Yet farther to the west in the Bluegrass, hunters have historically done very well in finding big bucks in the Hardin, Meade and Bullitt counties pocket in and around the Ft. Knox Reservation. Likewise, the northeastern counties of Grant, and previously mentioned Harrison and Pendleton counties, the latter of which still holds Kentucky's top typical listing of 204 2/8, deserve serious consideration annually.

One other tidbit that might encourage hunters to scour this region for places to hunt is that the top two all-time typicals and non-typicals have been taken or found in Bluegrass Region counties. Yeah -- that's a big, big indicator of the quality this region can produce. In fact, five of the top 10 typicals claimed the Bluegrass Region home before their racks were scored and added as part of Kentucky's illustrious trophy buck history.

SOUTHEAST REGION
Even though overall it is the most rugged and forested wildlife management region in Kentucky, the Southeast Region has blossomed nicely into a large set of counties where hunters have found trophy-class whitetails more often in the last year or two. Some 15 B&C bucks have been taken from the region in the last two years, which shows a surge in production from five years ago.

Clay County powered up in 2008 and gave up two exceptional typicals that qualified for B&C Club honors. Pulaski and Rockcastle counties both hit the list in 2007 and 2008 with monster bucks, and last season, Estill County posted a double listing. Usually when counties have multiple trophies in the same year that means it's time to start paying attention, if you're interested in finding high-quality bucks.

The most interesting development in the Southeast Region, after last season's buck crop was harvested, might be that Russell and Clinton counties both showed up on the list. Jacob Tyles dropped a superb 185-class non-typical, while Richard Richardson scored with a 170 1/8 qualifier out of Clinton County just to the south. But what is exciting is those two bucks indicate a higher potential for improving quality, and there's a very nice seven- to eight-county block in the western end of the Southeast Region where quality bucks are showing up regularly.

There are a couple of other regions in Kentucky, as the map indicates, where a contiguous group of counties have exhibited high potential and make the cut of best counties for big bucks. Those regions, however, actually hold better habitat. Still, a little older age structure and good genetics are pushing these counties up in the Southeast Region as ones deserving some hunter attention.

It will be quite interesting to see if hunters in this block, or elsewhere in the Southeast not usually known for giving up big whitetails, show up in next year's trophy group. Based on the last few seasons, things favor more big bucks will come out of the same area this season.

NORTHEAST REGION
Compared with the other four regions, the Northeast Region in terms of counties with high trophy deer potential only surpasses the Purchase Region to the far west. Save for Lewis County last season, hunters in the Northeast Region in 2008 came within one deer of being blanked on record-book bucks. That's just the way it was.

What's even odder is that Lewis County is one of the top three, out of 120 counties in Kentucky, in producing trophy-class whitetails over the last decade. It added another last season when Jack McEldowney got a 162 4/8 bruiser in his sights during gun season.