By now, it's no secret that the 2007 deer harvest totals were drastically affected by the major epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) outbreak that accompanied that season. Last year, Daryl Ratajczak, Tennessee's big-game coordinator, predicted the 2008 harvest would be similar to that of 2007. Ratajczak was right: In the down year of 2007, hunters harvested 164,856 deer and a comparable 164,414 in 2008.

Ratajczak also predicted that with many deer taken out of the population by the disease outbreak that summer, there was more food available for remaining deer -- a situation that ultimately would result in healthier bucks in 2008. He nailed that prediction, too. Less pressure and more food did equate to a healthier herd and bigger and better bucks.

Here are a few statistics to back up Ratajczak's prediction a year ago. Overall, 65 of Tennessee's 95 counties had increases in the number of 7- and 8-point bucks harvested in 2008. Also, 59 of 95 counties saw increases in the number of 9- and 10-point bucks taken. Last, 39 of 95 counties had harvest increases in the number of 11-point or better bucks killed.

Breaking down the increases in the number of quality bucks taken even farther, you'll see that Region I, where the EHD outbreak in 2007 was the most devastating, hunters really reaped the rewards of bigger and better bucks in the woods in 2008. Incredibly, 24 of the 25 counties located in Region I had an increase in the number of 7- and 8-point bucks harvested. In addition, 20 of these 25 counties had more 9- and 10-point bucks taken in 2008 compared with 2007. And nearly half, 12 of 25 counties, had increases in the number of 11-point or better bucks tagged.

Likewise, many Region II counties also had harvest increases in the number of quality bucks harvested in 2008. In Region II, 16 of 25 counties saw more 7- and 8-point bucks killed. Twelve of the 25 counties there also had harvest increases in the number of 9- and 10-point bucks taken, but only five of the 25 counties in Region II saw increases in the number of 11-point or better bucks category.

Region III also had respectable increases in the number of quality bucks harvested in 2008. Sixteen of the 24 counties in Region III had an increase in the number of 7- and 8-point bucks tagged. Also, 14 of the 24 counties there had an increase in the number of 9- and 10-point bucks harvested, and 11 of the 24 counties there had harvest increases in the 11-point or better category.

Things trailed off a bit in Region IV, where only nine of 21 counties saw increases in the number of 7- and 8-point bucks taken. However, 13 of the 21 counties in Region IV had harvest increase in the number of 9- and 10-point bucks, and 11 of the 21 counties were equal or better than the prior year as far as 11-point or better bucks go.

In case you're wondering, the effect was similar when it comes to public-land hunts. Among wildlife management areas (WMAs), 28 of 43 of them saw increases in the number of 7- and 8-point bucks harvested in 2008. Likewise, 21 of 43 WMAs had harvest increases in the number of 9- and 10-point bucks killed, and 20 of 43 had like or better numbers of 11-point or more bucks taken in the comeback year of the buck in 2008.