Photo by Mike Lambeth

Last month, in Part 1 of the Great Plains deer outlook, we talked quantity; this month, quality is the focus.

And in the Great Plains, the quantity of the quality is about as high as you'll find anywhere on the continent when it comes to mule deer and whitetails. For many years that one fascinating element of the region's deer resource has set it apart from just about anywhere else you might go to hunt deer.

Sure, places with more trophy whitetails are likely to exist, as are places with more trophy mule deer. But it's not at all easy to point to a region whose combined trophy potential for both species is as high as, let alone higher than, it is right here.

Are better pockets out there? Probably. Is there another area as large where high numbers of mature bucks representing both species are available? Probably not.

In general terms, from the Dakotas south through Nebraska and Kansas, mule deer and whitetails entered 2007 coming out of yet another relatively mild winter. As a result, and despite near-record or record-level harvests in all four states, the region's deer numbers are strong.

You'll read below that the western one-third to one-half of these four states hold mule deer herds that number among them many mature bucks. You'll also read that each state has pretty much border-to-border potential to provide encounters with whitetails that practically any hunter would consider a trophy.

What you won't read about are the ways state wildlife managers focus on growing trophy bucks. They don't. Quality is the buzzword here. It's getting that way all over the deer world, and that's good news for hunters who want to focus on mature bucks. Here's the lowdown for hunters on trophy deer in the Great Plains.

NORTH DAKOTA
History suggests that North Dakota has areas that are more prone to offering hunters a chance at trophy deer. You'll see them on the map and chart that accompany this article, and also at the end of this section.

What you won't see is a lot of specific information on them or the state's approach to managing for mature bucks. That's because it's simply a routine part of the overall plan for whitetails. "We manage all units the same for deer," said state biologist Bill Jensen. "There are no trophy management units."

He called prospects for North Dakota's production of quality mule deer and whitetail bucks this season "fair to good." Think of that as a byproduct of deer populations, hunting pressure and available habitat.

It's easy to suggest that mature bucks just happen. But that's not true. As is the case in North Dakota, some elements have to come together for hunters to have a chance at an encounter with a fully mature buck.

You'll find good deer numbers throughout the state, and harvest statistics that show hunters doing their part to keep deer densities -- and age and sex structures -- from getting too far out of whack. When all of that's evident in a given deer herd, hunters inevitably will have a chance at encounters with older bucks.

Not surprisingly then, hunters should expect to find at least fair opportunities for a shot at a trophy buck all over North Dakota, including the regions that state wildlife officials are targeting for hunting pressure in order to help keep deer herds from growing more than they should.

"We are focusing hunting pressure in the northeastern and southwestern portions of the state," Jensen said. Those regions happen to include units that are likely to be the best again this year for trophies.

Those after mule deer definitely should look to Units 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F. The latter three units comprise the southwest corner of North Dakota. For whitetails, you should expect to find decent prospects for trophies in Units 2B, 2C, 2F1, 2F2 and 2G. Note that these recommendations did not come from Jensen for the 2007 season, but represent what appear to be the best bets from a historical perspective.