There are always questions about Whitetail Deer that usually include two very popular ones like “What state has the most trophy bucks?” or this one that is really getting popular “Where have all the deer gone?”. The later question seems to be the important one these days in a lot of states in the Midwest.
With the outbreak of diseases like EHD (Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease), Bluetongue Disease, CWD (Chronic wasting disease) and new ones that seem to be popping up that the governments can’t (won’t) explain, our deer populations really seem to be taking a hit. With all of this going on, its hard to tell where the effects are really hitting the hardest. That is where programs like Boone & Crockett Club and Pope & Young Club do a great service to help track harvest. No these clubs are not just a place to show off your trophy, they are about conservation first and foremost. “The Boone and Crockett Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to hunter and conservation ethics, education, and demonstration.” Boone & Crockett and Pope & Young are there to help and because of them we have a more abundance of wildlife.
So where are all the deer these days? I wanted to see how all the states looked since the year 2000 as far as Whitetail Deer numbers. I know these numbers are only trophy bucks that have been turned into the records, but its still a good example of how the overall numbers are per state. I also wanted to track how some states that never used to be known for producing big Whitetail Bucks are starting to over the last few years due to better conservation practices and other programs like QDMA. Thanks to Trophy Search from Boone & Crockett, I was able to really search in detail and categorize just about everything I wanted to research where the deer are.
While looking thru these lists, notice the patterns…………… See the whole article and all the lists at averagehunter.com/12-years-record-book-whitetails/