Nova Scotia
The sleeper spot of Canada.
"The outlook for this fall is excellent," says the province's Tony Nette, "due in part to the reasonably mild winter, minimal winter kill and projected early spring. Currently, deer densities are low, but we are experiencing a population growth with a good representation of mature bucks in the herd."

The province boasts a pre-fawning spring count of about 50,000 whitetails. Last fall hunters tagged 6,045 bucks, and officials are looking at a 20 percent increase in 2005. Your chances of any buck are best where densities are highest. Try zones 2A and 4 on the mainland. The lowest densities are on Cape Breton Island, zones 6 and 7.

A trophy buck however can come from almost anywhere in the province. Indeed, hunting pressure is light, and if there is a sleeper hot spot in Canada, then it has to be Nova Scotia.

"We have excellent deer habitat," says Nette. "Year after year yearling antler beam diameters measure above 20mm."

Deer hunters will again be allowed to tag a black bear during the open deer season.

New Brunswick
Mature bucks can tip the scales at 350 pounds.
"The forecast for 2005 is excellent," says deer biologist Rod Cumberland. "We have had two easy winters in a row, with good survivorship of yearlings and 21?2-year-olds."

Last fall hunters bagged 5,583 bucks. Cumberland expects the buck take this fall to be around 6,000 animals. Your chances for any buck are best along the Tobique and Kennebecasis river systems. A trophy buck can come from any zone in the province, however.

According to Cumberland, "we can grow a monster buck here in three years, no problem. In fact, mature bucks make up about one-third of the harvest. A 31?2-year-old buck will tip the scales at 350 pounds on the hoof, field dress out at 270 pounds and sport main beam antlers in the 45 to 50mm range."

If there is a sleeper hot spot it must be Wildlife Management Zone 8, which will be opened this fall for the first time in several seasons.

British Columbia
Vancouver Island remains best bet for blacktail deer.
"There have been no catastrophic natural events reported, indicating the hunting for mule deer, blacktails and whitetails should be at least as good as last year," says biologist John Thornton. "Population estimates are not available, but about 13,500 mule deer bucks were tagged last fall, including 1,700 blacktail bucks from Vancouver Island. Only 4,600 whitetail bucks were harvested but the herd is expanding across the province.

"Vancouver Island remains your best blacktail bet for numbers and trophy quality, whereas your best odds for any mule deer buck as well as a wall hanger remain in the Cariboo and Peace River regions," he says. "For any whitetail, try the Kootennay or Okanagan regions."

Ontario
A series of mild winters means good prospects.
"The deer hunting this fall should be excellent," reports the province's Freya Long. "Our herd of about 400,000 animals is stable or increasing due to a series of mild winters. Latest figures indicate a harvest of 67,000 animals, of which 57 percent were bucks. We expect a higher percentage of bucks in the 2005 take."

Long says the Manotoulin Island in northern Lake Huron, southeast Ontario, including Lanark county, and the agricultural corridor in the southwest that runs from Owens Sound to the north shore of Lake Ontario have the highest harvest densities.

"The best areas for trophy bucks include the agricultural domain in the south, and for nonresidents the agricultural/transitional/boreal lands in the northwestern region near Kenora, Ft. Frances and Dryden," she says.