Rich Remmert's 4x4 buck sports a 28-inch inside spread and 173 inches of antler. Photo by Duwane Adams.

A quick glance at various big-game record books reveals several dozen entries for mule deer from Arizona's North Kaibab Plateau, the legendary trophy-producing factory on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Since the huge crash of the deer herd that began in the 1920s and peaked in the 1930s, the Kaibab has always maintained a sort of good news/bad news reputation because of its fluctuating deer numbers. But despite past problems, one constant has been the Kaibab's production of big bucks.

Rich Remmert knew all that -- which is why he kept applying for one of the much-coveted permits, despite the low odds of drawing one that usually average about 6 percent to 9 percent. Finally, with bonus points in hand after several years of failure, the 37-year-old construction project manager from Michigan drew one of the 1,000 permits for the late-October hunt on the Kaibab's west side, Unit 12AW.

After hearing good things about outfitter Duwane Adams, based in San Manuel, Ariz., Remmert contacted him and several of the references that Adams provided. Within a few days, they struck a deal.

Adams originally built a solid reputation for guiding clients to trophy Coues whitetails, and eventually expanded his scope to include elk and mule deer. Although he's guided mule deer hunters in other areas of Arizona, he mainly concentrates on the North Kaibab. Because of this specialization, he and his guides know where to find trophy deer during both the early and late hunts. His clients regularly shoot bucks that score between 170 and 200, and several have exceeded the 200-inch mark.

Adams said the tagged bucks are merely the result of hard hunting. "As a rule, we glass up 100 or more good bucks every season, and a lot of hunters would be happy to kill many of the bucks we pass up. To their credit, however, most of my clients have patience and wait until one of my guides or I tell them to shoot. And that's usually at a buck that is a cut above the average," he said.

The Kaibab -- a Pah Ute word for "mountain lying down" -- sticks out like a tree-covered island from a sea of sand and rocks. Bordered on the south by the Grand Canyon and high desert on the other three sides, it rises from 3,000 feet to more than 9,000 on V.T. Ridge, the highest point.

Piñon pines, junipers and cedars dominate the lower ridges and canyons, which run off the plateau like fingers off a hand. Ponderosa pines, aspen, spruce and fir grow at the higher elevations. In between, the transitional zones offer plenty of oaks and mixtures of all the above.

The deer stay on top in summer and early fall. When the snow flies or the temperature drops way down, thus freezing their favorite foods at the higher elevations, they head down to spend the winter months at the lower ranges, where piñon and junipers are prevalent. By late November, most of them have moved into the canyons and brushy pockets formed by the ridges.