There's certainly no shortage of debate within the bowhunting community. Whether it's modern vs. traditional tackle, trophy vs. traditional management or the ethics of baiting, it seems there is no end to the topics we're willing to argue.

But when it comes to determining which animal captures our collective imagination beyond all others, there can be no argument. The whitetail deer was, is and likely always will be king.

Much like a dominant sports team that blows out opponents by 50 points, the whitetail defeats all comers with ease. According to the Quality Deer Management Association's 2009 Whitetail Report, 78 percent of all North American hunters pursue deer. That's more than three times the number of hunters who pursue wild turkeys, which finished a distant second at 23 percent. Meanwhile, other big-game species such as elk (7 percent), black bears (6 percent) and mule deer (5 percent) barely register a blip on the hunting radar.

I believe the whitetail's overwhelming edge in popularity is a testament not just to the challenge and excitement they offer, but also the fact whitetails are the continent's most abundant and widely distributed big-game species, providing a virtually endless variety of hunting opportunities from city parks to remote wilderness areas. For most bowhunters (particularly those of us who live in the East), a trip to chase elk, mule deer or antelope is "the hunt of a lifetime." The pursuit of whitetails, meanwhile, is a year-round obsession.

Considering the participation rates, it comes as no surprise that whitetails account for 52 percent of all hunting-related expenditures – a whopping $12.4 billion in 2006, according to the Whitetail Report. That number is even more impressive when you compare it to the economic impact of other big-game species such as turkeys ($2 billion), elk ($954 million) and moose ($49 million).