Sometimes you find them because you were looking, and sometimes you're not particularly looking, but you find one anyway. Either way, 22 Kentucky hunters found trophy-class whitetails last season, mostly in the old familiar places where big bucks have consistently shown up across the Bluegrass State in years past.

Two seasons ago, the trend was broken a bit when numerous Boone and Crockett (B&C) Club trophies came from much lesser known counties. And while a couple of monsters this past year became wallhangers from spots that historically don't give up higher quality bucks, most 2008 trophies were found back in the places hunters have become accustomed to considering the better trophy-producing counties Kentucky offers.

Though in total number of big bucks, the 2008 season was less productive than the immediate three years, but one lucky deer hunter did manage to post a very prestigious buck that joined the state's top 10 non-typical list of all time. Kentucky hunters rarely see non-typicals in the 240 class and better, but after last season, the state now boasts its top five non-typicals from 240 7/8 to the best yet 270 5/8. We'll tell you where the newest mega-buck came from last season as we move through our review of best potential spots for trophy bucks in 2009.

In addition to the fact that it's good that hunters are finding lots of trophy bucks, notice that this past season, these bucks are being taken by all methods and not just by rifle hunters. Four archery hunters scored, three blackpowder hunters cashed in, and even a crossbow enthusiast made good on a record buck in 2008. It suggests that trophy-class bucks can be found at any time during the season from early September through mid-January. Perhaps one key to success when you know a monster buck is around is being out there as consistently as you can during the season.

PURCHASE REGION
Three seasons ago, Christian County was the location for Kentucky's top non-typical when Dan Miller dropped his top 19 all-time 246-plus buck. The following season, another monster 197 2/8 non-typical met Michael Snyder's fatal rifle shot. We noted then that Christian was rising on the horizon as a top quality county.

In 2008, we got that confirmation when Ft. Campbell hunter Rick Weatherford found a non-typical buck that measured over 221. It wasn't hunter taken, but still shows this area is capable of growing an exceptional whitetail buck even in a region where trophy deer are somewhat unusual.

One new bright spot might be Calloway County this season, which was the right place for Blake Munger last season when his 186 6/8 buck netted him a spot in the top 10 non-typicals from 2008.

"We'd like to see a few more from Calloway before we really point to it as a trophy producer, so maybe someone else will come up with one this season and give us some consistency," said Brunjes.

"Based on past harvests, I believe a hunter's best bets in this region are still going to be Crittenden or Livingston counties, and possibly Ballard County outside what we know about how Christian County is doing," the biologist noted.

"Hunters hoping for a truly exceptional buck in the Purchase probably need to find out-of-the-way places to hunt and spend time in the higher quality habitat areas that do exist in this region.

"You have to try to put the odds in your favor, and do the homework in most cases to take a really good buck," Brunjes added.