How would yall rate Virginia compared to the other 50 states?? We have basically the same resources that Iowa an illinios has rich farm lands great water sources only the thing i can guess is we don't have the hard winter's like those states have..

Our soil doesn't compare to the midwest as far as growing deer and other game. States that produce big antlers have good soil types. If you go up the east coast, the bodies get bigger (bergmann's rule) but the anters don't....because their soil isn't any better than ours. Ky gets a little colder in the winter, but they have the soil it takes and the deer are huge.

So to answer your question...I think Va falls in line with tn and WV as far as potential goes....produces solid bucks but will never be a dream hunt destination. That's fine with me. Horn madness brings a lot of crazies.

I dont know about their regulations. But, I dont think VA has the ag that those states do.

Depends on what part of Va your talking about. No I don;t think Va compares to KS, IL, IA, Ky, OH. Not even close. those states have so much food for the deer there bodies are healthly and then they can focus there energy on antler growth. Not to mention the awesome genitics out there.

As long as our whitetail management plan statewide (seasons, bag limits, etc) is the way it is , we will never compare!

There are also more hunters/acre in VA than in other midwest states.

Hard to find a 1000 acre corn or bean field in VA!
Gotta have the groceries to raise the big boys!
1 buck limit helps as well.

I think the class of deer we have in VA is fine, I am glad we are not overrun like they are in Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Texas and now western Kentucky. I would like to see a 1 buck limit though, just to let some get some age on them but the biologists are doing a good job with how the regs. are currently. I would think that if we had the agriculture that they have in the tidewater region all over the state would make some difference, some nice bucks come out of that area every year. The one factor that makes these other states shine is baiting, you watch a hunting show filmed in TX and the roads are yellow with corn feed. You put out enough feed and eventually a big boy is going to screw up, not much "hunting" necessary when the law allows that. My 2 cents!

I think I seen one time where we were rated 23rd for deer hunting as far as quality bucks. We will never be an iowa, kansas, ohio, ect. The seasons want allow it nor do we have the soil or food. With that said, there are still always some really nice bucks killed here every year (130-160). Could be more but deer just dont get much age on them here.

Roscoe...I agree with ya 100 %...

Speaking of baiting, I hunted Texas for three years. Down there in the brush country if you don't put out feeders you can't kill deer. No tree's anywhere. No hills, no natural funnels. Therefore they bait. I will say the reason those deer look so big is because their bodies are small and their racks our out of proportion for their body size. More heat equals smaller body size. What they do have is great minerals in their soils and therefore they grow good horns. I know here in the East we think it is a crazy way to hunt and totally unsporting. Probably is to some extent, but its probably not much different then hanging out overlooking a water hole in a ground blind out west in the arid areas waiting for a Antelope to come to water. Different strokes for different folks for sure. Biggest thing I disliked about Texas was everything is pay as you go and almost every deer killed ends up having an associated trophy fee which often doubles the price. I was lucky, as I was living on a military base for three years and I was able to hunt for virtually nothing. Reality is I miss the turkey hunting more then the deer hunting. Goodness they have a pile of turkey's in Texas.