Older bucks are smarter and less apt to be the first to venture into the open -- which is why a lot of smaller bucks get taken early.

Another possibility is that in the Southeast Region, fewer hunters venture into the much tougher terrain and heavily wooded areas; thus, bucks can elude them easier and live longer. And lastly, in some counties, it appears that historically, some very good genetics are present in the herd.

In the southern part of the Southeast -- specifically, the Pulaski, Wayne and McCreary counties -- hunters who've followed Kentucky's trophy trail over the years know that these areas own several spots at the top of the state's big-buck listings. They don't give up an entry every year, but have placed enough deer, and top ones, that they must be considered top areas to try.

Before last season started, Yancy said that considering these odds, it was time for someone to score in those counties again. And the biologist was right on the money! Two upper 170-class typicals showed up, one each in Wayne and Pulaski counties. It's ironic how predictable history can be, especially if you study it really hard. It's equally ironic how sometimes, no pattern whatsoever exists and a big buck comes in from somewhere completely out of left field. For so many, that's the crux and the allure of hunting -- trying to outguess nature's way.

Michael Dobb's bow-killed buck and Darrell Scruggs' gun-killed trophy accounted for two of the five Southeast list-makers for last season. Greg Wilson's Jackson County non-typical gun-kill scored 232 6/8, and made a tremendous stir in the region when word on his monster got out. It ranks second for non-typicals taken last year.

And perhaps the hottest county in this region lately, Casey County, proudly added two more big bucks to the list, one of each classification type. Last season, Lester Roy brought a big 196 1/8 non-typical rifle kill out of the field. And meanwhile, back at the farm somewhere else in Casey County, Brad Calvert had zinged his 176 4/8 bow-kill buck. Both made the all-time book, eclipsing the 170 minimum for typicals and 195 minimum for non-typicals.

It's worth noting that there were also two trophies from Casey County in 2004. Casey has dotted the list further in the past two years, and is on the verge of being one of those spots we alluded to that you can almost set your clock by -- it's going to produce a trophy buck for somebody.

NORTHEAST REGION
Surprise, surprise! Guess what the top county in the Northeast Region is again? Lewis County, but of course!

Our final region holds perhaps the best county in Kentucky for trophy whitetails. Dale Mustard is last year's big winner with his chart-topping 187 3/8 typical record. Lewis County keeps on putting big deer in the books. And the county always seems to get on top of some chart, whether it's Kentucky's all-time list, or annual season list. There's no disputing, Lewis County has some big old bucks.

Of the other two big bucks taken in the Northeast last season, one could have been expected, if past seasons are any indicator. And the other one sort of snuck in under most people's radar.