In District 4, Bladen and Columbus counties topped the bucks-per-square-mile for the second year. Both counties have lots of rural land in timber and agricultural production. Bladen County borders the Cape Fear River, which has excellent habitat. The county also has public hunting available at the 32,263-acre Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land and the 9,588-acre Suggs Millpond Game Land. Columbus County offers lots of prime bottomland habitat along the Waccamaw and Lumber rivers. The Columbus County Game Land has several separate tracts of bottomland hardwoods along these rivers totaling 9,377 acres. Because of an intensive habitat enhancement program, Fort Bragg Army Post in Cumberland Count probably has the highest potential for producing trophy bucks of any public hunting area in the Coastal Plain. Hunters must undergo an orientation and purchase an additional hunting license for all hunts at Fort Bragg.

In District 5, Alamance and Granville counties led the harvest in bucks per square mile. Alamance perennially produces big bucks. These counties have large rural areas in timber and agricultural production. Nearby towns produce high hunter effort and the Haw River provides fertile habitat in Alamance County. Just to the north of Alamance County, the commission's 17,198-acre Caswell Game Land is a traditional big-buck public-hunting area. In Granville and Wake counties, the Butner-Falls of the Neuse Game Land offers excellent buck potential.

Rowan and Stanly led the way in District 6. These counties have large forested areas along the Yadkin River chain of lakes, which provide excellent deer habitat. The 8,372-acre Alcoa Game Land and the 126-acre Linwood Game Land offer excellent deer hunting. But hunters should also try the Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge permit hunts in Anson and Richmond counties. Prime habitat, with lots of bottomland hardwoods, managed pine forests and agricultural plantings along with limited hunting effort produce plenty of bucks for NWR hunters who are successful at drawing permits. Uwharrie Game Land in Davidson and Montgomery counties is also worth scouting for bucks.

In District 7, Alleghany County yields an astounding number of big bucks for its small size. It has the New River drainage, plus fertile farmland and timberland soils, which create prime big buck habitat. It has no public game lands, but Thurmond Chatham Game Land is just to the south in Wilkes County and it produces some excellent bucks. In Davie County, located at the southern edge of the district, the Yadkin River floodplain offers excellent habitat. Davie County has extensive timberland and farms. The only game land is the 982-acre Perkins Game Land.

In District 8, Lincoln and Catawba counties again led in the bucks-per-square-mile category. These counties are located along the Catawba River and have forest habitat with a few farms. The Catawba Game Land offers 1,189 acres of hunting.

In District 9, Polk County always stands out. It has more foothills county than the mountain terrain typical in most of District 9. Polk County also contains low-lying, fertile soils along the Green River. The 14,308-acre Green River Game Land gives up some nice bucks every season. Madison County typically garners second-place honors. It has a huge amount of public hunting territory in the Pisgah National Forest Game Land. The French Broad River bottomlands are the key to Madison County consistently producing lots of antlered bucks.