Wisconsin B&C / P&Y Whitetail Records: Top 5 Counties Ranked

Welcome, fellow hunters, to the Badger State—a place synonymous with world-class whitetail hunting. With over a decade tracking the monarchs of the North American woods, I can tell you that few places rival Wisconsin’s consistent production of record-book bucks. This isn’t just luck; it’s a testament to superior habitat, sound deer management, and a deep-rooted hunting tradition.

When we talk “record,” we’re primarily referring to the prestigious organizations that certify trophy antlers: the Boone and Crockett Club (B&C) for firearm and picked-up trophies, and the Pope and Young Club (P&Y) for archery and crossbow kills. Wisconsin is the undeniable national leader for overall B&C whitetail entries, a feat anchored by a handful of counties that have become legendary among serious deer hunters.

This comprehensive breakdown focuses on the counties that have produced the most P&Y and B&C entries, giving you a clear picture of where the biggest bucks have consistently fallen.

🥇 The Reigning Champion: Buffalo County

If you know anything about big Wisconsin whitetails, you know the name: Buffalo County. It is, without question, the trophy whitetail capital of the United States, a title it has held with dominance for decades. Its statistics are simply staggering and dwarf every other county in the nation.

📊 Buffalo County Records at a Glance

Based on historical data from both Boone & Crockett and Pope & Young, Buffalo County’s numbers are in a league of their own.

• Total B&C and P&Y Record-Book Entries: Over 1,000 (The exact total varies slightly by the edition and time of data compilation, but it consistently exceeds 1,000 entries).

• Boone & Crockett (Typical): Approximately 87+ entries.

• Boone & Crockett (Non-Typical): Approximately 20+ entries.

• Pope & Young (Typical): Approximately 889+ entries.

• Pope & Young (Non-Typical): Approximately 53+ entries.

Why Buffalo County Dominates

What makes this county, located on the state’s “West Coast” along the Mississippi River, such a giant factory?

1. The Driftless Area: Buffalo County lies squarely in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area. This unique geological region was untouched by the last glacial advance, resulting in a landscape of deeply carved river valleys, steep wooded bluffs, and rich farmland. This provides a perfect blend of cover, security, and nutrition.

2. Unbeatable Nutrition: The valleys are filled with rich agricultural fields (corn, soybeans, alfalfa) providing the high-protein and high-carbohydrate diet necessary for maximum antler growth.

3. Hunter Culture & QDM: A deeply entrenched culture of Quality Deer Management (QDM) has taken root, especially on private land. Hunters prioritize letting younger bucks walk and focusing antlerless harvest to balance the herd. This ensures bucks reach the 4.5-year-old or older age class where they can maximize their antler potential.

🥈 The Top Trophy Producers: Western Wisconsin’s Powerhouses

While Buffalo County is the undisputed king, the surrounding counties—all part of the famed Driftless Area—are also premier trophy destinations. These counties consistently rank in the top U.S. counties for record-book entries.

1. Trempealeau County: The Quiet Contender

Directly south of Buffalo, Trempealeau County often gets overlooked, but its numbers speak volumes. It shares the same critical components: steep river bluffs, mature timber, and fertile valley farming.

• Total B&C and P&Y Entries: Approximately 545+ entries.

• Habitat: Nearly identical to Buffalo, perhaps with slightly less extreme bluff elevation in some areas, but the agricultural base is just as strong.

• Notable Fact: It takes an exceptionally large buck, often over the 170-inch minimum, to even crack the top P&Y typical entries for this county, illustrating the caliber of deer.

2. Crawford County: The River Bluffs Master

Further south along the Mississippi, Crawford County continues the trend. It’s characterized by extremely steep terrain leading down to the river, providing ideal escape cover for mature deer.

• B&C Entries (Estimated): Historically, it ranks among the top 10 U.S. counties for B&C entries, with around 58+ entries.

• Hunting Pressure: The terrain can be grueling, which naturally creates sanctuaries and reduces hunting pressure on older bucks.

3. Vernon County: Classic Driftless Terrain

Completing the core of the Driftless giants is Vernon County. The land here is classic “coulee country,” with winding roads following creek bottoms and fields climbing dramatically up to ridge tops.

• B&C Entries (Estimated): Vernon County has consistently produced, with an estimated 54+ B&C entries.

• Bowhunter Appeal: Its mosaic of fields and timber makes it a bowhunter’s dream, with plenty of ambush points near agricultural pinch points.

4. Richland County

East of Vernon, Richland County rounds out this incredible cluster of record producers. While a little further inland, it still benefits greatly from the Driftless topography and farming practices.

• B&C Entries (Estimated): Estimated 48+ B&C entries.

5. Sauk County

Nestled slightly further east, Sauk County maintains a strong presence, especially given its proximity to the less-rugged central part of the state.

• B&C Entries (Estimated): Estimated 47+ B&C entries.

🌟 The State’s Biggest Deer: The Outliers

It’s a common misconception that the biggest deer ever harvested in Wisconsin must come from the counties with the most entries. Interestingly, some of the most historic and highest-scoring individual bucks were taken in counties scattered across the state, proving that a true giant can appear anywhere.

These singular giants highlight a key point: Genetics, Age, and Nutrition are the three pillars of a true monster buck. While the Driftless Area offers the best concentration of these factors, all three can align anywhere in the state to produce a buck of a lifetime. The Jordan Buck, taken in Burnett County in the northern forest, is a prime example—a buck that beat the odds in a less-productive region.

🧐 The Science Behind the Records: Why the Driftless Area Works

The incredible density of record-book deer in Western Wisconsin is not a fluke; it’s a direct result of the ecosystem. Understanding this helps any hunter strategize, whether they are hunting in Buffalo County or elsewhere.

1. Genetics (The Herd)

The Wisconsin whitetail herd possesses superior genetics, but the key is that these bucks are allowed to express that potential. The QDM mentality, which often involves antler-point restrictions or voluntary age-class management on private land, means more bucks are reaching maturity. A buck’s antler growth peaks around 4.5 to 6.5 years old. In areas with high hunting pressure, bucks rarely live long enough to display their full genetic potential.

2. Nutrition (The Fuel)

This is the non-negotiable factor. The Driftless Area offers a combination that is hard to beat:

• Agricultural Riches: Large fields of corn and soybeans provide the energy and protein needed for body size and antler growth throughout the fall and winter.

• Diverse Forages: The natural hillsides offer acorns, browse, and native forages that supplement the agricultural diet.

3. Habitat & Security (The Sanctuary)

The rugged topography is crucial. The steep bluffs and deep ravines (coulees) provide natural thermal cover in the winter and, more importantly, unmatched security cover during hunting season. A wise, mature buck can easily evade hunters by traversing the thick-timbered slopes that are often inaccessible or too exhausting for the average hunter. This allows more bucks to survive multiple hunting seasons and reach trophy age.

🏹 The Archery Advantage: Pope and Young’s Love Affair with Wisconsin

It is worth noting the incredible skew toward Pope and Young entries in Wisconsin’s top counties. Buffalo County’s P&Y tally alone is nearly ten times its B&C tally in some record books.

This dominance in archery records is attributed to several factors:

• Long Archery Season: Wisconsin offers an exceptionally long archery/crossbow season, providing more opportunity for a trophy encounter than the short 9-day gun season.

• Access: Many of the prime hunting parcels in the high-density areas are private land, where landowners often manage their properties specifically for mature bucks, creating a higher concentration of trophy-class animals for bowhunters.

• Bowhunter Numbers: Wisconsin has a massive, passionate population of bowhunters who are out in the woods during the critical rut period, which maximizes the chances of intercepting a traveling giant.

🗺️ How to Use This Data in Your Hunt

Understanding where the records are concentrated isn’t just a fun fact; it’s a strategic hunting tool.

For the Record-Chaser:

Focus your efforts—whether through public land scouting or private land access—on the five core Driftless Counties: Buffalo, Trempealeau, Crawford, Vernon, and Richland. While public land can be challenging due to pressure, disciplined scouting of overlooked river bottoms and rugged bluff tops will yield opportunities.

For the Everyman Hunter:

Remember the outliers! The largest typical buck in state history did not come from the state’s best-known county. Focus on the three pillars regardless of county:

• Age: Pass on young bucks. Every time you pull the trigger on a young deer, you kill the potential for a trophy.

• Nutrition: Hunt areas adjacent to the state’s richest agricultural land, which provides the best nutrition for antler mass and size.

• Security: Find the thickest, nastiest, most-difficult-to-access cover in your hunting area. That is where the old bucks live.

Wisconsin remains the premier state for whitetail hunters, offering unparalleled opportunity for the buck of a lifetime. The sheer numbers pouring out of counties like Buffalo, Trempealeau, and Crawford confirm that the state’s habitat and management are working.

🔗 Sources and Further Reading

The statistics and rankings for whitetail deer records are dynamic, changing with every new edition of the record books from the governing bodies. The numbers provided are based on historically published data.

• Boone and Crockett Club: For all-time firearm and found records. [Source: Boone and Crockett Club—Records of North American Whitetail Deer]

• Pope and Young Club: For all-time archery/crossbow records.

• Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club (WBBC): The official state record-keeping body, which compiles all methods of harvest.

• Field & Stream / North American Whitetail: Articles discussing county rankings.

Would you like me to find the most recent state-record buck (either typical or non-typical) that was officially entered into the B&C or P&Y record books?