How good is Ohio trophy whitetail hunting?

Probably the best there is! You might get some argument on this, but it's not worth debating.

Presently -- and this increases every season -- Ohio has 91 non-typical and 179 typical bucks in the Boone and Crockett Club (gun) record book, with 52 bucks scoring 200 or more B&C points.

The Pope and Young (archery) record book has 126 non-typical bucks and 1,630 typical bucks, including seven scoring 200 or more P&Y points.

Ohio is fourth in the country for combined record book entries. But what's most impressive is that most Buckeye State entries have been taken in recent years, including several of the largest bucks taken in North America.

Little wonder that Ohio has become a top destination for serious trophy buck hunters!

The amazing thing about all this is that Ohio does not manage its deer specifically for trophy buck production, as is the trend in so many other states. Ohio has evolved from a virtual "no-deer" state a few decades ago to one of the leading big-buck destinations in North America.

According to Mike Tonkovich, an Ohio Division of Wildlife deer biologist, liberal antlerless bags have reduced annual antlered buck mortality, which in turn means more mature bucks in the population -- and harvest -- each year.

Last year, Ohio hunters took 83,165 antlered deer, down less than 3 percent from the previous year and the third-best year ever for buck hunters. With a similar buck kill anticipated this year, the prospects are nothing short of exciting.

WHERE TO FIND THEM
So where is the best buck hunting in Ohio?

You could pretty well draw a line from the southwest tip of Ohio to the northeast tip and find the best deer hunting on the east side of this line.

With that in mind, here's a look at each district's trophy buck potential and how things are shaping up for the 2006 season:

DISTRICT ONE
The total buck harvest in District One last year was 10,724 antlered deer. That ranked third among the five districts and increased 6 percent over the 2004-05 hunting seasons.

This district also ranks third for all-time Buckeye Big Buck Club entries, trailing the second-ranking district by a single entry. During the most recent session early this year, the 116 new entries from District 1 ranked third.

Licking County led the district with 22 new entries, more than any other county. With 470 all-time entries, it ranks second in the state.

Fairfield County also did well, with 15 new entries. This county ranks ninth in the state, with 255 all-time entries. Knox County is also among the leading all-time counties, ranking 16th, with 214 entries. It had 11 new entries.