Prime example- one 80-acre tract that I hunt has an adjoining landowner that has 1-acre bordering the 80-acre tract. He lives in a house on the 1-acre and has a feeder and a cell cam in his overgrown backyard. It’s now legal for him to shoot deer out his window at the feeder when the cell cam goes off. The feeder is literally 15’ from the property line and unless the deer drops in its tracks, it’s leaving his property before it dies. But…..his setup is technically legal so there isn’t anything that can be done about it.
Before baiting was allowed the chances of him killing a deer, much less a buck, on his 1-acre was extremely slim. Now him and his kids can realistically kill half a dozen bucks off 1-acre and never leave the house.
I own a hair over 200 acres and I don't get wrapped around axle about trying to manage bucks just because of this scenario. I have neighbors that sling corn more than I do and I understand that all the deer that spend time on my place also spend time on 5 or 6 of my neighbor's places. I wouldn't like anyone telling me what I can and cannot kill on my own dirt, so I don't stay up late at night wringing my hands about what my neighbor did that day or what he will do tomorrow.
If my sons and I let a deer walk, it's our choice to do so. If we kill a small buck, its our choice to do so. Our neighbors have those same choices. Not much anyone can do about it.
A large percentage of hunted parcel sizes in AL are way too small to be effectively managed by antler restrictions, unless implemented on a much grander scale than property, or even section lines. If those with adjoining private land want a peace treaty with the neighbors to expand the "antler managed" acres, I suggest developing a HOA-type agreement ... and we know from a recent thread in the general forum how well those are liked.
