By P.J. Perea

If what was recorded in the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Big Buck Recognition Program and the hundreds of deer heads measured at the 2004 Illinois Deer and Turkey Classic are representative of what is happening out in the field, things look good for trophy-deer hunters in the Prairie State.

Illinois continues to produce deer with impressive racks. Fowler's Tim Walmsley is founder of the Deer and Turkey Classic in Illinois, and has seen and experienced many unique things as a measurer for thousands of trophy animals for the Pope and Young Club and the Boone and Crockett Club.

Killing a big whitetail buck is on the minds of many hunters each fall as they enter the woods. After the season, racks are compared, and inevitably disputes develop among hunters over whose deer is more impressive. A scoring system was created over the years to settle the score and honor those hunters who have killed these magnificent animals. The Pope and Young Club together with the Boone and Crockett Club maintain the universally accepted scoring system and set the standards for measuring more than 30 species of big game.

At this year's Deer and Turkey Classic, Walmsley and 30 other hard-working volunteer measurers representing both clubs scored more than 600 deer racks. Hunters from across the Midwest brought in their mounts to learn how they measure up with trophy standards. White-tailed deer racks are scored based on a formula that compiles a series of standard measurements based on the number of scoreable points, circumference at key points, inside spread measurement and symmetry of left and right antler structure.

"Since the DNR changed the regulations and limited hunters to two bucks per year, we have seen a resurgence of trophy deer in Illinois," Walmsley said. "Illinois has all the right factors to produce impressive numbers of big bucks - good genetics, good feed and the ability of deer to live to an old age."

While killing a trophy deer is a high point for many hunters' careers, harvesting a special deer of record proportions is an experience that can be likened to winning the lottery or finding overnight fame.

Photo by BillKinney.com

"It can be a blessing, it can be a curse, sometimes it is both for the hunter," said Walmsley. "There are some great things that happen to those who take record-book bucks. Trophy deer means competition by magazines and TV shows for exclusive rights to the hunter's story. Hunters can receive compensation from sports shows and seminars. Companies will line up for sponsorship deals, image rights, licensing and such. Sometimes the rack will sell for tens of thousands of dollars. On the downside, it is incredibly disruptive to a hunter's lifestyle."

Walmsley noted that recently, some hunters have worked to keep things quiet about their trophy deer while they prepare themselves and their families for the inevitable change. Lawyers and even agents have been hired to handle the crush of media and corporate attention that record deer bring to the hunter.

"A few even shun attention altogether and keep the trophy to themselves," he said, "although this is incredibly rare."

One of the more interesting trends is the practice of landowner management of local deer herds through food plots and selective harvest.

"Landowners have become very educated in allowing young bucks to mature and supplementing their diet with nutritious forage," Walmsley said. "It has allowed nearly every state the potential to grow trophy and record deer. I expect to see even more impressive deer in the future."

Hunters who bag a trophy buck in Illinois can find some recognition in the DNR's Big Buck Recognition Program (BBRP). The program also helps develop stronger hunter/landowner relationships, makes hunters aware of good management practices, and gives wildlife biologists a greater understanding of the herd.

According to the program's guidelines, in order to qualify for the BBRP the rack must be measured by an official B&C or P&Y scorer, and the score sheet needs to be submitted to the BBRP. The paperwork and a list of official scorers are available online at www.dnr.state.il.us.

There are two categories in which archery and firearm hunters can enter their antlers, which are typical and non-typical. Typical antlers are normal and symmetrical in shape, while non-typical antlers possess a large number of points that are abnormal in shape or position. To qualify, deer taken by firearm must score a minimum of 140 for a typical rack and 160 for a non-typical set of antlers. The minimum for deer taken by bow and arrow or crossbow is 115 inches for typical and 130 inches for non-typical antlers. People returning the preliminary score sheet whose totals meet or exceed the minimum requirements will be given information regarding individuals who may officially score their deer.

Here's a look at how the 2003-2004 entries fared for the BBRP and a short analysis of the trends seen for the past year.

It may be that some of the more popular areas are seeing strong enough consistent pressure that either the numbers of quality deer have peaked or the constant pressure has made big bucks more wary and tougher to hunt. The emergence of secondary counties is not a surprise, as they are often adjacent to perennial powerhouse counties in the area. The other possibility is that private landowners are actively creating better habitats for deer with food plots and enrollment in habitat incentive programs for wildlife.

"Illinois' trophy potential is well known," said Brenda Potts from the DNR. "There seems to be a greater emphasis on managing for trophy bucks in recent years, with many individuals now managing private property for this purpose. The absence of a rifle season during the rut may have a lot to do with our ability to produce a record number of big bucks. Combine that with the big three factors of nutrition, age and genetics, and Illinois is capable of producing that once-in-a-lifetime buck."

Potts also talked about a new DNR project that big-buck hunters may find of interest.

"Illinois Whitetails is a new book being presented by the Illinois Conservation Foundation with proceeds going to fund the Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger Program (ISAH)," said Potts. "The book includes information on the history of the Illinois deer herd, biological information, research, big-buck stories and the records of the Big Buck Recognition Program. In addition, Boone and Crockett records for the state of Illinois will be included as well."

Potts elaborated on the record deer of Illinois.

"The records chapter will include all entries into the BBRP since the inception of the program," she said. "From this data, hunters will be able to see what caliber of bucks are being entered by county, method of harvest and year. Both non-typical and typical bucks taken with firearm, bow or crossbow are entered. Bucks must be scored by Pope and Young, Boone and Crockett or BBRP measurers, and meet minimum requirements to be entered in the program. The book retails for $24.95 and may be pre-ordered by sending your name, mailing address and quantity desired to cconrad@dnrmail.state.il.us or to DNR, Office of Public Services, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702."

There are a few spots in Illinois where the soil is poor, such as some of the regions in southern Illinois and parts of northern Illinois, but savvy landowners have learned to supplement missing nutrients by planting nutritious food plots to concentrate rare nutrients and boost the growth of deer. Deer nutrition experts have been able to isolate certain nutrients necessary to enhance antler growth. And, like a dietician, they can tailor the right seed combination to provide missing components and maximize the rack potential for a particular part of our state.

Even in places where soil is not a problem, food plots have also helped deer survive harsh, snowy winters and seasons where mast or crop production was poor. This lessens the chance that a potential trophy buck may succumb to malnutrition due to a bad winter.

More and more hunters are willing to let a basket rack of a 1 1/2- or 2 1/2-year-old deer walk if they appear to have good future antler potential. Landowners have learned that providing good habitat and food will always attract deer, and they are willing to return, if they are allowed to grow and prosper.

Landowners and wildlife managers are enforcing rules about the harvest of certain deer on their property, or in the case of the DNR's trophy-deer program, only bucks with a certain number of tines to a side are allowed to be killed on certain state sites. These types of programs not only let big bucks with impressive antlers grow old, but give them the opportunity to pass on their trophy genetics to several generations of deer. This in turn increases the chances of another trophy deer developing under the right conditions.

As more and more people are moving into rural areas of our state, more deer are also learning to live among people and have found that homeowners create miniature refuges complete with food plots - lawns and landscaping - and exert very little hunting pressure. This phenomenon is becoming more common around major metropolitan areas, and trophy deer now roam among the cars, kids, cats and dogs of suburbia.

Information provided by Brenda Potts revealed that trophy bucks are not exclusive only to a few counties in Illinois, but they are fairly widespread throughout the state. As far as genetics are concerned, every part of our state has potential to grow big deer. Landowners who selectively harvest undersized bucks with poor racks and allow bucks with better rack potential to breed can influence genetics to some extent.

These areas are in heavy agricultural areas with a major city or river system nearby, such as the Mississippi, Illinois, Wabash, Kaskaskia, Salt Fork or Mackinaw rivers. Aside from the fact a major metropolitan area in the region may increase the chances of a big buck being found, more people equals more hunters which equals more deer harvested and more trophy deer reported. The combination of agriculture and the rolling topography associated with river systems leads one to believe that there is something to that type of habitat that is conducive to growing trophy deer.

Overall, hunters should spend a bit of time doing their homework before hitting the field by studying maps, talking to landowners, biologists and managers, finding the habitat where the big ones live, and learning to understand the habits and nuances of these unique deer. When the moment arrives when that monster buck is in your sights, you'll know all your hard work has paid off.

Just be ready for the changes this monster buck may bring to your life.