A deer found in Menard County is of particular interest. Quail hunters on property owned by John Grosboll of Petersburg found a dead 24-point buck. Because coyotes had devoured much of the deer, the exact cause of death is unknown. Grosboll had the rack measured and it scored 246!

Another deer on property near Ramsey State Park in Fayette County had evaded hunters for some time. But 15-year-old Jeremy Cauble downed the 21-point buck on Nov. 21, 2008, with his muzzleloader. The buck scored 238!

This zone incorporates the central Illinois counties with its corn and soybean fields, coupled with wooded hilltops and gently sloping ridges. Agriculture is the prominent means of land use.

McLean County topped the harvest data with nine record-book bucks. Second place was taken by Bond County with eight. Third place goes to the seven entries from Logan County. Dewitt and Moultrie counties recorded four trophy entries each, with Macon, Shelby and Fayette having three each. Christian County had one entry.

ZONE 6
This east-central area has flat, expansive farm fields edged by wooded shelterbelts. Much of the area is similar to that of Zone 5. Zone 6 was the third most successful area for trophy deer hunters with 36 entries recorded in 2007.

Vermillion County had nine entries, followed closely by Champaign County with eight. Third place was Edgar County with five entries. Coles and Jasper counties recorded three each, and Richland had two. Douglas, Cumberland, Crawford and Clay had one each.

ZONE 7
This area is on the southwest part of Illinois in the western half of the Shawnee National Forest. Owned by the U.S. Forest Service, much of the land is open for public use and hunting. The 270,000 acres of forest, woods and bluffs are home to a sizeable number of whitetails. The forest contains five different ecosystems and provides a variety of habitats.

Here in the west, woods and sandstone are the most prominent features. Some areas contain narrow ridgetops, steep slopes and narrow creek bottoms. In the western part of this zone, there are fertile bottomland farms that provide plenty of grain upon which deer feed.

The 2007 season produced some 18 record-book bucks taken in Zone 7. Perry, Randolph and St. Clair counties each had four entries each. Other counties with entries include Washington with three entries and Alexander, Pulaski and Monroe with one trophy entry apiece.

ZONE 8
This area includes much of the densely forested portions of the Shawnee National Forest. Although the U.S. Forest Service and various other governmental agencies own much of the land, there are still small farms scattered through the counties. Hunters need to take care not to trespass on private property.

Much of the area consists of deep canyons and high bluffs. There is a good deal of flat land, too. Not heavily populated, Zone 8 is not overcrowded with hunters, except on opening weekend of the firearms deer season.

In 2007, there were 11 trophy-class bucks taken in Zone 8. Hamilton and Gallatin counties reported two entries each. The counties of Marion, Wayne, Edwards, Wabash, White, Pope and Hardin all reported one each.

Although record books and reports of hunter success do not provide exact information about the whereabouts of that big buck, they do give an indication of possibly places to consider. Virtually every county in the state has the potential of producing great deer. Just where to hunt this fall is up to the hunter.

The emphasis on doe harvesting has allowed more bucks to reach into their 4th or 5th years where they develop larger bodies and antlers. The term "trophy" means different things to different hunters. But a big rack on a big deer is a trophy in anyone's book. Good luck and skill finding yours this season!