By Scott Bestul

Unit 5H, Adirondack Park
Location: northeast New York
Size: 2,900 square miles
ZIP: 12164

"When I talk to guys who want to come to New York and aren't sure where to go," Hurst says, "I tell them the Adirondacks presents a great opportunity to hunt in solitude, in a big woods setting." Indeed, for east-coast hunters who want plenty of elbow room, the Adirondack Mountains-which represent 85 percent of the wilderness in the eastern U.S.-are hard to beat. NYSDEC's Wildlife Management Unit 5H, a nearly 3,000-square-mile area in the south-central Adirondacks (roughly circled by Indian Lake, Johnsburg, Caroga Lake and Hinckley Reservoir) is the hard-core, real-deal for big-woods hunters. These remote, forested mountains top out around 4,000 feet, and there are few trails or roads. Deer densities are low-last year's deer harvest was only .9 per square mile, but .7 were bucks. Hunting pressure is equally light, which allows many Adirondack bucks to put some years on. "The chances of seeing deer are lower," Hurst says, "but chances are higher that one of them will be a big buck." [ Read Full Post ]

By Scott Bestul

St. Joe Ranger District, St. Joe National Forest
Location: north Idaho
Size: 750,000 acres
ZIP: 83802

Idaho's state record typical whitetail, a 186 4/8 Boone and Crockett, came out of the Shoshone County portion of this national forest in 2005. From the town of St. Maries east to the Montana border is all prime whitetail country, especially along the St. Joe River corridor and its drainages, according to Ed Mitchell, of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Both sides of the river are national forest, with only intermittent areas of private land. "It's not flat," Mitchell says, "but if you're willing to waddle even a little bit, you can lose about 90 percent of the competition in the first half mile." This is more temperate country than the Clearwater region: The St. Joe is heavily forested in firs, spruces, hemlocks and cedars, and there's less open space in the woods. Still-hunting is the preferred hunting method, Mitchell says, "and a good brush gun is a fine thing to have." [ Read Full Post ]

By Scott Bestul

Itasca State Park
Location: central Minnesota
Size: 32,000 acres
ZIP: 56470

Central Minnesota, from Park Rapids to Brainerd, has some of the highest deer numbers in the state; some permit areas in the region harvest 10 to 13 deer per square mile, says big-game biologist Lou Carnicelli of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Relatively limited road access and a ban on ATV's and permanent deer stands make Itasca, Minnesota's oldest state forest, a unique experience for this part of the state. "It's not a drive-by deer hunt," Carnicelli says, "it's an opportunity to hunt a mature forest without someone buzzing by every 15 minutes." Itasca is in its third year of antler restrictions requiring a buck to have at least three points on one side. While it may be too early to tell if this mostly flat forest is hiding any record-book bucks among its numerous bogs and small lakes, it does promise plenty of action: The region boasts a pre-harvest deer density as high as 40 deer per square mile.

Superior National Forest
Location: north Minnesota
Size: 3.9 million acres

Deer numbers in the Superior National Forest are the highest they've ever been, thanks to a combination of forest management and... [ Read Full Post ]

By Scott Bestul

Swan Lake Ranger District, Flathead National Forest
Location: northwest Montana
Size: 362,847 acres
ZIP: 59911

"Whitetails reign supreme here," says the FWP's region 1 wildlife manager, Jim Williams, "and there's a reason: We've got a lot of them, and an excellent age structure." An official measurer for Boone and Crockett, Williams has tallied several typical 150-class deer; his best ever was a nontypical 180. Williams says all the land west of highway 93, from Kalispell to the Idaho border (which includes millions of acres of the LoLo, Kootenai and Flathead national forests and private timber company land open to public hunting) provides tough hunting but excellent whitetail refuge. A notable exception to that rule is the Swan Valley, which lies east of 93 between the Mission and Swan Range mountains in the Swan Lake Ranger District. Hunters here can choose to hunt boggy bottoms, rolling foothills or steep mountain slopes. "The stars are lined up for an exceptional hunt this year," due to another mild winter, Williams says, "and I expect to see a couple of record-book bucks." [ Read Full Post ]

By Scott Bestul

James Collins Wildlife Management Area
Location: southeast Oklahoma
Size: 20,913 acres
ZIP: 74561

Age, nutrition and genetics are the three things that drive antler growth, and deer at James Collins enjoy all three. Located in a fairly hilly part of Oklahoma, this WMA sits atop richer soil than Pushmataha, yet still offers enough steep terrain to give bucks plenty of places to hide from hunters. Controlled draw-only hunting during the firearms season reduces pressure, too, but bow hunters face no restrictions from October through December, with an antlerless-only hunt Jan. 1-15. The acorn drop is key here, and regular burning keeps green browse plentiful. "The area has good genetics, and it has shown it can grow some pretty good deer," Shaw says. "A pretty good handful of James Collins deer have ended up in the Cy Curtis book, too."

Kaw Wildlife Management Area
Location: north-central Oklahoma
Size: 16,254 acres
ZIP: 74647

Deer thrive in the rich soils and native tallgrass prairie in this flatland WMA on the Kansas border, showing good numbers and good size. You don't have to get drawn to enjoy the firearms season-"Basically, if you have a hunting license and gas money you can hunt Kaw," says Shaw-so the... [ Read Full Post ]

By Scott Bestul

Bayou Meto
Location: southeast Arkansas
Size: 33,832 acres
ZIP: 72160

"When you say Bayou Meto, most people think ducks," Gray says, "but we've had some very good quality deer come off it." Fall flooding for waterfowl can make getting around tough, but if you can pick your way across the many channels and canals while fighting mosquitoes, snakes and gators, you might tag one of the 140- to 150-class whitetails that this bayou has produced in the past. Dense cane patches and honeysuckle thickets provide bedding cover, and elevated ridges become key travel routes when the water rises. "Deer numbers aren't as high as Choctaw, so advantage goes to those who scout hard, find a good area and stick with it," Gray says. Firearms hunts are by draw only, with about 2 to 1 odds of getting drawn, but archery hunts are open to all from October to February.

Big Timber Wildlife Management Area
Location: south Arkansas
Size: 37,742 acres
ZIP: 71923

South-central Arkansas is covered with pine forests like Big Timber, where small clear-cuts and large blocks of young pine provide the kind of thick understory habitat that sends deer numbers soaring. "We call it the deer factory,"... [ Read Full Post ]