The Trophy Belt’s ‘Buckle’

Stokes County continues to supply its share of wall-hangers.

Stokes County arguably could be called the “buckle” of North Carolina’s trophy-deer belt, which stretches from Northampton County in the northeast to Ashe County in the state’s northwest corner. Stokes County arguably could be called the “buckle” of North Carolina’s trophy-deer belt, which stretches from Northampton County in the northeast to Ashe County in the state’s northwest corner.

North of Winston-Salem and bordering deer-rich southern Virginia, the Dan River drainage transverses the region roughly west to east; the county also has Hanging Rock State Park, a deer sanctuary, at its center.

Fairly hilly, this foothills county has ridges covered by pines for shelter and hardwoods that produce tremendous mast for whitetails. Agricultural fields and pastures cover its valleys. God apparently looked at North Carolina and decided the area should become a trophy-deer paradise.

A series of huge bucks taken by Tarheel State hunters over the past decade has proven the point decisively.

In 2008, Stephen Galyean of Winston-Salem arrowed a Stokes County buck that scored 160-4/8 and captured the Dixie Deer Classic’s top prize for typical archery kills. While walking in the woods in 2007, Jeremy Mitchell discovered a 138-4/8 rack that took the Classic’s top “found” category. In 2003, Greg Robertson’s 165-1/8 bow typical won that division, and in 2002, Buddie Adkins dropped a Boone-and-Crockett qualifier that took the top-gun typical prize at the Classic: a buck that boasted 173-6/8 inches of antlers.

So it’s no wonder that one of the best bucks of 2008 also came from the same county. While it didn’t win an award at the 2009 Dixie Deer Classic, Brian Oakley’s buck, which grossed 163-7/8 non-typical, would be a magnificent prize for any hunter.

Click here to read more on The Trophy Belt’s ‘Buckle’