There are advantages to being located next door to the state's top-producing trophy area, and Mercer County is beginning to reap the benefits. Last year, Mercer made its first appearance in the big-buck ranks.

Hunters bagged three whitetails that qualified for statewide recognition. The largest, Joseph Rash's gun-killed typical, scored 144 4/8 Boone and Crockett points and placed eighth in that category. Jason Tabor ranked 11th with a buck that taped out at 141 2/8. Bowhunter Daniel Bishop's trophy scored 133 2/8.

Three tracts of public land contribute to Mercer's "huntability," most notably the 5,300-acre Camp Creek WMA north of Princeton. The county also contains the 500-acre Tate Lohr WMA near Oakvale and a small corner of the Bluestone National Recreation Area near Pipestem.

Interstate 77 and U.S. Route 460 provide reliable north-south and east-west corridors into the area. Lodging can be found in Princeton, Bluefield and in Pipestem State Park.

Though it consistently ranks below the state's three other bow-only counties, Mingo County is still a trophy force to be reckoned with. Mingo yielded two Big Buck Club members last season. Matthew Cline's whitetail ranked seventh among bow-killed typicals at 159 5/8, and Roger Maynard's typical came in at 137 6/8.

Public land comes in one big chunk, the 12,854-acre Laurel Lake WMA. The sprawling tract, located near Lenore, surrounds a lake of the same name. With steep slopes and narrow ridges, it's pretty rugged country. Regular ground fires give rise to heavy undergrowth and provide yet another leg-wearying aspect to hunting the property.

From Charleston, it's possible to get to the Mingo County seat of Williamson in less than two hours via U.S. Route 119 (also known as Corridor G). From Huntington or Bluefield, the only access is by U.S. Route 52, a tortuous two-lane road with a sketchy safety record.

High-quality roads are the norm in Kanawha County, a top trophy producer for the second year in a row. Kanawha's hunters also bagged two whitetails that qualified for the Big Buck Club.

Even though the county is open to firearms hunters, both of its state-certified trophies were bow kills. James Embrey led the way with the second largest typical, a buck that scored a whopping 164 2/8. John Morris followed with a typical that measured 128 6/8.

At first glance, Kanawha looks like the last place a deer hunter would want to hang a tree stand. The heavily industrialized Kanawha Valley is home to about one-seventh of the state's human population. Fortunately, for sportsmen, the lands outside the valley are heavily wooded and well populated with deer.

The county's main hunting tract is the 9,250-acre Kanawha State Forest, located just southeast of Charleston near Loudendale. North of the capital city, a major portion of the 9,874-acre Morris Creek WMA falls within the county's borders.

The expression "all roads lead to Charleston" isn't much of an exaggeration. U.S. routes 60 and 119 and interstates 64, 77 and 79 all converge on the heart of the city, and provide rapid access to the county's best hunting. l

Find more about West Virginia fishing and hunting at: WVgameandfish.com