Every year, there are reports of magnum deer taken in virtually every zone in the state. With few exceptions, however, these bucks are happy accidents rather than planned events.

At times, of course, a fortunate hunter on private or public ground can work toward getting a specific buck that’s been seen before. But that’s not the usual scenario.

One reason is that most hunters simply do not have the time to scout in depth before their particular deer zone opens, especially if they live hundreds of miles from where they expect to hunt. A classic example is someone from southern California who, on a whim, puts in for an unfamiliar northern X zone and despite the odds, gets drawn.

Now, of course, reality sets in, and the work begins. All the lucky tag holder needs to do is identify the places in this unfamiliar zone where there are apt to be some deer, and find out how to reach them.

That can take considerable investigation via maps and phone calls before leaving home, and more than a little footwork on location. Sadly, it’s likely that a whole bunch of similar hunters with coveted tags will spin their wheels on unfamiliar turf.

Last year, Craig Stowers, deer program coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Game, received a tag for an eastern Sierra X zone. He and his partner Russ Mohr did their homework and scouted for three days before the season started.

Eventually, they found a spot where seven bucks were running together, and that’s where they opened the season.

Stowers saw the bucks early in the morning, but he didn’t take a shot. He knew that Mohr was approaching the bucks from a different angle, and figured his hunting partner would be a lot closer to them.

And that’s how it worked out. Mohr tagged one of the deer a couple hours later. Unfortunately, that afternoon one of their trucks broke down. Their hunting time was cut short, and Stowers failed to score.

“Despite our trouble, I was really happy with our hunt,” Stowers said. “I can hardly wait to get drawn again.”

Statewide on average, with all general and special seasons combined, more than 51.2 percent of all the bucks taken in 2006 were forkhorns. Across the board, 29.5 percent of the hunter harvest was 3-point bucks; 15.1 percent were 4-point bucks; and 3 percent were bucks with 4 points or better.

Some zones produced 3- and 4-point bucks at a much higher rate than others. The highest percentage of 4x4 bucks was reported in the X zones. The take went as high as 56 percent in Zone X7b, and stayed above 25 percent in zones X7a (30 percent), X5a (39 percent), and X3a (34 percent).

Not surprisingly, the X zones were right up there when it came to 3x3 bucks. Virtually every zone produced such bucks at better than a 30 percent clip.

Some other zones came in with similar figures, including zones B1 (at 34 percent), B4 (40 percent), B5 (32 percent), C1 (44 percent), C2 (34 percent), D6 (36 percent), D10 (38 percent) and D14 (36 percent).

But how many of those bucks were actually of trophy caliber? It’s tough to say. Just because a buck has more than 3 or 4 points per side doesn’t mean that it’s a monster. But these numbers, according to the latest available reports, do tell us that these zones produced quality mature deer.

I started hunting deer in California long before there was such a thing as a zone system. Had I known what was to come starting in the 1970s, I would certainly have covered more ground in search of trophy deer.

As it is, I have hunted in several parts of the state -- from the hills of southern California north to Modoc County and west to the Coastal Mountains.