I'm going to hunt some of our Talladega District national forest public land this year for the first time. I've hunted a little in Bankhead and various WMAs before over the years, but never over in Talladega and Clay counties.

Any general advice on where to avoid?
**Want to avoid recreation, hikers, weekend hangout spots

Any advice on general areas to focus on?

Any specific map that is better than others?

Best place to camp?

Thanks,

Don't. ??

In all seriousness, the problem you'll find with it is it's overrun by dog hunters. Not knocking dog hunters, but it's public land and they just overtake it. There are multiple groups up there who run, and it makes so that you can't find anywhere that isn't currently being run by dogs, or wasn't just run by dogs the last several days. It just gets thrashed, especially the Clay Co end. You'll find less people and more deer on the Cleburne Co side, but I'm not familiar enough with it to give you any advice.

But just for giggles, the area around "Horse Creek Cemetery" has historically been better than average hunting. Just about anywhere in a few mile radius is good enough to have a decent chance at killing. Most of the gated gravel roads off of 637 (also known as Cherrytree Rd) are good hunting. Then you have Cherrytree Hunters Camp that is a good primitive campground.

I've hunted a good bit on Dugger Mountain and it's covered with dogs. I've hunted several places on Mount Cheaha, but there are a lot of hikers there. I came off of Cheaha down into Clay County and never saw many deer. The last time I was there a group of 10 or 15 guys with dogs came through and ran off every animal in the county.

I have heard there were some decent places on the Clay County side but I'm not sure where to go.

It is though, some of the most beautiful woods you will ever hunt and NOT see a deer or basically any other kind of wildlife.

Listen to bux on this one. I've hunted the Talldega side and Cleburne side. No dogs on the Cleburne side, but it does get steep in spots. Done pretty well on the Cleburne side on isolated tracts away from the major highways. Get a map from the forestry people and pin point areas out of the way.

The hunting was much better 10-20 years ago, before the doggers overran the place. I only hunt there now because I have family nearby. Very tough hunting now. I dont even see a tenth of the buck sign I used to.

This year may be my last, as I hope to have a move in the near future. Need to do something different. Tired of nature walks.

theres a kid on here that kills decent bucks running dogs on here every season. think his name austin something. and i do not think hes photoshopping the deer in either

I found a decent buck one time dead next to Talladega creek while I was gold prospecting. Looked like a decent spot to hunt but I ain't dragging one 300' up a 45° incline.

Oh, I grew up in Munford, which is the bottom side of Cheaha on the Talladega, Co side. Still know all those boys who run dogs all over the mountain and every year they kill a couple of outstanding bucks. Along with a ton of spikes, does, 3 points, turkeys, and basically anything that moves! LOL

Stob is right, when I was a teen in the 80's there were enough deer that you could walk around and see deer. There'd be buck sign on every ridge. I mean it wasn't "good" hunting, but most folks back then "stalked" like we did, and the dog hunters were fewer. There are very, very few deer there now.

Well, since I moved to Chelsea, figured I'd drive less and try new areas. Doesn't sound very good, but I'll probably go on a nature walk or two. Recon I'll go back to driving to WMAs further away...ones I know well already.

I lived within a mile of the forest there in Munford for 4 years and turkey hunted it a whole whole lot, deer hunted it a few times and did a fair bit of squirrel hunting. In those 4 years, I saw maybe 20 deer tracks and finally, this last turkey season I saw a doe and 2 yearlings. Those were the only deer I ever saw there.

Don't do it. Most places I've turkey hinted, you could not pay me to shoot a 130" buck. Very very steep and very few deer.

The oakmulgee side is much better. Hollins and coosa are not far from you.

You can be successful if you get out there and find a concentration of deer in an area. It isn't easy, but oh so sweet when you have success. I killed this buck after a ton of time and effort scouting up there last season.