Seems like it started for us in South of US 80 in 2018 if I’m not mistaken.

I don’t think Matt is against the extension in parts of the state where it benefits the hunters. The only reason the whole state went to Feb 10 was certain high fence operators couldn’t sell hunts in Feb.

The cool thing about game laws... maybe 1 GW per county enforcing rules that a lot of the general public thinks are stupid anyway. So just like game check inaccuracy, you can put all sorts of rules and regs in place and they are only going to affect a relatively small percentage of the licensed hunters among us. More stringent regs... sure, pile it on guys and gals. I'm sure they'll be followed to the "T".

And for the record I'd be good with a 3 does and 3 bucks limit.

Very interesting. All who will please share the county(s) you hunt in and if hunting into mid-february has 1) Improved you hunting or 2) Hurt the deer herd in your county/area.
Thanks

Hunt most of the time in Dale and Henry counties on private land so might not be very good feed back. Our major deer management tool is trigger finger control and we are very selective on the size and number of bucks killed. During the past 6 hunting season only 2 "trophy" bucks have been killed prior to January 9th. We just do not see most of our targeted/shooter bucks in the daylight till the major rut and chasing starts which in our area is the last week of January and still going after February 15th.

I know they have tremendous political pull - but I think it was a response to fetal surveys showing a large area in south AL needed extending to cover the entire primary rut. You can’t have a map showing a large area with a primary rut from J24-F8, and not have a season that covers that. But other areas got pulled into that “zone”. I guess I’m assuming some of that was part of the discussion.

I don’t think the issue is with the southern portion of the state having until Feb 10th. It’s more with giving the northern portion of the state til Feb 10th too. Those bucks are completely done breeding, some are dropping antlers, and all trying to feed up heavily and put weight back on. That dependency and desperation for food and more importantly calories, is why you can damage the herd in those areas so easily with the current season timing and corn. If you know what you’re doing and hunt smart, you can see and have opportunities to kill virtually every buck on your property under those conditions. I think that’s what Matt’s issue is with it and I agree. It would be like the southern zone being able to hunt right up until spring green up.

You just can’t have one of these threads without ignorant comments I reckon.

These threads not going anywhere - more like fantasy land with a hole bunch of hating

If Law says we can feed corn - i happy

If Law says we cant - i real happy.

Be glad your butt has a season and Lord lets you go. Hunting an honor - privledge and a blessing. And some complaining prob done enough stupid on there land it make an outlaw blush

And wasn't any bucks killed here in muzzy - 75 degrees and raining and when it was not wind was swirling. Yea muzzy terrible 🤣🤣
Good grief

Our deer in Randolph County were 99% done by 1/31. I saw a buck following a doe and grunting on New Year’s Eve. Last 2 weeks of the season were like the December Lull!!

Thanks for the feedback.

Fayette County, peak breeding is between Christmas and Jan 10. Bucks were back together around January 20th. I was in Greene co Friday and jumped two groups of bachelor bucks bedding together. Bucks have been shedding since the last week in January.

Thats pretty quick

I remember here around the house in the southern part of Mississippi gun season went out January 15th and bow or primitive weapon went on until Jan 31st. I don’t know how we kill a deer back then. My family didn’t have bows or muzzleloaders so after the 15th we would still go sit but we would just film deer. I remember filming some giant bucks for our area. Not the season goes out February 15th and you will still see deer chasing in turkey season. I guess there’s so many deer now that the rut last from January to march

My buddy shot a mature 9 point that fought a 4 1/2 year old 8 point for an hour before he shot him
Saturday a week ago in Greene County

I shot a mature buck within ear shot of him the same day and had bucks bristling up at
each other in the field

I dunno

Notice he said PEAK breeding. The rut will trickle on till March.

Precisely. I’m not interested in anyone’s observations about when they’ve seen a buck behind a doe. It’s irrelevant. That can happen from the moment velvet sheds until antlers drop. If a doe is in estrous there will be a buck nearby, and there’s always outliers. They don’t matter. What matters is the FIRST estrous cycle that does go through in the population, and that peak is all that should matter, when determining season lengths.

^^
And there lies the very concept that totally escapes the absolute majority and has led to so many wrong “theories”. Someone seeing chasing outside of the peak means next to nothing.

IMHO chasing outside of the primary rut does mean a lot. It can mean that there are so many does that the available bucks could not breed them all the first time. That could be because you killed a high percentage of the bucks or you have too many does. Could be fawns coming into season. Absolutely something that you should note. A very intense secondary rut is probably not a good thing.