Dear Abby

I need some encouragement. Club I am in is affordable and very convenient. However, rules are pretty loose. 6 point or better. We have a couple yahoos that shoot everything legal buck they can, regardless of size or age. I have let several deer walk, let a decent 6 point walk yesterday. It just doesn’t tickle my fancy to kill a you g deer anymore. However do I keep my passion going?

I know some of yalls answers will be to get away from clubs but that isn’t feasible for me. I meant to apply for SOA but forgot.

Frustrated Hunter

SOA is certainly a good option. I think you’re going to have to decide what your personal hunting goals are. If it’s big bucks, I’d say you need to start looking out of state. Joining a “trophy” club with strict management here in Alabama May give you more sightings of 3YO or younger bucks than other clubs, but it’s still going to be extremely difficult to kill a mature buck. And, to top it off, that mature deer may still not be what most people consider a “trophy”. It may just be a 200+lb 120” 8pt. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But like I said, you have to figure out what you want or need to enjoy it and have a good time.

I’m definitely not looking for pure trophy club or out of state. Just want to kill 4 year old bucks. If he has great head gear than that is a bonus. But where I am at, 2 yo getting killed regularly. Wish we could at least get a little change to the rules. But leadership doesn’t care. They don’t even hunt the property.

If you aren’t willing to get in a different club with like minded guys then you just got to suck it up and enjoy what you got. Attitude is everything and it is a choice.

I’m just venting here. I have tried to talk sense into some members, but they are “just meat hunters”

Become the president of said club. Change the rules. May take time but go for it.

Yep. You are 100% correct. I’m trying to hunt a complete different area of the club in hopes that some of the deer may hang close by and make it another year or two

If old guard will ever leave I would

Use it as a convenience club and hunt out of state in Mississippi a few times per year. We hunt the MS Delta and public land there is just unreal.

Try some public land. I believe most, if not all, of the WMA’s have gone to 3 points on one side for bucks. Sure there are plenty of meat hunters but there are also plenty of guys that are holding out for a 3+ year old buck.

I don’t think what you want exists. Not when you look at what we both like, based off of past conversations. 1-We like to have a club close to home for convenience. 2-We don’t want to spend a fortune on a club. 3-We both want to kill quality bucks. That kind of club doesn’t exist around where we live, or within 30 minutes of the house. We either have to travel further or pay more, or both. I guess that’s why I like the club I’m in now. Yeah, we have members that will shoot anything but when the most I’ve seen there at one time is 5 people, on 2,000 acres, and most of them are on food plots, the chances of them putting a dent in the herd is very slim.

Yall do pretty good over there in MS?

They won't for long if they keep blabbing about it on Public Forums.

Dear Frustrated Hunter,
What you are experiencing is a common theme in Alabama. You are making a choice, willingly paying for it and have come here to gripe. Put on your 'Big Boy' pants and make a change. Club's do exist like you want but they are not cheap. An out of state hunt may be your answer. There is also a very helpful DNR guy by the name of Chuck who may assist.

Sincerely,
'Aldeer Abbey'

What you want is out there you just have to
1) pony up a few thousand dollars for the right place either close, across the state or out of state

2) put in the work and boot leather and hunt public land local.

Public land hunting is work but fun and probably what I will go back to when my son is ready.

We kill a good Buck every few years. However we see a ton of deer every hunt, which is why I like it. I know I’m going to see deer and I have the chance to kill a monster any time I go. There’s 100k+ acres within 30 miles of each other. Sure it can be crowded, but it’s all walk in only, so we usually walk a mile or two before we sit down and never have a problem with other people.

While I agree with the sentiment, SBS didn’t hot spot a particular WMA or Forest. It’s not a secret that the Mississippi delta has a plentiful deer population.

I am fortunate to be in a club an hour from my house with like minded guys. I have killed a couple 4+ year old deer the last couple years, but nothing approaching 130+" - but good looking deer to me.. The two I killed were on camera on adjacent properties we found out later, and wandering in the rut got them killed. Age is the only way I think we might see a 130-140" deer, and it is hard to get to 5+ around the area I hunt. But I am in a great camp with good folks - and all trying not to shoot 3 yr old deer if we want 4 year old deer. clubs around us , some do some don't so you get what you get. I do know I can go to Texas and see 6+ year old deer scoring 140-150... so I do. I enjoy the camp life and long season too much to get out of a club and just go once a year to TX, so I pay the freight for both.

If your company allows it, I would trade pond management services for hunting rights if the property owner is not a customer.

If the rules in the club say “6 point or better” I wouldn’t be surprise or disappointed if people shot 6 point or better.
If you're gonna shoot better deer, you’ll need to treat it like public land though, and hunt where others don’t imo.