I hunted on three, 3-day late muzzleloader season in Pike Co. Illinois. Although I didnt take a Booner, I saw at least three on that farm. I passed on them due to excessive range for my Muzzleloader. What I would have given for my .300 WSM, if it were only legal! One guy killed a 223" Non-typical a few weeks before I arrived. If I could have afforded it, I would have gone during the early shotgun (or muzzleloader) season. The weather can be brutal, and the winds will chill you to the bone. I was relegated to a ground blind, but I saw more deer in three days than an entire season in NY.
Iowa, Kansas and Missouri are also top bets. If you like to get really cold, Saskatchewan and Alberta have some monster deer as well, though they tend to be huge in the body, which makes juding antlers harder. B&C bucks arent around every corner, but there are a lot of big ones taken every year in these areas.