"I say this every year, but it's worth repeating," he said. "Just like high numbers of deer can be found practically anywhere in the state, big bucks can be found almost anywhere in South Carolina. There can be local hotspots that have all the ingredients to grow a few big deer. But on a big-picture consideration, this data can depict counties, or groups of counties, where big bucks are consistently taken."

Let's take a look at the biggest-racked bucks and where they were harvested. All of these deer were harvest in the 2008 hunting season. As noted above, some scored racks were harvested in other years and some were simply found. To ensure you get the latest, most pertinent information for planning your hunting strategy, we'll list those taken in the 2008 season only. We'll consider all-time historical information as well.

"For the second year in a row, the top typical buck was taken in Chesterfield County," Ruth said. "At 158 3/8 inches, John Rivers' buck, taken in September, is a new Chesterfield County typical record, topping Thomas Smith's 156 1/8-inch buck taken in 2007. The second highest scoring typical was a 153 7/8-inch Jasper County buck taken by Joey Webster in October. "

The No. 3 buck taken from the 2008 hunting season was a 153 2/8-inch buck taken by Mark Goss from Aiken County. This buck was taken in early October. The fourth spot belongs to a 151 6/8-inch buck taken by Wilber Pendarvis in Dorchester County in October. Rounding out the top five is a 149 6/8-inch buck taken by Jeryl Johnson from Aiken County in December.

Larry Benenhaley took the No. 6 buck in 2008, a 143 7/8-inch trophy, during September in Lexington County. The seventh biggest buck had a 141 7/8-inch rack and was taken from Colleton County in October by Jerry Martin. The eighth-place buck was also an October buck and scored 140 7/8. It was harvested by Richard Parker in York County.

Fred Hancock took a 140 2/8-inch buck from Calhoun County during October to claim the No. 9 spot. Rounding out the top 10 was a 139 0/8-inch buck taken by Gary Rowland from Berkeley County in October.

The next 10 largest bucks also help establish a pattern. Of this group, three were taken from Calhoun County and two each from Orangeburg and Aiken counties. Also represented in this list are McCormick, Florence and Berkeley counties.

If you look at the entire top 20 typical bucks taken in 2008 in terms of multiple record-book bucks taken in a single county, you pick up a really good pattern. There were four taken in Aiken and Calhoun counties and two each from Orangeburg and Berkeley counties. A quick look at a South Carolina state map will reveal a "big buck corridor" running through part of the state.

Timing is also a critical planning guide for taking a trophy buck, especially if you plan to take a few days off work or to plan a trip away from home to focus on your quest. Note the months the top 20 record-book bucks were harvested and a clear pattern is evident. There was one typical record-book buck taken in August, three in September, 11 in October, three in November and two in December.