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Top 10 Big Buck Feed States

Jack Borcherding
February 6, 2026

Knowing where to travel to harvest big mature whitetail bucks is always a mystery, but we are going to take a look at some data on where to hunt big bucks based on Pope & Young Club entries and where feeding is legal. Before we get into the states based on their ranks we need to establish what is considered legal feeding, or baiting.

Baiting Definition: Bait includes, but is not limited to, corn, mineral blocks, salt licks, and attractants.

With that definition in mind there are still a lot of specifics that go into regulations and what is considered baiting so no matter what, always obey your state regulations and remember to always Feed Responsibly. The first ranking that we are going to look at is the amount of Pope & Young entries in each state only talking about the top 10 States. Starting with the lowest leading up to the most. We limited the Pope and Young book entries from 1970 to 2025.

An * next to the state means that some or part of the state allows baiting but other parts do not allow baiting. Before we start looking at the rankings, let’s define what it takes to make a Pope & Young book entry. Whitetail deer typical entries have a minimum score of 125 and non-typical entries must have a minimum score of 145.

10 – Oklahoma

The Sooner state of Oklahoma comes in at number 10 on our list with a total of 925 Pope & Young entries since 1970. 112 of those entries are Non-Typical with the remaining Typical entries totaling 813.

9 – Georgia

Coming in at nine on our list is Georgia, the state where each hunter can shoot 2 bucks and up to 10 antlerless deer. That is probably the most liberal deer harvest in the United States. Georgia has received 947 entries 40 Non-Typical 907 were typical deer entries.

8 – Maryland

Maryland is a very diverse state for deer ranging from beaches to mountains and crop fields. It is the smallest state in terms of land mass on our list. With a total of 1041 total entries it takes the number 8 spot on the list. 976 of those entries are typical records and the other 65 are non-typical entries. The top scoring buck in the state belongs to Jordan DuHammel; a buck that scores 236.25 gross score Pope & Young. This buck is #145 of all time. Wow Maryland had the soil to produce.

7 – North Dakota

Coming in at number 7 on our list is North Dakota. North Dakota is a huge agricultural state and grows anything from wheat to corn to peas and this is what helps those big bucks grow. North Dakota has 1297 Pope & Young entries from Whitetail deer since 1970. 62 of which are non-typical entries and 1235 are typical entries. One North Dakota typical buck entry stands out; Jeffery Mudge’s 189 2/8 inch typical bruiser which is number forty five of all time typical bucks.

6 – Kentucky

Buck Bourbon’s home state of Kentucky coming in at #6 of all the bait states based on total Pope & Young records. Kentucky has produced 1777 Pope & Young entries since 1970. 184 of those are non typical and 1593 are typical Pope and Young entries. In addition Kentucky is one of the states where you can harvest a buck in velvet. Pope & Young does recognize these entries under velvet records. There were a total 216 Velvet book entries in the state of Kentucky. Making Kentucky one of the favored places to harvest a mature buck in Velvet.

5 – Michigan*

Michigan comes in at number five with a total of 2275 total entries with 2159 being typical and 116 entries being non-typical. Michigan does however have a * that denotes the whole state does not allow baiting. The upper peninsula of Michigan allows baiting while the lower portion of Michigan does not allow baiting.

4 – Texas

No surprise but the largest land area on the list of Texas comes in at #4 with a total of 2306 entries. 2161 of those are typical entries and 145 are non-typical entries. One of those entries is the famous A.J Downs buck scoring 256 ⅞ which is the state record and 13th all time. There is no question that Texas produces some giant bucks.

3 – Kansas

Coming in at number three on our list is the famous big buck state of Kansas. Kansas is known for its rich soil and long deep draws that mature whitetails call home. In addition to being a bait state it’s also a state where non-residents must draw a tag to be awarded a license. In past years drawing a tag was almost guaranteed with 1 point; it’s now taking hunters nearly 2 points to draw a tag. To learn how to draw a tag contact a consultant at Worldwide Trophy Adventures Tags today by calling 1-800-755-8247. Kansas since 1970 has racked up a total of 3991 total Pope & Young entries with 3411 coming from typical entries and 580 from non-typical entries. Kansas is a big buck state, start applying now!

2 – Ohio

The Buckeye State comes in at the number two position on our list of states that allow baiting. Ohio’s Pope & Young records are very impressive. Since 1970, Ohio has racked up a total of 4944 entries. 4510 of those are typical entries and 434 are non-typical entries. Ohio is also a state where a velvet buck is a possibility ,and they have ranked up a number of entries for that as well. If you want to see a big velvet Ohio buck check out George’s hunt for a giant cactus buck that was brought in by Barrel Proof!

1 – Wisconsin*

Wisconsin is number one on our list by a long shot. However, not the whole state allows baiting for deer. There are only 12 counties that allow baiting, nevertheless, Wisconsin has racked up a whopping 14,713 Pope & Young entries. 13,833 were typical entries ,and 880 were non-typical entries. The Badger state record is held by Jim Baker. He harvested a 260 ⅝ inch buck. What a giant that is, and why Wisconsin is an awesome state to hunt whitetails.