I am looking for a place in Alabama for about 4 of my family members can go on a 2 to 3 day hunting trip this coming deer season, that has lodging. Any recommendations?

What ya wanna pay?

Whatever the going rate is

Go to Texas

If wanted to go to Texas I would had asked for recommendations for Texas

I wouldn't recommend an outfitter in Alabama which is why I suggested Texas.

I hunted and lived in Texas for 15 years. Lot of opportunities and a chance for a good deer. Especially in the hill country. It’s worth a look

You will spend the same money hunting somewhere in Alabama and probably have a 1 out of 4 percent chance of one person in the group your in killing a deer while the rest go home empty handed. Texas more than likely everyone will come home with a nice buck

Look for one of the school benefit hunts.

I think Three Notch Plantation still does deer hunts. Enon Plantation may still be in business as well.

Willow Oak Plantation in Spruce Pine. It's Timmy Horton's place (Bass Master Guy) They have a nice lodge and they have free range property as well as Preserve

If you search enough you can get some "cull" hunts in Texas and possibly get one better than you'll get in Bama

Hell there's few high fences just outside of Citrohell MIGHT could hunt 😏

Mtns of Pelham.

I don't have any personal experience, but I've always wanted to go to Bent Creek. Seems like a nice setup and I'd take a look if I were you.

That would be my recommendation.

I just looked online and it appears Enon Plantation is still operating. You absolutely can’t go wrong. They have first class facilities, good food, and an abundance of wild game. I have been quite a few times and have never been disappointed.

All I could find on Enon is that it's for sale

what class of deer are you hoping for?

Pretty sure they are just private now

Enon or Westervelt would be my suggestion for Alabama. Enon sold at one time, but from what I have heard, they are doing paid hunts again. (I could be wrong about that though)

I double checked with the owner and they are indeed private now....I tracked a deer for them last year and got that impression but never did actually ask at the time

110"-120" would be a wall mount for my group

120" is a fine buck....

If Enon is still in operation then a 110-120 would be extremely doable. I was just there a couple years ago and they had changed ownership but was in full operation. I bass fished, hog hunted, and dove hunted.

I would do like someone suggested above and do one of the Black Belt private school hunts and this is why.

I don’t care where in Alabama you hunt, if you offer paid hunts for the entire season, the deer get hunted out pretty quick.
I watched this happen on some GREAT land in Dallas county. They killed huge deer every year, but that was, let’s say, 10% off the hunters. The other 10% killed something with a decent rack and paid heavy fines for not following minimum rack requirements.
The other 50% saw spikes and small bucks, and killed a doe. The remaining 30% killed or saw nothing. You can hunt the best of land to death. They make you think you are special and putting you in a stand that hasn’t been pressured, and they usually do the best they can, but hunters are on this ground 5 outta 7 days. Just too much pressure for the best of land in Alabama.

NOW, these school hunts are family owned land that gets opened to pay hunters ONCE a year on just ONE particular weekend. Most all of the land is managed for their personal enjoyment with family. Some of the best ground in the State. That’s usually all that gets to hunt these tracts of land.
By opening it up ONE weekend and little pressure, you have just as good of chance at a good buck as anyone. They put on these hunts mostly during peak rut as well. You’re not hunting in mid December wasting your time and $$. (We all know deer are killed in Dec but you see what I’m saying). I’d charge MORE for peak rut hunting if I ran one, but back to the topic at hand.

I can vouch for Wilcox Academy, Macon East in Montgomery. Morgan Academy in Selma.

I would think Southern Academy in Hale- Marengo, Lowndes Academy, Clarke Prep, Crenshaw, Autauga, Pickens, Choctaw and the other private schools probably do the same thing, but I can’t be 100% sure of that. Do a little homework and get on one of these school hunts. They put you up in a nice camp, feed you well, and let you shoot one of their prized bucks IF they happen to step out. It’s not 100% guarantee but the best odds you can probably get in Alabama. Just my 2 cents.

Just my opinion here because I have done it but you and a group of hunters hunting in Alabama for free range deer 1 person out of the group has a slim chance of killing a 110-120 inch deer. It’s not gonna happen unless you’re in a high fence or really lucky. I’ve been on paid several paid hunts in Alabama and I’ve came home empty handed and 1 person out of our group might have killed a decent buck. I’ve been to Giles island and same deal. Beautiful place big deer but 1 person out of the group will probably kill a good deer while the others comes home pissed off. If you go to Texas I can damn near guarantee you and everyone in your group will come home with a 100-140 inch deer. The ranch I hunt in Texas the 5 or so years I’ve been going out there I’ve seen maybe two people come home empty handed but they had a chance a killing a nice deer and passed hoping on a bigger deer and never got the opportunity again. You will spend the same money or more hunting places in Alabama with a slim chance of killing a nice buck when you can go to Texas for three or four days and be done

We hunted low fence in Texas January 2024. There were 6 hunters in our group.

Trophy fee kicked in at 150 inches. 3 of the 6 paid the trophy fee.

Of the 3 who shot over 150, best buck was 164.

My wife and I shot a 144 and a 149-5/8. She really got close! We passed several deer that would have caught a trophy fee, because we weren't looking for another wall hanger, just meat and a euro. The other hunter who didn't pay a trophy fee was my buddy Shannon. JoshM28 knows him.

Shannon is impatient, and loves to shoot deer. He managed not to shoot the first hunt, but shot a 141" 4 year old second sit. Everyone else shot 5 year old or older. My drop tine buck was the oldest at 6+. I thought he was 7+, but wasn't going to argue with their head guide when he aged the buck at 6-1/2.

This hunt was $3500 per shooter, with lodging, food, and guide fees included, not tip. Trophy fee was an additional $2000.

I am not aware of any property in Alabama that has that kind of potential without it being a high fence at 3X the cost. I love hunting in Alabama, but it will never compare to South Texas.

Our two bucks. New Ranch, low fence, south of San Antonio about 2 hours.

I keep mentioning Enon because workn4livn said he is only interested in an Alabama hunt. I have hunted all over Alabama for many years including tons of pay hunts and Enon is by far the best. Only Westervelt lodge in the 70’s was comparable. One of our last trips to Enon, all five of us killed a nice buck and I have pictures of some nice ones that I let go. We didn’t kill any giants but my nephew killed a 130 and two others were around 120. I can send pics if you are interested.

I sent you a pm.

I never received a pm if it was addressed to me.

$3500 is cheap if your only goal is a rack that size.

That hunt included one buck, one doe, and all the pigs you wanted to shoot. We left the ranch with 4 deer and 3 pigs to take to the processor.

We saw lots of deer. We were specifically looking for 5+ year old bucks, and needed to fill the freezer.

That's like having a cheap 1400 acre lease except zero work and trophy management that actually works. I'd keep that under my hat and never tell anyone.

Enon is just private now......That whole area was actually way down this year……I tracked deer for Enon and just about all of their neighbors last year and even some of their neighbor’s neighbors…..That whole area from Hurtsboro to Union Springs to Tuskegee has always been a core area for me…….Its all taken a pretty good population hit over the last couple years….I really hope to see it recover

Thank you all for the feedback, I really appreciate it. I have been working in Texas for the last 8 years and do understand and agree that Texas is the better choice. I will discuss with the family that will be going with me but our issue is having the travel time it takes to get to Texas, we all have limited time off to make a hunt. We were hoping to find a place within 4 to 5 hours of Mobile. I have received PM's and will follow up soon.
Again, thank you all for your Insite, experience, and suggestions.

WorkN4livn

Good luck on finding the right hunt and hope you all get a nice one !

You could easily kill 4-5 120-140” bucks in TX for under $3000/person in 1-2 days. It’s a legit option.

Do one of the school hunts like suggested and help a school out with their finances. I was involved with the Morgan hunt for years since that is where my kids went and they did a lot of good with that money. A new gym and computers are two I can think of. In the end you may spend less to kill a good buck and hunt better land.

I am researching it now, I never knew anything like this existed. Thak you all for the suggestion

Here's link to the Morgan Hunt. A lot of good men and women involved in this and they will truly do what they can to see that you get a good one.
https://www.morganacademy.com/deerhunt

What ever happened to the Sparta Academy annual hunt?