Taking a trophy buck requires the maximum from a deer hunter, even the dedicated, patient type. Most have developed a specific recipe for success on big antlered bucks.

Deer hunters who regularly harvest big bucks will tell you there is a basic combination of factors necessary for a successful big-buck hunt. One is planning. First, you need to plan your hunt in the general area where you know the habitat has big bucks and will support big bucks. Then, you formulate a plan to specifically target the area where a big buck is living.

Another key ingredient to the big-buck recipe is your basic hunting strategy and skill. The use and consideration of wind, scents and terrain to your advantage is crucial.

And most big-buck experts add that a sprinkling of luck blended in seems to be a key ingredient. Joe Kelly, one of the top big-buck hunters in the Palmetto State, has a great quote about getting lucky on big bucks.

"Killing big bucks consistently does sometimes require a little luck," Kelly said. "But I have learned through a lifetime of hunting and guiding that the harder I work, the luckier I get."

Luck and hard work are two ingredients you'll have to supply as individuals. However, South Carolina Game & Fish magazine has done a great deal to help you with the planning portion in terms of where big bucks are generally found.

When reviewing the data from where big bucks are harvested in the state, there are certain patterns that become obvious if you are truly seeking a big buck. We'll explore the data generated by the 2008 Score Year's whitetail deer rankings from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). Deer and Turkey Project Supervisor Charles Ruth and his team have scored deer in all areas of the state and have complied the data from deer harvests in 2007, as well as all-time data. This information can certainly help you locate big-buck hotspots near you.According to Ruth, there were 205 new entries into the records list this year. He said that is the highest number of entries in 15 years.

Ruth said that each spring, SCDNR 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.

"Of the 558 sets of antlers scored at the 15 scheduled sessions this spring, 205 met the minimum score for entry on the state records list," Ruth said. "Specifically, this includes 196 sets of typical and nine sets of non-typical racks. Although all of the records were not taken during the 2007 season, 169 were taken during the 2006 or 2007 season. Racks must score a minimum of 125 points typical or 145 points non-typical to qualify for the South Carolina state record 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."

The report generates not only the score of the bucks that make the state record list, but also names the hunters harvesting the bucks and the specific county where each deer was taken. This is specific information that hunters can use to zero in on where some of the biggest bucks in the state are being taken.