Central Wisconsin's Marquette County averaged 6.65 antlered bucks killed a year per square mile of land over the 2022 to 2024 seasons, leading 1,213 counties in 16 states. Nearby Waupaca County took second at 6.27. Michigan's Clinton, Montcalm and Shiawassee counties came next at 5.89, 5.83 and 5.82. Central Wisconsin and Michigan's Lower Peninsula lead the county list, holding 8 of the top 10.
IWisconsin's Leading Pair
Marquette Leads 1,213 Counties in Bucks Killed per Square Mile
For each rate we averaged a county's agency antlered count over the 2022 to 2024 seasons with a figure and divided it by the county's land area in the Census Bureau's 2024 county boundary file. That covers all three seasons for nearly every county and two for 8, including Delaware's 3 and some in western Oklahoma. If you want ground where the most bucks are killed per square mile, the ranking points to central Wisconsin and the middle and south of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
Marquette covers about 456 square miles of land. Wisconsin DNR's county harvest history lists 2,827 bucks registered there in 2022, 2,848 in 2023 and 3,410 in 2024. The yearly average comes to 3,028.
IIMichigan Runs Deep
Michigan Takes 21 of the Top 50 Despite Reports Running Low
Michigan has 21 counties in the top 50 and 6 in the top 10. Wisconsin and South Carolina each have 7 counties in the top 50, New York 6, Ohio 5, Maryland 3 and Indiana 1.
Michigan's ranks come from hunters' mandatory reports in the Michigan DNR harvest report summary. Over the three seasons combined those reports came to about 78% of the DNR's own survey estimate, with 75% in 2024. In 2024 those reports counted 157,271 antlered deer compared with a survey estimate of 209,188.
Swipe table to see every column
| Rank | County | State | Bucks a year | Land sq mi | Bucks per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marquette | WI | 3,028 | 455.7 | 6.65 |
| 2 | Waupaca | WI | 4,688 | 747.7 | 6.27 |
| 3 | Clinton | MI | 3,339 | 567.3 | 5.89 |
| 4 | Montcalm | MI | 4,115 | 705.3 | 5.83 |
| 5 | Shiawassee | MI | 3,091 | 531.1 | 5.82 |
| 6 | Hampton | SC | 3,173 | 560 | 5.67 |
| 7 | Jackson | MI | 3,969 | 701.9 | 5.66 |
| 8 | Yates | NY | 1,911 | 338.2 | 5.65 |
| 9 | Lapeer | MI | 3,616 | 647.5 | 5.58 |
| 10 | Ionia | MI | 3,182 | 571.3 | 5.57 |
| 11 | Waushara | WI | 3,461 | 626.2 | 5.53 |
| 12 | Coshocton | OH | 3,084 | 563.9 | 5.47 |
| 13 | Carroll | MD | 2,396 | 447.6 | 5.35 |
| 14 | Gratiot | MI | 3,029 | 568.4 | 5.33 |
| 15 | Anderson | SC | 3,748 | 713.9 | 5.25 |
| 16 | Carroll | OH | 2,068 | 394.7 | 5.24 |
| 17 | Bamberg | SC | 2,057 | 393.4 | 5.23 |
| 18 | Steuben | NY | 7,257 | 1,390 | 5.22 |
| 19 | Green Lake | WI | 1,821 | 349.5 | 5.21 |
| 20 | Mecosta | MI | 2,886 | 555.2 | 5.2 |
| 21 | Arenac | MI | 1,869 | 363.2 | 5.15 |
| 22 | Isabella | MI | 2,929 | 572.7 | 5.11 |
| 23 | Tuscarawas | OH | 2,894 | 567.6 | 5.1 |
| 24 | Washington | MD | 2,324 | 457.8 | 5.08 |
| 25 | Shawano | WI | 4,527 | 893.2 | 5.07 |
| 26 | Hillsdale | MI | 3,030 | 598.2 | 5.07 |
| 27 | Schuyler | NY | 1,618 | 328.3 | 4.93 |
| 28 | Harrison | OH | 1,975 | 402.3 | 4.91 |
| 29 | Garrett | MD | 3,168 | 649.1 | 4.88 |
| 30 | Holmes | OH | 2,059 | 422.6 | 4.87 |
| 31 | Eaton | MI | 2,762 | 575.2 | 4.8 |
| 32 | Livingston | MI | 2,710 | 565.3 | 4.79 |
| 33 | Abbeville | SC | 2,353 | 491.2 | 4.79 |
| 34 | Steuben | IN | 1,472 | 308.8 | 4.77 |
| 35 | Ingham | MI | 2,627 | 556.1 | 4.72 |
| 36 | Gladwin | MI | 2,359 | 501.8 | 4.7 |
| 37 | Adams | WI | 3,034 | 645.6 | 4.7 |
| 38 | Vernon | WI | 3,719 | 791.6 | 4.7 |
| 39 | Calhoun | SC | 1,787 | 381.1 | 4.69 |
| 40 | Saginaw | MI | 3,753 | 800.8 | 4.69 |
| 41 | Orangeburg | SC | 5,124 | 1,106 | 4.63 |
| 42 | St. Clair | MI | 3,338 | 721.5 | 4.63 |
| 43 | Barry | MI | 2,557 | 553.1 | 4.62 |
| 44 | Livingston | NY | 2,914 | 631.7 | 4.61 |
| 45 | Branch | MI | 2,332 | 506.4 | 4.6 |
| 46 | Orleans | NY | 1,786 | 391.3 | 4.57 |
| 47 | Sanilac | MI | 4,361 | 962.6 | 4.53 |
| 48 | Genesee | NY | 2,231 | 493 | 4.53 |
| 49 | Calhoun | MI | 3,191 | 706.3 | 4.52 |
| 50 | Laurens | SC | 3,193 | 712.9 | 4.48 |
The DNR's deer harvest survey also estimates the kill in each county that is its own management unit, covering 60 of Michigan's 83 counties. Mecosta leads those estimates at 7.43 bucks per square mile with Montcalm next at 7.41. Mecosta's 95% range extends from 6.59 to 8.28 while Montcalm's runs from 6.64 to 8.18. The ranges for 17 Michigan counties include or extend past Marquette's 6.65 and none is wholly above it. The DNR's 2024 report states "Non-overlapping 95% confidence intervals indicated differences larger than expected 95 out of 100 times if the study were repeated." The top spot therefore remains unsettled on the estimate. The check puts Michigan's sampled estimate alongside Wisconsin's registered count, with no adjustment to any other state.
Swipe table to see every column
| County | Reports per sq mi | Rank on reports | Estimate per sq mi | 95% range per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mecosta | 5.2 | 20 | 7.43 | 6.59 to 8.28 |
| Montcalm | 5.83 | 4 | 7.41 | 6.64 to 8.18 |
| Gladwin | 4.7 | 36 | 7.35 | 6.45 to 8.25 |
| Arenac | 5.15 | 21 | 7.12 | 6.04 to 8.20 |
| Clinton | 5.89 | 3 | 7.05 | 6.20 to 7.89 |
| Jackson | 5.66 | 7 | 6.93 | 6.17 to 7.69 |
| Shiawassee | 5.82 | 5 | 6.87 | 5.97 to 7.78 |
| Isabella | 5.11 | 22 | 6.82 | 6.02 to 7.63 |
| Ionia | 5.57 | 10 | 6.79 | 5.97 to 7.62 |
| Barry | 4.62 | 43 | 6.72 | 5.87 to 7.58 |
| Lapeer | 5.58 | 9 | 6.46 | 5.70 to 7.21 |
| Mason | 4.17 | 73 | 6.44 | 5.55 to 7.32 |
| Gratiot | 5.33 | 14 | 6.38 | 5.56 to 7.20 |
| Osceola | 4.39 | 54 | 6.18 | 5.40 to 6.97 |
| Eaton | 4.8 | 31 | 5.97 | 5.18 to 6.75 |
| Clare | 4.23 | 68 | 5.95 | 5.16 to 6.73 |
| Ingham | 4.72 | 35 | 5.89 | 5.09 to 6.68 |
IIIKnown Buck Counties
Buffalo Places 129th, Pike 326th and Clayton 605th
The counties with the strongest trophy reputations rank well behind the leaders. Wisconsin's Buffalo County sits 129th at 3.48 bucks per square mile. Illinois's Pike County places 326th at 2.64. Iowa's Clayton County comes in 605th at 1.98, about the median among all 1,213 counties. New York's Steuben County leads the list in total bucks killed at 7,257 a year. With about 1,390 square miles of land it ranks 18th.
Among the 16 states Iowa as a whole has the fewest bucks killed per square mile. Its 99 counties averaged 44,649 antlered bucks killed a year on 55,854 square miles of land for a rate of 0.80 per square mile. Allamakee leads Iowa at 2.07 and ranks 568th. Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky all fall among the 9 states without a county in the top 50.
Each state agency supplies its county counts, including Ohio's yearly deer summary, South Carolina DNR, Iowa DNR, Illinois DNR and Kentucky's deer harvest data.
IVSeason by Season
Marquette Placed 3rd, 4th and 1st While South Carolina Shifted
We ranked the seasons separately too. Marquette placed 3rd in 2022, 4th in 2023 and 1st in 2024 when its kill reached 7.48 bucks per square mile. Nine of the top 10 placed 25th or better in each of the three seasons. Among Michigan's 21 top-50 counties, 15 reached the top 50 in every season.
South Carolina counties topped the rankings in the first two seasons. Hampton County placed 1st in 2022, 3rd in 2023 and 103rd in 2024 while Abbeville County took the lead in 2023. Just 1 of South Carolina's 7 top-50 counties held a top 50 spot every season. South Carolina's county figures are survey estimates, and the agency changed its method for 2024. Read South Carolina's ranks as less settled than those of the other nine counties in the top 10.
Swipe table to see every column
| State | Counties | Bucks a year | Land sq mi | Bucks per sq mi | Best county (rank) | In top 50 | Count basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 60 | 140,303 | 42,326 | 3.31 | Marquette (1) | 7 | registered |
| South Carolina | 46 | 97,845 | 30,064 | 3.25 | Hampton (6) | 7 | survey estimate |
| Maryland | 23 | 30,618 | 9,630 | 3.18 | Carroll (13) | 3 | reported |
| Michigan | 83 | 161,647 | 56,613 | 2.86 | Clinton (3) | 21 | harvest reports (undercount) |
| Virginia | 97 | 98,979 | 38,778 | 2.55 | Bedford (57) | 0 | reported |
| New York | 56 | 117,015 | 46,538 | 2.51 | Yates (8) | 6 | estimate from reports |
| Ohio | 88 | 95,373 | 40,859 | 2.33 | Coshocton (12) | 5 | registered |
| Delaware | 3 | 4,323 | 1,949 | 2.22 | Kent (407) | 0 | reported |
| Alabama | 67 | 105,161 | 50,652 | 2.08 | Henry (123) | 0 | reported (Game Check) |
| Missouri | 114 | 139,173 | 68,685 | 2.03 | Jefferson (108) | 0 | Telecheck |
| Tennessee | 95 | 80,978 | 41,225 | 1.96 | Smith (115) | 0 | checked, private land |
| Kentucky | 120 | 74,115 | 39,486 | 1.88 | Spencer (55) | 0 | checked |
| Indiana | 92 | 58,803 | 35,825 | 1.64 | Steuben (34) | 1 | registered |
| Illinois | 102 | 76,958 | 55,514 | 1.39 | Williamson (106) | 0 | registered |
| Oklahoma | 68 | 60,327 | 56,612 | 1.07 | Rogers (560) | 0 | checked, private land |
| Iowa | 99 | 44,649 | 55,854 | 0.8 | Allamakee (568) | 0 | reported |
VWhat Rates Mean
Buck Kill Rates Reflect Hunters and Rules Along With Deer
To get these rates we divide the bucks hunters killed and reported by all county land, including towns and farms. Hunter numbers, season length and buck limits all raise or lower that count. A high rate therefore measures neither deer density nor any one hunter's odds.
New York estimates its figures from hunter reports. Tennessee and Oklahoma do not count kills on wildlife management areas. Most Virginia independent cities are counted with a neighboring county, but we divide by the county's own land area. We count only antlered bucks in our Missouri figures. Illinois's county counts include every season and equal the total published by the state.
WDNR's county harvest history has no buck figures for Wisconsin's 11 northern forest counties after 2013. We found county figures for them in just 1 of the 3 seasons and left them unranked. Menominee County is excluded too because state registration leaves out the tribal harvest. Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Kansas publish figures by management unit and are excluded.
VIChoosing Buck Country
Use the DNR Estimate for Mid-Michigan and Count Hunters
Our read is that a hunter looking for ground where the most bucks are killed per square mile should begin in central Wisconsin and in the middle and south of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The DNR's survey estimate puts Marquette's 6.65 within the 95% ranges for Mecosta, Montcalm, Clinton and Jackson, so it cannot rank them below Marquette and we would weigh them alongside it. The ranking leaves hunter numbers out, so check county crowding before committing to a lease or a long drive. A hunter looking for one mature buck should compare this list with trophy data since Buffalo, Pike and Clayton all have far fewer bucks killed per square mile than the leaders.
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Source: Wisconsin DNR deer metrics, county harvest history.
- Also: Michigan DNR harvest report summary (county by season).
- Also: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic boundary file (county land area).
- Scope: Antlered (buck) harvest by county, average of the 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons (2022 means the 2022-23 season), in 16 states that publish county buck counts: AL, DE, IA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, MO, NY, OH, OK, SC, TN, VA and WI. 1,213 counties. Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Kansas report by management unit and are left out.
- Method: Per county: mean antlered harvest over the 2022-2024 seasons with a figure, divided by Census 2024 land area (water excluded) from tiger_counties. MEASURED county counts from: fdr_12state_deer.db (IA, IN, MI, OH, WI), MDC county table (MO, Male Adult = antlered), IDNR Hunt Illinois API statewide pull (IL, adult plus yearling males, all seasons), KDFWR online harvest data (KY, antlered visible), and the FDR national county file v4 (AL, DE, MD, NY, OK, SC, TN, VA). NY and SC county figures are agency estimates (SAMPLED). Reconciliation: county sums equal the printed or published statewide totals for OH (buck totals in all 3 seasons, total deer 1 short in 2022), IL (API statewide query), KY (agency Total row), MI (eLicense statewide). IA county totals are 9, 372 and 66 deer short of the printed totals. MO 2022 is 113 deer short and 2023 matches (2024 not stored). the national file marks every AL, MD, NY, OK, SC, TN and VA county season used as tied to the printed total. Indiana county sums were not checked against a printed statewide figure. Wisconsin's county series covers 60 of 72 counties, so it cannot be tied to a statewide total. Ranks use unrounded rates.
- Limits: Harvest per square mile counts bucks hunters killed and reported. It reflects hunter numbers, season length and buck limits as much as deer numbers, and it is not a deer density.
- Limits: Michigan's county figures are hunters' mandatory harvest reports. In 2024 they listed 157,271 antlered deer, while the DNR's survey estimate was 209,188, so Michigan counties are understated here.
- Limits: New York's figures are DEC estimates built from hunter reports and reporting rates, and South Carolina's are survey estimates. South Carolina changed its estimate method for 2024, and several of its counties swing widely from season to season.
- Limits: Tennessee and Oklahoma county figures leave out wildlife management area kills. Most Virginia independent cities are reported with a neighboring county, while we divide by the county's own land area.
- Limits: WDNR's county harvest history carries no buck figures for Wisconsin's 11 northern forest counties after 2013. We found county figures for them in only 1 of the 3 seasons, so they are not ranked. Menominee County is left out because state registration does not include the tribal harvest. Wisconsin's state rate covers its other 60 counties.
- Limits: Land area is all Census land in the county, not deer habitat. Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Kansas report harvest by management unit and are not included.
- Limits: Michigan's ranking uses hunters' mandatory harvest reports, which came to about 78% of the DNR's statewide survey estimate over the three seasons combined, and 75% in 2024. On the DNR's sampled survey estimates, published for 60 one-county units, the 95% ranges of 17 Michigan counties take in or pass Marquette's 6.65 and none lies wholly above it, so the top spot is not settled on the estimate. That check sets a sampled estimate beside Wisconsin's registered count, and no other state was adjusted. The survey reports are cited from Internet Archive copies because the DNR's links no longer work.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. Fully Drawn Research is an independent data and analysis desk. This paper reports FDR's own analysis of public agency and survey data. Harvest, catch and survey figures describe what hunters and anglers reported or what agencies counted or estimated, not how many animals or fish are present, and they reflect regulations and hunter or angler choices as well as wildlife numbers.
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