Nobody says you have to start Nov 25 or middle of October. Why does everybody want to cut the endd of season short? Maybe gun season should just start at Christmas? I would prefer that if season was gona be shorter. Personally, i seldom ever hunt at all before Christmas. It could start Jan 1 and run to Feb 10 and that would be good with me.

I would be fine with making the limits 3 does and 2 bucks per hunter.

Y’all hunt anyway you want. Kill what you want. With what you want. When you want. That’s the great part of such a long season. You have the option. Just because it’s open and you can kill a doe a day and 3 bucks a season, doesn’t mean you have to do it. I want all the days to hunt I can get. I wish deer season ended the week before turkey season starts. Leave us alone!!!

The rut in SE Marshall county, takes place at the same time as the rut in SW AL. So, we needed the addition. We're one county, SW of Jackson county, where the rut takes place in late December IIRC.

That sounds a lot like the gambling opinion.

]Please follow the law. But no one forces us to hunt out of season stop when you want be you own man. We have to start when they say. Or do we. Just because the speed limit says 70 we don’t have to run 70. Limit is 3 buck but don’t kill 3 or did you.

The rut where I hunt in Marshall County is literally still going on right now! May be the 2nd cycle but trust me it’s still happening today!

So there is not really any data or biological reasons for the deer hunting season in Alabama to end on Jan. 31st.?.?

I didn’t say that. I don’t speak for Matt. I just said you took his quote out of context to justify your position.

I’ll answer when I have more time. It’ll take a while. Been out with the kids and family all evening.

No Sir, did not take out of context. I just copied what he posted and asked a question. I do not have a position. Just wanted to learn if there were reasons to adjust deer hunting dates and if so I would have the knowledge to support the best position.

Copied directly from the WFF web page….

“The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division is charged by law to protect, manage and enhance the state’s fish and wildlife resources. The division meets these responsibilities by carrying out coordinated, scientifically sound enforcement, management, research, development, and educational programs designed to ensure protection and enhancement of fish and wildlife populations and habitats for the sustainable benefit of the people of Alabama.”

What? Protect, manage and enhance. How? Coordinated, scientifically sound enforcement, management, research, development and educational programs that ensure enhancement for the sustainable benefit of the people of AL.

For years information was gathered on estimated deer populations, estimated harvests and peak breeding dates to propose deer management zones. Those zones were to be managed according to the data. That data showed that in order for folks in south AL to receive maximum opportunity to hunt peak breeding, that season should be extended. After years of data collection and proposal it was finally granted. Data was collected in other areas of AL that showed much earlier breeding dates, originating from stocking sources outside of AL. Also, an area in north AL was drawn up where less antlerless opportunity was needed, to place less pressure on does, in hopes that over harvest would not continue to be a problem. It was granted. During this time, game check was making its appearance and public meetings were being held statewide. There were questions about extending season in other parts of the state, to which the public was told, “No, the data does not support it. Peak breeding currently falls within the current season framework.” The DCNR admin held that position, as did the field biologists. For once it looked like data and actual science would finally be a driving factor in establishing seasons and bag limits, as it should be. Refer to the top to the agencies mission statement.

At a meeting in Montgomery it was asked of the deer committee, which I was on and representing D1, what we thought of a season extension in north AL. I said no. It’s not needed or desired in most of north of where it is currently permitted. 1.) Bucks begin shedding antlers in late January and early February. How many or what percentage we didn’t know, but it’s definitely a higher percentage than I was willing to risk. 2.) The dang season already allows gun hunting for 2.5 months, and it covers peak breeding. Additional buck mortality is not biologically desirable or healthy. 3.) Extending the season will have a negative consequence of allowing higher buck harvest, especially in the older age classes, which in turn affects peak breeding dates, extending the breeding season even farther than what it already is. It creates a situation where removing another 5-10% from the buck population affects recruitment of bucks for the NEXT breeding cycle, resulting in an unhealthy and unbalanced herd. This creates longer breeding windows, more stress and is a never ending cycle. This is not using science to promote and enhance wildlife populations. It’s giving in to pressure to appease special interests. Data was used to help areas of the state that needed a change and it was absolutely ignored in areas that did not need a change. Now, throw in legalized pay to play baiting and cell cameras on a landscape that has 20 hunters every square mile and we are beginning to see an irreversible trend in buck age structure from all these things occurring simultaneously. It’s not happening everywhere, but it’s happening in a lot of areas and expanding to others. Allowing additional rifle hunting weeks after peak breeding when bucks are trying to recover from the stresses of breeding is terrible management on a state wide scale.

Improving deer sitings and health seems to be a misnomer. If you are hunting then improved sitings should lead to a drastic decline in health with dead being very unhealthy.

I impact deer on my property. If i shoot all of them cause the law says i can - then i am an idiot!! I hav to manage the Hurd and yes my neighbors can impact. The deer i getting mounted - this was not his first year on my property. Pass deer you need to pass on - shoot the ones you need to
And if my dang deer were dropping horns - i personally would not be hunting them. There will be chasing here in clarke till march and not lose horns till april. Feb makes sense here
Just manage Your Hurd - you are responsible for that

Unfortunately…a large percentage of hunters are ignorant of management or just “not responsible”. It’s like drug addict…they know it’s not healthy to shoot 3. 2.5 bucks per member but they just can’t help it.

I hunt in southern Choctaw county and our best weeks are the last week of January and 1st week of February. Got a good buck on February 1st this year. I’ve seen years when the season ended in January where we never really hunted the rut. About 15 years ago the some of the best rut action I witnessed was opening weekend of turkey season. Watched two 8pts chase a doe all over the area I was hunting.

I’ve spent my entire life in Marshall County. I have spent years hunting the Southern tip near the Etowah and Blount borders, the NW portion near Morgan County and NE between the Guntersville State park and Dekalb County. In my opinion the Rut map is accurate and any current activity is a secondary rut. Your mileage may vary. I believe the extension is not needed in large portions of the state and I would support more limits on harvest where needed. Here our population density doesn’t support very liberal harvest as some places. I’m also in a lease in Marion/Lamar counties and the population is drastically higher there. I would also support a 2 buck limit IF it came with real enforcement and stiff penalties for non compliance.

No desire to give up Feb days in Barbour. Maybe they are still chasing - maybe not, but if we want to see a decent( over 4 yrs old deer) late Jan thru Feb 10 allows for that. I can only trust in what I have seen the last few years. All the experts can impose what they want on public and WMA properties- see which group of hunters end up happier.
And per above- no one makes you hunt or shoot anything - you are just given the dates within when you can do it legally. Outlaws gonna Outlaw.

It was needed South and Southwest of Montgomery County. You don’t have to be a biologist to know that. Just an average hunter that’s hunted Montgomery, Wilcox, Lowndes, Monroe, Macon, Pike and Bullock counties for the past forty years.

Have only been living in Alabama a few years.

How long has the "extended" season dates; i.e. the seasond ending the second week of February been in effect?