Antler Nation: A Project Revealed

Whitetails make the hunting world go round. No denying that. They are the most widespread big game animal in North America. They are the top traffic driver here on Realtree.com. They are the primary subject on the vast majority of hunting media. Come October and November, they are the preferred topic of discussion at country diner round tables from coast to coast.

We love hunting whitetails. We are a country of deer hunters. And on Monday, Realtree.com will kick off a "countdown to deer season" of sorts with a massive online project we think you're going to love. It's called Antler Nation, and it will give you a detailed look at every state in the country that hosts a huntable population of whitetails.

We provide you with all the information you'll need to plan a hunt, from the overal deer population to the hunter-to-deer ratios as well as the top Boone and Crockett entries from each state. We break down the details that matter like the amount of public land available, the overall ease of gaining access to hunt and the other intangibles that can make or break your outing. There will be video, links to related content, photos and  tidbits about each state that you should find interesting.

And this is where things really get fun: We're also giving each state a grade (A,B, C, D, F) based upon a combination of factors. The grades, of course, are subjective. What one person deems to be ideal could be undesirable to another. We've selected a solid group of writers who live and breathe deer hunting, but we don't expect their overall summation of each state to be the final word. In fact, we hope it's not.

We'll unveil a new state every weekday beginning on Monday. By the time the last state is revealed, bow seasons will be opening. We won't be releasing a schedule of when each state is unveiled, though, so if you want to keep up, you'll have to check the site every day to see which one is released.

When your favorite state appears, let us know what you think of the grade it received. Better yet, share the grade on Facebook and let your opinions be known. We all love a good debate. And if ever an animal was adept at sparking debate, it's the mighty whitetail that roams wild and free here in the Antler Nation.