Photo by Mike Lambeth.

Last month, in Part 1 of Missouri's 2007 Deer Outlook, we uncovered which regions and counties had the highest deer harvest numbers overall last year. These figures included all types of whitetails in Missouri, including button bucks, does and antlered deer. In this article, we will narrow down the number crunching to reveal which areas harbor the most bucks, and the biggest bucks, too!

Let's start our study by revealing which regions and counties had the most antlered deer taken in the 2006 seasons combined. These statistics include all antlered bucks that were legal throughout the state last year. These numbers do not include button bucks. Of course, that means different sized deer in different places in the Show-Me State, but this will give you a good idea of which particular areas are turning up the most numbers of antlered deer.

TOTAL ANTLERED DEER HARVEST REGIONS/COUNTIES
Northeast Region
The 15-county Northeast Region led the state in total number of antlered bucks taken during the deer seasons last year with 20,094. This area included three counties in the top 20 in the state in terms of numbers of antlered deer harvested. These three counties were Pike with 2,112 (third statewide), Macon 1,816 (sixth) and Monroe 1,692 (11th). The bottom three counties in this region were Marion with 1,079 (55th), Randolph 1,038 (58th) and Schuyler (94th).

The surprising finding in these numbers is that the four fringe counties on the Missouri/Iowa border in this region did not fare as well as the more interior Show-Me State counties. The four northernmost counties in this region were Schuyler, which finished in last in this area with 689 deer taken (94th statewide); Putnam came in 11th out of 15 counties with 1,203 (47th); Scotland 1,270, ninth in the region (37th); and Clark finished eighth regionally with 1,288 (34th). Keep in mind that these numbers are all legal antlered bucks. Perhaps the hunters in those northernmost counties shot less bucks because they were holding out for trophies.

Central Region
The 15-county Central Region came in a close second in terms of total number of legal antlered deer taken in Missouri last year with 19,211. This region included five of the top 20 counties in antlered deer harvest. These five counties were Callaway with 2,393 (first statewide), Camden 1,806 (seventh), Morgan 1,766 (ninth), Osage 1,684 (12th) and Boone 1,526 (20th). The bottom three counties were Maries 840 (81st statewide), Moniteau 684 (97th) and Cole 522 (105th).

The Missouri River cuts this region in half. It is interesting to note that out of those top five counties in the region, three were from south of the Missouri River and two were from north of the waterway. In fact, the counties south of the famous river led this region with 11,708 antlered deer, compared with the 7,503 from their northern county cousins. Again, keep in mind that these are all legally antlered bucks in Missouri. We will examine the trophy buck numbers later.

Northwest Region
The 19-county Northwest Region came in third in antlered deer harvest in 2006 with 18,241 whitetails. This region had just one county in the top 20 statewide -- Carroll with 1,583 (17th). The bottom three counties were Clinton 699 (93rd statewide), Dekalb 528 (104th) and Worth 491 (107th). The Missouri/Iowa fringe counties fared better in this region with Nodaway coming in second place in the region with 1,415 (24th); and Harrison third in the region with 1,324 (29th). Although Worth, another Iowa border county, finished dead last with 491 (107th), Atchison 11th with 912 (73rd) and Mercer ninth with 923 (70th).

Ozark Region
The Ozark Region finished fourth statewide in antlered deer harvest last year with 15,782. This region had three counties in the top 20. The top three counties were Texas 2,064 (fourth statewide), Howell 1,858 (fifth) and Oregon 1,571 (19th). The bottom three counties in this area were Carter 998 (64th statewide), Wright 928 (68th) and Pulaski 614 (100th).

Perhaps the most interesting thing to note about this region is that despite its southern position in Missouri, it had two counties in the top five across the state.