Of the 5,983 public lands deer harvested last year, 3,580 of them were bucks. WMAs are for sure one means that Volunteer hunters have for getting their bucks each season. Although the overall WMA buck totals as well as the big-buck totals were also down from 2006, there were still some good bucks taken. The final tally shows that there were 923 bucks with 7 and 8 points harvested, followed by 317 with 9 and 10 points or more, and then 78 bucks with 11 or more points.

When it comes to public-land buck hunting, most things have changed only slightly over the years. But the opportunities to take an older buck seem to be increasing even on public hunts. Catoosa WMA, with its quality deer management program, is a great place to harvest a good buck. There are a good number of 2 1/2-year-old deer and older to be harvested at Catoosa.

Looking at the number of 7- and 8-point bucks from managed public lands last season, Catoosa led the way with 136 such bucks, followed by Fort Campbell's 122, Cherokee WMA's 88, LBL's 76, and then Oak Ridge with 64 quality bucks.

Moving up the ladder, Fort Campbell led all public lands with 61 bucks harvested with 9 and 10 points. Catoosa was next with 51 bucks of 9 and 10 points, followed by Cherokee's 30, LBL's 24, and then Oak Ridge with 17 bucks with 9 and 10 points.

When it comes to the big boys, Fort Campbell was again best with 15 bucks sporting 11 or more points. Cherokee WMA had an impressive take of 10 trophy bucks, followed by LBL and Oak Ridge with an equal harvest of seven monster bucks with 11 or more points.

Oak Ridge WMA no longer has the antler restrictions on deer hunts. However, the effects of the quality deer management from the past can still be found. There are still some big bucks at Oak Ridge, thanks to the antler restrictions that were in effect for five or six seasons. There's always been a good chance to kill a nice buck at Oak Ridge, but for the next couple of seasons, you may have even a greater advantage. The biggest reason the antler restrictions were lifted at Oak Ridge was due to the number of deer and car collisions.

Other than the obvious big-buck choice of Presidents Island, where bucks have to have at least 9 points to be harvested on the most popular hunts, Moss Island, Laurel Hill and Yuchi Refuge are all still good destinations for crossing paths with a big-buck opportunity. Fort Campbell is and will always be a viable choice for taking a big buck. That doesn't mean if you are drawn there it's a guarantee, but it's quite possible to bag a trophy buck there.

LBL wasn't only the top WMA when it comes to numbers. It's also a great place to take a big buck. The buck-to-doe ratio is right at 1-to-1 and features a well-balanced herd. In addition, the age structure there is phenomenal right now. Of the majority of bucks there now, more than 50 percent are estimated to be 2 1/2 years old or better.