Here's that other map I said I would make........This one is comparing this year's numbers to last year. The most fragmented areas are killing the chit out of their deer.

I cant imagine that they would reverse the baiting law at this point……its too much of a cash cow. We’re either gonna have to get used to a new normal here soon or changes to our rules will have to be enacted in the coming years. The changes I suggested earlier in this thread were measures meant to help moderate this impact baiting is having without getting any more restrictive than we have to……If this type of harvest continues though you will likely see bigger changes have to be made…..They may not do anything though. I hate to be a conspiracy theorist but part of me kinda believes this drawing down of the deer herd to where they mainly just exist on the plantations and in the high fences is exactly what they are trying to do. Maybe I should show up at the CAB meeting and just say ......."Hmmmmm"

I’m curious for the guys that hunt in these +100% counties are they seeing more deer, less deer or about the same as the previous 4 years?

I hunt in one of them and would say we were down a bit this year, and I feel like I heard less shots, but I wouldn’t say we were “noticeably” down.

Talked with processor last night and he said he was on par with last year, even with the poor weather weekends we had in Dec and losing two prime Saturdays to Christmas and New Year.

I know I’m an outsider but I put my heart and soul into our place when it comes to deer hunting. It’s a deep passion I have and love. I understand exactly what you are saying. We almost did it to ourselves with the 2 does per day. Like I said earlier, it didn’t take us long to realize how close we came to really screwing up bad. We change our direction and in 3 years we were as good or better then when we first got our place. I can see how quickly it can get bad and if there are that many people killing 6 bucks or hell, 6 deer period on 5, 10 or even 40acres, it won’t take long. I would think that most people would realize the errors of their ways like we did. I just would’ve never thought of that many deer being killed on such small properties. Heck we did kill over 6 deer on our place till after New Years. I think education will do more good then more restrictions. Just my opinion. I’m a glass half full kind of guy so...

I’m gonna guess many people are going to say “more deer” right now because of the effect baiting has on deer sightings……Give it a couple more years though. I doubt we’ll change course until folks start hollering….“What happened to the deers!?!?!”…….Then you’ll likely hear other say…….”Just don’t shoot them if you want more deer!!!....It’s that simple!”……Meanwhile those same folks are hunting the areas that arent being heavily impacted.

The long season which brings in many OOS hunters is also a cash cow. According to you the sky is falling so one of the cash cows is gonna have to go. So which one is it gonna be?

I hope it ain’t the OOS hunters!!!

This is the suggestion I made earlier in this thread…….There’s a slight reduction in the overall number of gun days……the majority of north Alabama would go back to ending gun season on Jan 31…….there would be a slight reduction in either sex days …… and more protection for fawns early in the season……All of those would help buffer some of the impact we’re seeing……I’m not a big fan of it but if we had to before we looked at reducing buck limits I’d rather see us implement tags first to make sure everyone is staying honest with their 3……

Bow Season Statewide
Oct. 1- Feb 10……….No does until Nov 1

First Gun Season Statewide
2nd Saturday in Nov – Nov. 30 (Either Sex)

Second Gun Season
Zone A......... Dec 15- Jan 31 (Either Sex)
Zone B......... Dec 25- Feb 10 (Either Sex)
Zone C ........ Dec 15- Jan 31 (Buck Only)
Zone D & E.... Dec 1- Jan 16 (Either Sex)


For the folks who want to gun hunt Dec 1 -15 because of the rut, we'll move those areas into Zone D

Changing the season dates probably wouldn't heavily impact the overall kills, but it would seriously impact my and a lot of others opportunities to hunt. No thank you.

Many north Alabama counties just added 10-15% onto their harvest totals due to the 10 day Feb extension......I think going back to a Jan 31 end date for gun season would definitely reduce kills

I think a fair amount of deer are killed during bow season, opening week, the rut and the last week or so (by people filling their freezers). In any of your suggested seasons, those times would still occur.

There’s not much support for it from the hunters, processors and taxidermists I talk to. There may be some, but they’re not expressing it. There’s a substantial kill in February. One processor I’ve got a good relationship with took in almost as many deer those 10 days as they did opening week and Christmas week. They had several days with 45-75 deer in February. They took in 56 the last day.

I don’t hunt North Alabama but I’m all for herd health.

Serious question, would that not also happen any of the prior 7 days to the end of the season? Say season ended 1/31, would you not see an uptick from 1/24 to 1/31 just the same? Sure it would save “some” deer but my crew was responsible for 3 kills the last 6 days (central Alabama) that would have also occurred the last week of January if we ended on 1/31.

Just thinking out loud…

That's what I was saying. Not counting the rut, which is tied to certain dates, the other high kill times would likely occur whatever the dates of the season are.

It’s 10 more days to kill deer. People don’t stop the entire season. There were several thousand deer added in some counties that wouldn’t have been if those 10 days were not there. There was a significant number of shed bucks killed, and/or bucks that lost their antlers being loaded or unloaded. Bucks are back in bachelor groups and losing antlers and we are still killing them with modern firearms. Guys are killing “does” to walk up to shed bucks. It’s ridiculous and terrible management.

I can see that being an issue in North Alabama. What if the rule was bucks only?

Yep......I understand the concept UA hunter is getting at but there’s a big difference between Feb 1-10 and opening weekend for example. The first couple of weeks of Feb are our most lean times as far as food sources dwindling down and deer having to move around to eat. They are far more vulnerable to baiting at that time. Those kills that occurred this year in Feb wouldn’t have just been replaced by kills in Jan…..if so people would have killed them. It added on extra.

We can talk about all the things folks don’t want or don’t support but over the next 3-5 years you’re gonna have to pick your poison. Either you watch the deer herd dwindle down in many of these areas or folks figure out some kind of change they would support.

That’s my problem with it. The population doesn’t need additional buck harvest.

It didn’t save any deer from us this year since we quit 3 weeks ago. But it would have saved 2 bucks the last three years from my son. My wife did kill a doe the last weekend last year but she may have done the same if season ended in Jan tho. I haven’t killed a deer past January 15 for 10 years.

CNC, IF there is a population issue, wouldn't the simplest way to fix that be reducing the amount of does allowed to be killed? I know certain areas need more than others killed, so maybe they could get on DMAP like the old days.

Regarding the deer not being killed in January, numerous people I know, are holding out for a buck/protecting their "bait", but "settle" for a doe when the season is winding down.