The highest-scoring one qualified as a genuine wallhanger. David Allen of Flat Top shot a massive 12-pointer that scored 170 1/8, just 5 4/8 inches off the state record. The stately whitetail earned Allen the trophy for West Virginia's largest bow-killed typical in 2006.

Randy McCoy's buck wasn't too shabby, either. It scored 160 2/8, good enough for fifth in the typical category. Other top typicals included Eveline Pertee's at 156 1/8, Justin Warren's at 146 6/8, Dustin Farmer's at 144 2/8, Larry Howerton's at 143 7/8, Andre Palmateer's at 135 7/8 and Mack Birchfield's at 135 5/8. The county also produced two titanic non-typicals -- Nathan Killen's buck at 175 6/8 and Joseph Jones' at 157 7/8.

Coal and timber production dominate McDowell's landscape. Most of the subsurface coal has been mined out, but surface mines remain quite active. For the most part, coal companies dislike having hunters trespass on active mining sites. But company-held woodlands are seldom posted.

Hunters who prefer state-owned or state-leased lands can head for 18,000-acre Berwind Lake WMA near Berwind, 2,308-acre Tug Fork WMA near Premier, or 10,000-acre Panther State Forest near Panther.

Driving through McDowell County is an exercise in patience. Coal trucks dominate traffic on the county's narrow, winding roads. From Interstate 77 and U.S. Route 460 near Princeton, the easiest access route is curvy Route 52.

If McDowell has a rival as a trophy buck hotspot, it's Wyoming County. Its labyrinthine landscape produced only one less trophy than McDowell -- 15 bow-killed bucks that scored 125 or more.

Robert Cooper's magnificent 16-point non-typical topped the list. The big whitetail's massive rack scored an eyeball-popping 201 4/8. Not only did it capture top honors in the Big Buck Club's non-typical archery category, it took second place in West Virginia's all-time record book. Only Jerry Hill's state-record non-typical is larger.

Wyoming yielded another bragging-sized non-typical to Justin Sizemore. That buck scored 158 7/8, third among last year's archer kills. Other notable Wyoming bucks included typicals from Ricky Carter at 161 6/8, Jack Lambert at 158 1/8, Garland Burchette at 150 0/8, James Miller at 147 2/8, Terry Laxton at 146 6/8, Jason Gautier at 145 5/8 and Kenneth Clay at 136 5/8.

Coal companies and timber-holding firms own most of Wyoming County's land. Private hunting leases are becoming more prevalent, but some companies allow free access to most of their properties. It's always best to check in advance, of course.

Hunting in Wyoming County isn't for the faint of heart or weak of limb. The hillsides aren't exactly vertical, but they aren't exactly horizontal, either. To make matters worse, the clay-based soil gets extremely slippery when wet.

The straightest -- and arguably the easiest -- way to gain access to Wyoming's hunting grounds is via state Route (SR) 16, which intersects with Interstate 64/77 near Beckley. From the county seat of Mullens, SR 10 distributes traffic toward Pineville and Herndon.

Trophy bucks can turn up anywhere within the county, but two areas in particular seem to attract the lion's share of hunters -- Twin Falls State Park and the R.D. Bailey WMA.

Twin Falls can't be hunted because it's a state park, but ever since Hill bagged his record buck near Saulsville, just outside the park's boundaries, bowhunters have encircled it with tree stands and ground blinds.

The 17,280-acre Bailey WMA surrounds the lake of the same name. Oak and hickory trees provide plenty of food for hungry whitetails, but the steep-sided hills of the Guyandotte Valley make hunting the tract a strenuous proposition.