That’s right, Oklahoma stakes claim to the world’s largest peanut, but a quick look at the record book reveals a variety of big game species there for the chasing. The panhandle features pronghorn hunting with a 2018 entry that scores more than 82 points. Typical and nontypical whitetail deer entries abound. Black bears aren’t shy about making the book, either, but the real curveball is elk.…

So you like Columbia blacktail deer? How about Roosevelt’s elk? If either one of those species happens to be your jam, then Oregon holds the best book potential for your money. Look to the wet and rainy West Coast timber cuts for them. It’s not all rainforest, though. Look to the arid southeast where the antelope (pronghorn) play, and you might even find a top 10 all-time entry down there.…

Pennsylvania is known for huge record-book black bears. The whitetail deer is also the official state animal—and they are huge. Most recently, the state has seen some massive non-typical American elk enter the record book. Elk reintroductions in Pennsylvania started as far back as 1913, and they are descendents of Rocky Mountain elk from Yellowstone National Park. With help from organizations…

It doesn’t matter if you like the clean lines and picture-perfect symmetry of a typical whitetail or if you’re more into the kickers, stickers, drop-tines and freakish nature of a big non-typical, Ohio has you covered—and the deer are all over the state. The state has seen some real whoppers since 2000, including one non-typical that scored 295-3/8 in 2006. Since then, there have been more…

Nunavut offers Arctic big game adventures

Quebec offers French Canadian big game traditions

Home to Mount Rushmore and the Badlands, South Dakota is also a great state in which to hunt bison, whitetail and mule deer, elk, and even pronghorn. Bison entries abound from Custer County in the southwest. The state’s largest bighorn killed in 2018 sits solidly in the top five of all time. Deer entries aren’t as common as they were decades ago, but elk are starting to make the book there.…

Saskatchewan delivers legendary whitetails

Utah is home to the current World’s Record non-typical American elk and black bear. It’s great for mule deer, too. The problem is that everyone knows that. If you apply for a tag to hunt in a trophy unit there, buy a Powerball ticket at the same time—your odds of winning are likely the same. Fear not wishful hunter. There are “average Joe” hunts if you take the time to look. With varied…

The Palmetto State palms trophy whitetails