Wisconsin is the #1 ranked state with 1,822 total entries and six counties in the top 20 U.S. counties with the most records produced. The #1 county overall is Buffalo County with 150 entries in the record book, Crawford County ranks #9 with 58 entries, Trempealeau County ranks #11 with 55 entries, Vernon County ranks #14 with 54 entries, Richland County ranks #18 with 48 entries, and Sauk County ranks #19 with 47 entries. Notably, however, the state’s top five typical bucks ever taken did not come from these high producing counties, instead coming from Burnett, Kenosha, Wood, Columbia, and Dodge counties. This shows the quality of deer management across the entire state. The book also features stories and color photos of 37 record whitetails taken in the 21st Century, including Adam L. Hupf’s 2014 Dodge County typical buck that scored 191-6/8 inches and ranks fifth largest in Wisconsin history and #119 on the All-time list. Listed also is Charles R. Bocook’s 2018 buck from Columbia County that scored 192-6/8 inches and edged out Hupf’s buck to be the fourth largest Wisconsin whitetail and is ranked #96 All-time.
Illinois is the #2 state overall with 1,445 total entries and has four counties in the top 20 U.S. counties, including: Pike County that ranks #10 with 57 entries, Fulton and Adams Counties that are tied for #11 with 55 total entries, and Jo Daviess County that ranks #17 with 49 entries. Once again, the state’s top five typical bucks ever taken did not come from these high producing counties, instead coming from Peoria, Macon, White, Greene, and Macoupin counties. Eight of the book’s 21st Century Whitetails come from Illinois—more than any other state. One buck that is highlighted in this section is Luke Brewster’s non-typical taken in 2018 from Edgar County that scored 327-7/8 and is the new Illinois state record and the #3 on the All-time list, pending Judges Panel review for the 31st Big Game Awards in 2022.
