Big bucks are good at avoiding getting shot at when there are lots of other smaller deer around to walk out of the woods first. Most hunters will take the first decent buck they see, rather than have the patience to wait and see if a much bigger buck is holding back until he's sure it's safe.

NORTHEAST REGION
Well, what can you say? In recent years, the Northeast Region's production of trophy bucks has been a little volatile -- down, then up. There were only three book bucks in 2005, then all of a sudden, 11 in 2006.

Go figure! But one thing is as sure as anything in the hunting realm can be: If there is only one record buck a year taken in this region, it's going to be from Lewis County.

In six of the last eight seasons -- including the last four in a row -- somebody has taken a trophy buck from Lewis County. I'd almost wager that during the two seasons where no record of one exists, somebody killed one but just didn't report it.

Look what went on during the 2006 season: Dale May dropped a 170-class All Time B&C listing buck with a rifle. Darrell Armstrong and Brian Cooper each took typical 160-class bucks with a gun and a muzzleloader, respectively.

Floyd Bolander even found a 165 7/8 typical in Lewis County.

Four trophies in one season! Is that amazing, or what?

And there were seven more in the region last year, including a 199 2/8 non-typical for Dallas Stacy out of Morgan County -- and the top typical of the 2006 season overall for Larry Walters, with his 180 6/8 gun kill from Pike County.

Morgan County has been out of the picture for a while, but made a good B&C showing last season, when it produced two listings. It was one of about four counties with multiple trophies during 2006 statewide.

So what's the pattern here? Lewis County is the place to be. Sell your house and move, if you have to.

Otherwise, the potential is there, but except for Lewis, no more so in one spot than another. Scouting to find farms not hunted for a few years is probably the best bet in the Northeast Region this season.

SOUTHEAST REGION
For many years, biologists have been highlighting Pulaski County, mostly because of what they believe are some excellent genetics in that part of the Southeast Region. Since 2000, not so many trophies have popped up -- until recently.

In 2005, Darrell Scruggs recorded a big typical. And in the banner year of 2006, Rick Gosser posted a huge non-typical of 202 1/8 of his own, to "re-up" Pulaski as a hotspot for high-quality bucks in Kentucky.

William Bertram also helped out by showing that while the Southeast doesn't always post a lot of trophies, they're generally some of the most impressive when they do show up. Last season, Bertram took a Cumberland County non-typical, scoring 197-plus, that would make any deer hunter envious.

Also among the total five record deer in this region last year were bucks from Bell, Knox and Casey counties, all surpassing the 160 minimum score for typicals.

For the last couple of seasons, Casey County has also been one of the more consistent spots to find a big buck, so don't overlook it this year.

Try to hunt farms where there's some measure of grain growing, or where the habitat's not the same thing acre after acre. Deer like those ecological edges where one type of habitat borders another, and a variety of food supplies are available.

Also key on spots where you find more does congregating. Sooner or later, they'll attract most of the bucks in the area to the same place.

These days, a trophy whitetail can show up about anywhere in Kentucky, at anytime. Play the odds this season, and you'll boost your chances of being in the right place at the right time to eyeball one.

Find more about Kentucky fishing and hunting at: KentuckyGameandFish.com