After twelve years of intensive management, Jeff Banks of Madison, Georgia, downed this home-grown 17-point giant in October 2001. It grossed 197 3/8 and netted 172 3/8 typical B&C points.

Throughout the 1980s, the idea of trophy hunting on the Banks' farm was laughable. Although the area held great genetics, the biggest bucks killed were usually yearling 6- or 8-pointers or small-racked 2 1/2-year-olds. Jeff finally said "enough is enough," and he set out to determine why all the big bucks had seemingly disappeared from an area that had once produced its fair share of trophy whitetails.

By his own description, Jeff was a simple deer hunter who had a passion for growing bigger and better bucks. Through many years of trial and error, he and his companions learned how to do just that. After reading everything he could get his hands on about deer management, Jeff set five important goals as the basis for his long-term program: 1) shooting does, 2) protecting smaller bucks, 3) planting food plots, 4) supplemental feeding and 5) putting out minerals. The first two goals were already a serious problem in his part of Georgia. The deer population had exploded, and most hunters shot the first young buck to walk down the trail. But they were also fairly easy problems to solve (although shooting does requires a lot of hard work). Young bucks were immediately protected, and large numbers of does were killed each season on the Banks' farm. Food plots were planted, and a supplemental feeding program was initiated.

It took Jeff over a decade to fine-tune the food plot and feeding program. He finally realized that growing trophy-size bucks meant providing a high-protein diet on a year-round basis. This was accomplished by planting food plots in the spring and fall so that some type of high-protein planting was always available to the deer.

In addition, hand-made feeders were placed throughout the property and tons of delicious, high-protein pellets were made available to the deer from January through late August. (No feeding was done during hunting season because of baiting laws). And, lastly, tons of minerals were put out in various spots around the property on a year-round basis.

In 2001, after nearly twelve years of putting in a lot of sweat equity, Jeff's intensive-management program exceeded all expectations when he downed a record-book buck grossing in the 190s and netting 1723?8 typical B&C points. Over that twelve-year period, average body weights and antler sizes had increased on Banks' farm bucks by a whopping 20 percent! One of the real keys to Jeff's amazing success was year-round nutrition, an important component in most successful quality deer programs these days.

After twelve years of hard work trying to produce a trophy property, Jeff Banks is as close to a deer management expert as you'd expect to find. In 2002 Jeff and I co-authored Producing Power Bucks--The Banks Farm Way (706/342-9071; www.banksfarm.com). It's a worthwhile primer for anyone looking to manage property for trophy bucks.