Illinois continues to rank #2 for Boone and Crockett Club trophy whitetail with 1,445 total entries in the recently released sixth edition of the Club’s “Records of North American Whitetail Deer.
This list was compiled from Boone and Crockett big game records—trophy data going back to 1830 and long used by conservationists to gauge outstanding habitat, strong recruitment of game animals into older age classes, sustainable harvest objectives, and other elements of sound wildlife management and fair-chase hunting,” commented the Club’s Director of Publications Julie Tripp.
Four counties in the state rank among the best in the country for producing big bucks, 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.
Noteworthy new entries since the last edition was printed in 2012 feature five new typical bucks including William L. Loyd’s 2018 buck from Lee County, Arkansas, that scored 200-1/8 points and ranks #17 All-time and #1 in the state, pending review by the Judges Panel for the 31st Big Game Awards in 2022, as well as three other bucks that were showcased during the 30th Big Game Awards in 2019.