I may have an opportunity to get into a club in what used to be the old Scotch Management Area around Grove Hill. Any input on deer population, size and the area is appreciated.

It's a terrible area especially with the neighbor situation. Squeaky and Hogwild are both right there and control a big chunk of that land and they are "brown and down" kinda guys that hunt 7 days a week, like to pull the trigger a bunch and expect all their members to do the same. Danny also likes to run dogs too!

I was just kidding above. Seriously though, it your lease is a part of that same management cooperative that they are, jump in and enjoy. That area have given up some serious studs over the years and will only be getting better with the program that they are putting the rest of that property under.

I thought they closed that place to become an "endangered species sanctuary" I hunted about 800 acres that bordered the mgt area for years, our property was mostly pines besides what was left by the creeks, dunno about now, but they had a major yote problem, and we had a good number of hogs (even have one mounted from there) we killed some good bucks, the guy nxt to us would usually kill one or 2 in the 140s every year! The bucks are usually heavy bodied...

I hunted with my dad in and around Chance, AL for the longest time while growing up. Their camp was broken into on occasion (sometimes through the wall with an axe) by the locals. Overall, the deer hunting was great. Find yourself a long time resident to befriend and ask if you can keep you belongings under their watch if you can't haul them back and forth each time, otherwise they will end up missing.

A few old trail cam photos I still have on my phone...

This pig is the largest I've ever gotten on camera. I have full shot (kinda far off) with his rack on my old computer, he was a old 7 point with horns that went straight up.......

I hunt family land in the general area. Population of deer is outstanding, not as good as 20 years ago but still very good. Plenty of hogs as well.

Honestly, I think those scotch WMA lease prices are ridiculous for the genetics we have in the area. JMO.

I've also hunted that general area for years and most deer will "express" genetics for small racks if they are shot when they are 3 yrs old or younger which is generally the case on most properties in that general area. People are simply killing "rack bucks" or "8 pts" which is fine if that's what you're into shooting. More power to you.

Matt, Squeaky, Troy, Nighthunter and the others that have been a part of it and have seen it first hand, can back me up on this...most Alabama hunters would be very surprised at the quality of headgear that Bama deer can produce if allowed to reach 5+ years of age with just "adequate" nutrition. There's nothing at all wrong with the genetics in that area and they are in fact quite good. It just takes age.

It depends if this opportunity is truly on what use to be the Old WMA land. There is a club on Facebook looking for members that claims to be part of the old wma. However, that is not truly accurate. It may have been at one point a long time ago but not part of the 19,000 acres that has been leased. If your opportunity is part of the 19,000 acre QDM cooperative I'd be stroking a check.

I can tell you Danny aka 'hogwild" and I have worked like rented mules on our place to get it headed in the right direction. I know our west neighbors have done the same. Our 3 leases control over 11,000 acres and we are managing very similar. This property will be a special place to hunt within 3 years if not sooner. A lot of work to be done to get there but everyone so far is on board with that goal. We are happy with what we are seeing and the potential of our lease.

If wasn’t so far down there I’d have stroked a check the first time I was invited by Danny and Mike. The place will be special.

I’ve also had to watch a few 130-140+ inch deer walk around a food plot not far from there on multiple occasions. Of course I had a bow in my hand.