There are two certainties in Texas deer hunting.

One is a no-brainer: If you're looking for big whitetails, head to South Texas.

The second one, however, might surprise a few hunters: If you can't make it down into the Brush Country, don't worry -- the genetic potential across much of the state is catching up or is now on par with that region. And that means you could be a lot closer to the buck of a lifetime than you think.

Last season was tough for hunters and land managers as widespread drought conditions wreaked havoc on range conditions, hindering the growth of headgear in many locales, especially those areas without supplemental feeding.

That being said, even in what could be termed a bad or at best average season, deer hunting was still pretty good. Unlike their experience in previous seasons that saw solid amounts of rainfall, deer hunters last fall were faced with chasing after whitetails living in habitat that, for various reasons, hadn't received the crucial moisture necessary.

According to Mitch Lockwood, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's whitetail program leader, the drought affecting most of the state last year and into this one was unprecedented. Range conditions were as bad as seasoned hunters and ranchers had ever seen. Lockwood said that despite the poor habitat available, deer showed their resilience -- as they always do -- and hunters still saw good antler quality.

"When it comes right down to it, droughts like the one last season didn't affect the population as badly as in past years," he said. "That's all due to how well people manage their land. There's just a lot of good habitat management out there. Fawn production and antler and body quality don't take as hard a hit during dry years when the land is well taken care of."

TPWD has taken an active role in deer management and will be adding 52 more counties to the 61 that already are under antler restriction regulations. The successful implementation of the antler restriction and desired results spurred the move to add even more counties. That should provide protection for young bucks and help them survive longer. That's according to Clayton Wolf, TPWD big-game program director.

Wolf said sufficient age structure could go a long way toward producing bigger antlers, even when range conditions are less than stellar.

David Brimager, who heads up the Texas Big Game Awards, said it's no surprise, but entries were down last year for this program that highlights the efforts of landowners and land managers to produce quality deer.

"I think it certainly relates to habitat conditions and rainfall," he said. "But then again, the quality continues to increase annually. More and more hunters and landowners are doing the right things for habitat and wildlife."

Last fall was not the best season for the TBGA awards in its 18-year run. The total number of scored entries fell from an all-time high of 1,568 in the 2007-08 season to 987 last season, while the total entries fell from 1,980 to 1,501.