jpg
 
Some friends and I have been coming up for the past 5 years to hunt. We have seen some good deer, just not in the stand. One of my friends killed a small 8 point last year and then ended up seeing a buck that was in the 150-160 range and couldn't shoot it because he had already used his tag.

This is a pic that we captured, from the video he made, of the buck chasing another buck around in the brush.
IMG_0374_zpsg1pac6f9.jpg

Happy you all have had some good hunts. My post was sarcasm because it does seem like every outdoor platform has something to say about Ohio. Our hunting has somewhat declined from what it used to be but we still have some good bucks around.
 
Most Hoosiers I know go to neighboring states to hunt for the big one. Especially those close to the various state lines. I get my deer scored, because I want to know.....but I don't have to worry about any record books......at least not yet. If I ever do get one that size, I am sure I will have him scored, but I doubt I will go thru the process of having it listed. Not all attention is good attention..... TV and magazines and the like want to push TX, IL, OH, MO, IA, KS & WI.....that's just fine with me.
 
All I know is Nebraska sucks and I HOPE it stays that way. Every other state that has become great outfitters and leasing has destroyed it--except for Texas which is an anomaly due to huge land holdings..
 
Happy you all have had some good hunts. My post was sarcasm because it does seem like every outdoor platform has something to say about Ohio. Our hunting has somewhat declined from what it used to be but we still have some good bucks around.
We started going to shoot a bigger deer than we can kill here in Tennessee. We now go to get away from work and wives.
 
All I know is Nebraska sucks and I HOPE it stays that way. Every other state that has become great outfitters and leasing has destroyed it--except for Texas which is an anomaly due to huge land holdings..

I agree that outfitting in some areas have hurt the hunting (golden triangle area). This is why I leased the 20,000 Illinois acres that I have. I do also believe there are some outfitters out there that do things right. The ones that are doing it right are not making any money but the deer herd is flourishing. I personally only do a max of 25 hunts on 20,000 acres. I would have to guess that is quite a few less than what was hunting it before I had it. Trespassers were running the farms before I took over. Also, by adding food, enhancing the timber and letting young bucks grow has already started to have an influence to the herds. My goal is to bring herd numbers back up to a good number, it is hard due to so many hunters per square mile around us. Just by going off of DNR kill numbers, they have went down significantly since 2009. I would like that number to be somewhere in the middle of where we are now and were in 2009 and for the state to set tag limits to sustain those numbers. Until they do we are laying off doe so we can keep the neighbors freezers full. When/if the herd gets back to a good balance we will start equalizing the doe population. We actually have a couple farms that need a few doe taken off now. I deal with a couple other outfitters that have the same passion as I do. We talk quite a bit about the happy medium of how many hunters we can hunt to pay the bills yet not hurt our population. But, then I have talked to other guys that are trying to figure out how many they hunt on their properties and there only worry is they see a few deer so they come back next year and not so much on their influence on the herd and buck quality.
 
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