Almost any successful trophy deer hunter will tell you that planning, hard work and a good strategy are the keys to successful trophy deer hunting. This is true anywhere, but particularly in South Carolina, where heavy vegetation often gives big bucks a home-field advantage. While big bucks are occasionally taken by hunters who accidentally happen to be in the right place at the right time, hunters who consistently score on big-antlered bucks have a well developed plan of attack.

With the maturation of the deer herd in South Carolina and the recent emphasis on Quality Deer Management, more hunters are now focused on taking trophy bucks instead of simply shooting the first deer with antlers they see. Because of this, the number of trophy animals being taken remains high, according to Charles Ruth, Deer and Turkey Project Supervisor for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, (SCDNR).

Ruth acknowledges that using data gleaned from the annual scoring of trophy animals taken in South Carolina is one method of tracking the best places to locate and hunt for trophy deer.

“There are certain counties around the state that seem to annually produce more trophy bucks,” Ruth said. “In addition, within each of these counties, and likely in many other counties as well, there will be hotspots where the forage and other habitat conditions are excellent and have the potential to enable bucks to develop into trophy animals. These localized hotspots are likely to be found anywhere in the state. But focusing on the known data of where big bucks are historically harvested and where they have been most frequently harvested in recent years, does give a hunter a step in the right direction. It takes a lot of knowledge, work and skill to harvest a trophy buck but first you’ve got to be able to focus your hunting efforts in areas where these animals exist.”

Perhaps the best information around to help hunters focus on trophy buck areas comes from the annual scoring data compiled by SCDNR at locations across the state.

According to Ruth, the most recent round of white-tailed deer antler scoring conducted by the SCDNR revealed 213 new state record book bucks, including 3 that qualified for the Boone and Crockett Three-Year Awards Period list.

“Each spring S.C. Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Section personnel make a concerted effort to score deer racks throughout the state, with a major scoring session during the Palmetto Sportsmen’s Classic in Columbia” Ruth said. “Of the 552 sets of antlers scored at the 12 scheduled sessions this spring, 213 met the minimum score for entry on the state records list including 201 sets of typical and 12 non-typical racks.”

According to Ruth, the number of successful entries into the records list this year is the second highest number of entries in 15 years. Although all of the records were not harvested during the 2009 season, 175 were taken during the 2008 or 2009 season. Antler racks must score a minimum of 125 points typical or 145 points non-typical to qualify for the South Carolina state records list. Records are based on the Boone and Crockett Club scoring system, which measures the mass and symmetry of deer antlers in two categories: typical and non-typical.

Ruth said that the annual report generated from the scoring sessions also names the specific hunter taking the animal. The report also lists the exact score and the county where harvested. This is specific information hunters can employ to help them zero in on the big buck areas close to where they live.

We’ll take a look at the top bucks harvested during the 2009 scoring session. While some of the bucks scored at the 2010 sessions were harvested in 2008 or other years, or found during the 2009 season, to ensure you get the latest information to help you plan your hunt strategy, we’ll list only those harvested in the 2009 season. This will also give you the specific month the buck was harvested. We’ll also look at all-time historical records.

We’ll also break down the results for both typical and non-typical antlers.

The top typical buck was a 165 7/8 inch buck taken by Tommy John Blanton in Saluda County last November. According to Ruth, Blanton’s buck qualifies for the Boone and Crockett Club’s Three Year Awards Period List.

The second highest scoring typical was a 162 4/8 inch Calhoun County buck taken by David Wise in September. Ruth said that Wise’s buck will also qualify for the Boone and Crockett Club’s Three Year Awards Period List.

The number three buck taken in 2009 was a 157 3/8 buck taken by Ray Freeman in Anderson County. Freeman’s buck was taken in November. At number four is a 156 6/8 buck taken by Rick Smith in Aiken County, also during November.

The number five buck harvested was a 150 5/8 buck taken by Eric R. Blanton. Blanton’s buck was taken from Horry County in October of 2009. Close behind, in the number six position for typical bucks was a 150 2/8 buck harvested by Michael B. Rodgers. Rodger’s buck was taken from Kershaw County in September.

In the seventh spot for 2009 was Larry O’Brien’s Orangeburg buck that scored 149 4/8. O’Brien’s buck was taken in November. In the eighth position was a 149 0/8 buck taken from Oconee County by Tony Hudson. Hudson took this big upstate buck in December.

The number nine buck for the 2009 season was harvested by Donnie Fulmer. The 146 3/8 buck was taken from Calhoun County in November. Rounding out the top ten with a 145 6/8 buck was Mike L. Pagoota. This buck was taken from Chesterfield County in November.

Of the next 10 top-scoring typical bucks harvested in 2009, four came from Aiken County. The following counties each had one buck in the second ten list: Richland; Orangeburg, Kershaw, Fairfield, Oconee and Greenville counties.

There were 10 non-typical bucks that were harvested in 2009 that made the state record book.

Netting 184 2/8 points, the top scoring non-typical buck was taken by Evin Coombs in Lexington County in November. Coombs’ buck also netted 161 6/8 typical points qualifying it for the Boone and Crockett Club’s Three Year Awards Period List in the typical category.

Reducing the statewide herd in South Carolina has, if anything, increased the number of decent bucks taken each year by hunters. Photo by Will Leschper.

The second highest scoring non-typical was a 167 1/8 buck taken by Steve McCoy in Darlington County in October. According to Ruth, McCoy’s buck is a new Darlington County non-typical record.