Once a piece of land has been secured for the season, it is time to really bear down and get to know the land and the animals on it. Scout the area for signs of deer activity. Map out a game plan where you end up placing stands strategically to cover, bedding and feeding areas and travel areas used by deer. Take advantage of agricultural crops early in the season and mast crops and browse later.

One of the most recent aids in getting to know a hunting area is the trail camera. There are a number of them on the market. Some of these cameras take still photos, while others actually provide a video of wildlife activity. They record the time and date an animal passes. They do not spook the deer with the flash.

Murphysboro resident Shawn Hirst used one last fall to take his biggest buck ever with bow and arrow. With a trail camera photo he knew the buck was in the area. Despite numerous opportunities at lesser bucks, he held out. At the last possible opportunity on his last day in the field, the deer appeared. Hirst's buck has not been scored yet, but it has long beams and 10 great points.

Biologists tell us that there are three factors that go into growing a big deer: genetics, food and age. Most of Illinois has all three of these factors in play to varying degrees.

In 2007, the most recent year statistics are available, the total deer harvest for all seasons was about 50 percent bucks and 50 percent does. Of the bucks, 40 percent were yearlings, and 60 percent were older bucks. Trophy bucks come from this latter group.

Recent literature theorizes that big racks come from deer getting to live longer and from eating high-protein foods. Many landowners and lessees are planting plots of high-protein foods. And they limit the number of hunters and harvests on the land. These steps help deer develop racks with more mass, which translates to higher scores in the record books.

With a concentrated effort in recent years by the Illinois DNR to increase the doe harvest, it appears that perhaps the harvest of trophy deer will increase because of the increased age factor.

Deer are a public resource residing on private land, and hunting is the most effective population control tool. The statewide management goal is to reduce damage from an overpopulation of deer. Too many deer leads to deer-auto collisions, damage to agricultural crops, orchard damage, landscaping and native plant life.

Trophy hunting is not as effective as doe hunting in controlling deer herd numbers. As a result, the DNR places less emphasis on identifying trophy animals than they do on numbers of deer killed in a season.

Licensed hunting outfitter numbers have increased in recent years. Landowners, who formerly allowed unrestricted access to their property, now often lease it to outfitters or others in an effort to increase trophy-hunting opportunities.

Recently confirmed director of the DNR, Mark Miller, has indicated that he is well aware of the need to work for more hunter access if deer management is to succeed. He has proposed that the increase in hunter license fees be dedicated to that goal. The final decision is, however, in the hands of a deeply divided legislature.