To me this math doesn’t work out. How many get killed each year? And if most hunters never see one then how could there be any significant number. I have saw three in my lifetime and am more fortunate than most in my opinion. I have hunted and observed well over 300 mature bucks so less than 1%. I’ve saw less than ten over 170. They aren’t behind every tree. Heavily managed in good counties more than the opposite. Decent county with average pressure and good genetics VERY FEW get to 170 let alone 200. That Missouri study few years back showed it(understandable they have rifles) but the bucks don’t get old enough to make that type of potential with any type of pressure. Just my opinion.
A county in iowa is often around the 330,000 acre mark. Let’s call some of the better ones- 50% timber. Which in iowa - is the best of the best with that much timber. 165,000 acres of timber.
1 200” buck per 5,000 acres of timber in those “good counties” no doubt in my mind. No question about it. So- 165,000 / 5,000 acres = 33. I just ran that math so I’m pretty close to what I said above.
Some areas have more than 1 per 5000 acres of timber. Some have less of course.
Hunting 5,000 acres of timber is pry 30-100 guys if im guessing. Which is 10,000 acres if it’s half crop. (All made up examples but just throwing guesstimates out there). Most guys clearly won’t see that deer or shoot it. Even if the deer exists- the big one most guys have a hard time grasping…. That deer is likely extremely smart. He might be on the farm a guy is hunting & never lay eyes on him. They are beyond smart. They are there but yes, a good % of guys never see one. Maybe I back track on that a bit…. Anyone who goes out “hard” for “20 years” in a good area- if they have any skills- majority of those folks will see one.
I know some folks who have shot multiple 200’s in a decade in the same county. Rare but it happens.
It’s hard to thread the needle of making this statement BUT…. There’s a lot more than folks realize. In the same breath & paragraph…. They are so rare & so hard to connect with. It’s contradicting but it’s right. I’d bet or guess that 20-25 counties in iowa have 10+ 200” deer yearly. Many don’t get killed. I’d say the same thing about at least that many counties in KS as well.
Anyone have a guess what county has put out the most 200” deer? It’s deer in the books. I am 90% sure I recall the answer. It’s not Decatur.

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