For the past decade or more, deer management throughout the region has emphasized the harvest of antlerless deer, specifically does. Hunters have been offered lengthy seasons, liberal antlerless bag limits and a wide range of ways to take deer.

This process was aimed at a better balance of whitetail populations -- in both age-structure and buck/doe ratios. While it's provided extensive opportunities for putting venison in the freezer, it has also upped hunters' chances of taking older age-class bucks -- trophies, in some cases.

MARYLAND
It's been roughly a decade since Maryland's Department of Natural (DNR) revamped its deer management program, centering the cross hairs on the state's burgeoning whitetail population.

With access to generous bag limits, hunters have helped bring the deer population back in balance, resulting in a healthier herd and more older age-class animals.

"Most of our older age-class animals are found in the more urban and suburban areas, where we don't have a lot of hunting pressure," explains Brian Eyler, Deer Project leader for the DNR.

"That situation certainly gives us some bigger bucks. Also, the fertile coastal-plains soils on the Eastern Shore and southern Maryland have the ability to grow big bucks there.

"But in general, the age-class of deer in Maryland is really good. We have a well-balanced herd. We harvest a lot of antlerless deer, which helps put some age on the bucks."

Along with the factors of age and habitat, genetics is closely associated with the ability to grow big bucks. But Eyler feels that in the Free State, genetics falls behind the other two major components.

The results of a recent Maryland Trophy Buck contest, co-sponsored by the DNR and the Maryland Bowhunters' Society, back up Eyler's claims of big deer coming from both suburban areas -- where they tend to live longer -- and also from the prime habitat in eastern/southern Maryland.

Results of the 2007 contest showed the top firearms typical buck, which scored 171 7/8 and came from suburban Prince Georges County. For that year's contest, Wicomico County on the Eastern Shore produced the No. 2 buck, one that scored 167 5/8.

The remaining top five bucks came from suburban Anne Arundel, and from Dorchester and Worcester counties in eastern/southern Maryland.

The firearms non-typical results from that same year tell the same story. The top non-typical -- a 218 2/8-inch monster -- was bagged in Wicomico County. The No. 2 non-typical, a 173 6/8-incher, came from neighboring Worcester County.

Big non-typicals were also bagged in Dorchester, Kent and St. Marys counties. During the 2007 contest, the suburban counties of Prince Georges and Montgomery also provided top-ranking non-typicals.

Bucks from the Eastern Shore and suburbs also took most of the top honors in the muzzleloading and bowhunting categories.