Another permit area to consider is No. 223 encompassing all of Sherburne County except the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. The harvest rate for bowhunters in this area is one deer per square mile. Archers took a total of 385 deer last year -- 138 were bucks.

Permit area No. 227, in northern Anoka County and southern Isanti County, boasts an archery harvest of 1.6 deer per square mile. A total of 739 deer were arrowed last year -- 220 were bucks.

Farther east in northern Washington County is permit area No. 236 where archers harvested 2.1 deer per square mile. A total of 767 deer were taken last year, of which 252 were bucks. The Carlos Avery Wildlife Area is jammed between areas 226 and 236 and shows similar harvest numbers.

Data from the southern metropolitan area differs from the north creating as many theories as there are deer in both areas combined. One explanation says the south metro area is more agricultural and less wooded than the north making it more difficult for archers to find the deer.

Permit area No. 601 -- the Twin Cities' urban core -- allows hunters to take as many deer as they wish to purchase bonus permits. Last year, 1,887 deer from this area were harvested -- 603 were bucks.

Urban deer are very well-fed critters. Their diet is varied, balanced and usually consists of high-protein sources that contribute to magnificent antler growth. Some of the largest bucks taken in Minnesota every year come from these areas. For bowhunters seeking a trophy whitetail, this area shouldn't be overlooked.

Permit area No. 343 in southeastern Minnesota includes the section around Rochester. Bowhunters harvested 852 deer last year -- 1.3 deer per acre -- 247 were bucks. Similar trends were found in areas 346, 348 and 349.

In permit areas 104, 111, 115, 116, 127, 201, 203, 208, 263, 266, 287, 297, 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, 447 and 448, the per-square-mile archery harvest rate was zero, mainly because those areas are traditionally considered firearms hunting locations.

A little bit of scouting is all it takes to find the major deer concentration in these areas. Fall scouting may help determine if an area holds a trophy buck, as can walking trails in the spring looking for sheds. Chances are if you stumble upon the territory of a trophy buck, he feels pretty confident in his area and is not used to having to dodge hunters as the wily bucks of more heavily hunted portions of the state.

REGULATION CHANGES
There are plenty of changes in the 2008 hunting regulations and hunters are encouraged to thoroughly read the regulations handbook and check an updated map before purchasing their license.

Cornicelli said bowhunters are the least affected of all deer hunters. He gave a lot of credit to bowhunters for their work as part of the equation that balances the deer population.

"Bowhunters have the longest season of anybody in the state and the most opportunities for hunting throughout the state. It's a great time to be a bowhunter in Minnesota," he said.