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Kentucky Deer Forecast
Part 2: Finding Trophy Bucks

The big-buck parade continues in our state, with trophies being taken throughout the Commonwealth -- especially in the areas highlighted here! (Nov 2006)

By Norm Minch

Will you find a trophy buck behind every rock and tree in Kentucky? Maybe not! But there are enough trophy bucks in the Commonwealth that a good percentage of hunters are coming across them on a regular basis. Kentucky deer biologists expect that to continue to be the case this season, too.

Of the 54,000 bucks reported taken in the Bluegrass State last season, 27 qualified as Boone and Crockett (B&C) Club record book trophies. That's one out of every 2,000 bucks. In 2004, one of Kentucky's exceptional record-buck years, the ratio was one trophy-class buck out of about every 1,500 taken. According to Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) deer biologist David Yancy, an average year yields 25 B&C qualifiers.

If you follow the story of Kentucky's big bucks pretty closely year to year, you'll recognize that in some counties you can almost set your watch as to when a trophy whitetail is going to show up. There are also spots where big bucks seem to crop up out of nowhere at times, or in a place where ones are rarely taken. The truth remains that Kentucky can produce a trophy buck about anywhere, anytime.

PURCHASE REGION
In the far western part of Kentucky, more trophy whitetails have shown up in recent years. This is mostly due to expanding herds in those counties. While the Purchase Region isn't considered absolutely superb deer habitat, densities have improved in many of the interior counties. Growing herd sizes, combined with a one-buck limit, is yielding dividends for anyone in search of that elusive wallhanger.

Interestingly, however, last season it was the border counties that made an excellent showing in trophy production, including the top non-typical listing "racked" up by Dann Hughes out of Trigg County. With his muzzleloader, Hughes dropped a giant 249 3/8 bruiser that was far and away the best of the non-typicals in 2005.

The top non-typical bow kill came from Crittenden County last season, when a very impressive 197 4/8 buck made a fatal mistake and drifted in close to hunter Sean Shuecraft.

I'm sure Shuecraft has now introduced this buck to the view from the inside of his den. Crittenden County has produced some really top-shelf bucks in Kentucky's rich trophy-deer history, and it came through again last season. It's a county to remember if trophy chasing is your game.

A third non-typical -- again from Trigg County -- checked in by Morgan Booth netted 195 4/8, which will place Booth on the All-Time B&C list from Kentucky. It takes a 195 0/8 score for a non-typical to make the All-Time record listings, and a minimum 185 0/8 for B&C's three-year awards book.

But we're not finished yet in the Purchase Region. Christian County hunter Mark Jenkins knocked off a superb 189 3/8 non-typical with a gun. Ballard County gave up a 161 1/8 typical to Brett Wilson with his crossbow. Ken Carson grounded an excellent typical out of Caldwell County that scored 160 2/8.

The Purchase Region tallied six record-book bucks during the 2005 season, which is an excellent showing. This matches, right on the nose, the number of record-class whitetails from that region in 2004. The difference is that in 2004, nearly a dozen more trophy bucks were taken statewide. So percentage-wise, the Purchase Region had an improved trophy season over the previous year...

Click Here To View The Full Article From Game & Fish!