Top 10 Pope & Young Deer Hunting States

A lot of deer hunters dream of killing a Boone & Crockett white-tailed buck. But the odds are against that dream coming true for ordinary folks like you and me. Those of us who hunt DIY style are at a disadvantage for killing top-end bucks. I'm not saying it's impossible. It certainly isn't. I've found ways throughout the years to get on good bucks even in areas that receive a lot of hunting pressure. That said, it still isn't realistic to believe Booners live under every tree, or on every property for that matter. Because they don't. However, it is more realistic to set your sights on Pope & Young bucks. And we've compiled the top 10 states in the country for you.

See how this list matches up to the top 10 Boone & Crockett states. I think you might be surprised.

1. Wisconsin

The crowned king of whitetail record keeping. Wisconsin owns virtually them all. This is a prime deer hunting destination.

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Entries: 12,246

Top counties: Buffalo County (1,171), Shawno County (565), Trempealau County (513), Dane County (427) and Columbia County (383)

2. Illinois

Although it isn't what it used to be, Illinois still has some prime deer hunting. And they still put a lot of big bucks in the books.

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Entries: 7,891

Top counties: Pike County (609), Clark County (451), Lake County (317), McHenry County (258) and Will County (250)

3. Iowa

The land of giants. This is where most trophy hunters dream of going to kill big bucks. This place has big deer. And they have a lot of them.

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Entries: 5,025

Top counties: Allamakee County (232), Dubuque County (187), Clayton County (160), Van Buren County (156), Jackson County (124)

4. Ohio

This is the newcomer. Ohio hasn't always been a great deer hunting destination. But it's come on strong in the last decade. Talk about a good opportunity at a Pope & Young whitetail. Ohio provides just that.

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Entries: 4,020

Top counties: Licking County (170), Meigs County (127), Musleingun County (112), Athens County (100), Delaware County (100)

5. Kansas

The Land of Oz. Also the home of big bucks. I've hunted in Kansas. And I — along with many — can attest to the number of giants living there.

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Entries: 3,534

Top counties: Butler County (130), Barber County (109), Comanche County (88), Greenwood County (75), Sumner County (72)

6. Colorado

Many people don't think of Colorado as a great state for deer hunting. But it is. It's rampant with Pope & Young-class whitetails.

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Entries: 3,174

Top counties: Mesa County (309), Garfield County (204), Larimer County (132), Routt County (128), Rio Blanco County (108)

7. Indiana

Like Ohio, Indiana is relatively new to the scene of big-buck hunting. It's always been pretty good. But it just recently became really good. The state is harboring some big deer.

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Entries: 3,045

Top counties: Steuben County (105), Parke County (102), Jefferson County (100), Ripley County (97), Kosciusko County (82)

8. Minnesota

Again, this is another state not talked about in the outdoor media. But they have deer. The records show that's the case. It isn't as good as it once was, but there are good deer to be tagged there.

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Click here for more information on deer hunting in Minnesota.

Entries: 3,005

Top counties: Morrison County (224), Houston County (187), Winona County (156), Anoka County (132), Washington County (127)

9. Montana

Montana is perhaps the most famous state on this list for Pope & Young bucks. Granted, the state was hit hard by EHD in recent years. But it's recovered well and is cranking out good bucks once again.

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Entries: 2,658

Top counties: Fergus County (280), Petroleum County (155), Phillips County (139), Beaverhead County (139), Ravalli County (132)

10. Missouri

I tend to think of Missouri as the dark horse. It's already a great deer hunting state. But I feel like this state could break out at any time and start really cranking out vast numbers of giants. Only time will tell.

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Entries: 2,354

Top counties: Jackson County (84), St. Louis County (76), Boone County (75), Putnam County (71), St. Charles County (57)

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