Your first step is to determine which area you want to hunt (GMU) and which weapon you are going using. It seems as if you are asking where good whitetail units are statewide. I would look at the harvest kill report which Fish & Game puts out every year. This will tell you where there are lots deer, which usually equals lots of hunters on public land. It won't tell you which specie of deer was harvested, but it definitely helps for deer numbers. Also, do you want to hunt a later season or early season? The late buck hunt in the Palouse is usually really good, but it's mostly private land. I give your props for thinking about next year already, but maybe think about putting on the boots and covering some ground between now and next year. The "Go Hunt" web page on fish and game is really helpful for finding public land. What have you been putting in for the last 10 years? Good luck to you!
