If you could pick 1 county/area to hunt in Alabama, where would it be? ....best combination of qty and quality

I would move north of where i am where you actually got a snowballs chance at a 140

I’m done telling people a good thing. I would look at North Alabama.

When you ask a question like that, more than half the answers will be attempts to send you away from where they are hunting. No one in their right mind would want to draw attention to their area if it’s any good. The best way to mess up a good thing is to tell someone about it.

^^^
Learned that the hard way multiple times over the years. Some hunters will run slam over you to get what you got especially a turkey hunter. Some turkey hunters woukd run over their own mama to get to a bird!! generally dont tell my friends even my good friends of deer or turkey kills and is one of the reasons i never put my pic on here and i talk way more on here than i do anywhere else - i keep my mouth shut

But u guys up north get way better deer pics than me or my buddies around here do

The place we have is the best hunting I’ve ever had in Alabama. However I’ve only ever hunted 3 places in Alabama. One place was overrun by dogs, other place I was a guest and it was shot out and the place we have now. If there was one place that I could choose to hunt it would be with Jason and Brian at Hollis Farms. I like the way those guys manage their properties.

If I could go back to 1990, I would choose the swamps of Wilcox County and specifically Lower Peach Tree. Deer were numerous as the stars in the sky and some grew huge racks but were very hard to kill.

Looking for hunting land today in Alabama, I also would pick North Alabama as far North as I could get. Lease prices are not nearly as high as southern leases and there are tons of smaller private tracts here where folks don't shoot does, only bucks. It is common now to see deer at any time of day in the row-cropped land as well as crossing the main roads. Numbers are pretty good, but there is a genuine concern over CWD in the Northwest counties. It is supposed to be a non-baiting zone but many homeowners have feeders and enjoy watching deer in their backyards-Florence, AL comes to mind. Folks just love watching them and not shooting them. There are some huge deer in many of the subdivisions there.

If I could pick any where to hunt, it would be in IL. The leases are in general easier to get than here and most times cheaper per acre. The one buck only harvest lets a lot of good deer walk and make it to next year. I personally have laid eyes on 150" deer there and always see good deer there when I go. Beautiful country and the people are great to talk with.

I'm going to Jackson..

I’d take one of those subdivisions lol. I know one where a guy I know lives. He had a 180ish hitting his feeder daily. Tons of 140-150s. He has a little over 5 acres that lays next to land that is unimprovable at best. He keeps joking he’s gonna get his crossbow out. 😝 He had a good friend that own deer step so he knows what big deer look like.

As far as a club and kindness no object. I’d look at soil maps and then go from there.

Whichever county that has the best soil had the best potential to grow big bucks. My vote would go to North Sumter county.

I think there’s good deer in just about every county in Alabama, just depends on what will make you happy. Some folks it’s hunting the biggest deer in the state, some folks it’s being able to see deer every sit, and some folks it’s purely location to their home. Whatever meets your goals and is affordable for the budget you’ve allocated is the best place to be.

Be prepared to hear Banjos......

Neighbors and local management practices are far more important than location.

North Marengo just south of highway 80!!

Teacher One you took me back to my early deer hunting days. I got to hunt with a buddy who’s family had 180 acres in lower Peach Tree next door to Scotch lumber co land. I think that was about 8000 acres at the time .This was in the 70’s and 80’s. We took some bigguns back in the day. Turkey hunting was awesome ! My buddies folks eventually passed and the 5 kids split up and sold the property. Stupid sob’s . I ‘ll never forget those days.Just damn!

Depends on what you want. Numbers of deer, trophies, or a mix of the two. For numbers, many places fit that bill in AL. Just find the rural areas in S.Central such as Crenshaw Co. They have a ton of deer, for trophies, the Sipsey area always puts out some good ones, and I've heard Jackson Co. has some. For the best mix of trophies and numbers I think you have to look at the Blackbelt Counties. Now that is just a generality based on my experience and experience of others, but each large tract may be different based on usage and management practices.

1) Its not that big of a secret.......and...... 2) Someone is already hunting it

Have you listened to the Mossy Oak Properties Fist full of dirt podcast with Jason Hollis? Its episode 67 and worth a listen!

Yes sir

This area was my first experience with tremendous numbers of deer. Back then I was a bowhunter and I killed deer every time I set foot on the place we had. We were right on the Alabama River and we had great numbers, great deer, ducks, and alligators to keep you on the lookout! I would love to have owned that place.

Alabama can produce really good deer. Biggest limiting factor is the hunting/management culture in your immediate area.

Even in our area where hunting is above average, there’s a LOT of variables that include neighbors and land set up. The Lux is a great hunting bottom that runs all through here, but if your land is on the north side, your wind will nearly always be wrong. Plus NEIGHBOrS….

Either the big or little pen in the mountain ranges of Pelham

Yep

We hunted the Lower Peach Tree area in the lates 70’s. Some giants there. We had a group of black guys that would make man drives for us. They would shoot coons, pigs, etc. The12,000 acres next to Portland landing was probably the best deer hunting in Alabama in the early seventies. Nothing but row crops and hardwoods. They were very selective about what they shot and I remember 30 bucks being killed on opening day. One weighed 283lbs. My brother and I were young and inexperienced and would take off scrubbing with shotguns. We killed eight bucks one day! Not something I’m proud of now days but fun for a kid.

I just texted Timber’s mom to get his OnX spots. It will cost me I’m sure. But I will take one for the team this time. I will report back with the intel ASAP.

For quality and quantity IMO- Dallas County

That was my first pick as well.

Gods Country...Wilcox County....

😂😂 Better hope u can still type after that….

Anywhere in the black belt with large amounts of land that bucks are allowed to have 6+ birthdays. Outside of that, anywhere else in the state with those same stats. Probably the roughest country you can find where people are too lazy to hunt them (including me).

Yehhhh yall come on up here to north rammer jammer..sell ye land cheap an come on up here..we got it awwwwllllllll

Winston County and Bankhead NF

There were a couple of good bucks headed toward a wad of does in a cut bean field in the middle of Madison this evening that looked like it would be a good place to hunt ... I'm sure it will be an upscale apartment complex before next deer season though.

Theres a mountain south of guntersville i would love to hunt

Like a sore pecker.

No one has mentioned those suburban Bham monsters.

As far as consistently dragging out big bucks now days , I'd say this is the place.

Northwest corner of the state. North Pickens co and north up through Lamar, Fayette, ect. Bullock around Fitzpatrick used to be really good. Dallas co around the river and Cedar creek is really good too

Bankhead area i hear consistently or yearly produces 170 - not sure if it true

I grew up hunting marengo (mertlewood), chocktaw and now wilcox and clarke. Anything 170 is Unbelivably rare in those areas - may hav seen 3 - 5 pics in my lifetime of that in those areas - 150 very not common in those areas

All these people posting south Marshall county, who woulda thunk it?

Oh, wait.....

Dont listen…come on up…we got more deer,turkey,an quail than we know what to do with…you too..can have a slice of the pie…

Wilcox, Sumter, Dallas, Marengo, Clarke, Montgomery, Greene, Choctaw, Lowndes, Conecuh, Macon, Bullock, or Barbour. That’s best deer hunting in state. All new and existing hunters should concentrate on finding property in those areas.

Look for any 10-20 acre property where someone will let you hunt…….take plenty of corn….

Jefferson Co Liberty Park area.....

I'm amazed that some people will seek out very low deer density areas. Areas where you will probably not see a deer on a hunt. Because there "might be" a big one around. It's also amazing to me that people curse their luck when they hunt areas with lots of does.

Give me an area with lots of deer, and low human population around.

Barbour county’s heyday is over. There’s still some mature deer killed all along, but nowhere near the number a few years ago. Most of the 3.5 year old bucks get killed early in the season, the first time they daylight at a feeder. A lot of the better 2.5 year old bucks are killed as well. It’s simple math.

I guess I’ve killed enough it’s all about the challenge. There’s nothing challenging about killing an average buck or seeing deer. It is a challenge killing a real big mature deer, and that’s not always synonymous with low deer densities. But when given the choice I’d hunt lower densities with higher quality over higher densities with low quality. I don’t have to see deer to enjoy a hunt. I just need to know what I’m after is out there. It is good that we don’t all hunt for the same reasons.

Don’t matter to me what they do in Barbour county or any of those other counties. I have no intentions of ever stepping foot in any of those counties. I just want everyone far far away from me.

I didn't read ever thing so I may have mused it .

Inside or near a city limits. I know of a couple place just outside Tallassee city limits that have some big ass bucks .. I've saw them with my own eyes .

I have to agree 100 percent with Matt.

Bingo

Hard to beat where I hunt currently-sometimes you get lucky.
My other Choices :
1-A): South Montgomery Co.( close to home, hogs not prevalent )

1-B) : Hardaway-Ft. Davis Area/Macon Co... 1B because of hogs

All due respect but I seriously doubt most hunters in Al have the privilege of hunting the same quality of land as you do.. For the average joe who hunts a highly pressured club in south Al , killing an average buck to your standards is incredibly difficult. I know guys who have hunted most their lives without killing a mature buck. No offense but Most of the land management guys & wardens i know all hunt creme of the crop properties. The average hunters will never have that caliber property to hunt. Cant kill what ya dont have

As my doe numbers have gone down my buck quality has gone up I can live with that instead of seeing a bunch of deer I'm not gonna shoot but that's just me....

^^
I always heard that was the point - not being over run with deer - deer hav better nutrition/more food - quality better - not over capacity

There aren’t any deer in the suburbs of Jefferson County. It’s all an urban legend!

Troy. My wife worked at Liberty park real estate back when it first opened around 1994. Back then there was the golf course and a little bit of development. We would drive my pathfinder up to the lake on dirt roads. Seems like I remember a certain game warden having permission to hunt out there!!!?!? Man that place was stacked full of huge bucks! I am with you man, I would hunt just across the river from there now where the big hogs live too!

Although I am very blessed and have killed some great AL deer, I have not always had the privilege of hunting areas that are managed well. Actually, I killed very nice deer for years in areas with little to no management, that were heavily hunted. I know guys who have never killed a 120+ buck hunting the same properties I’ve hunted or right next door. Even now I’m likely not hunting the type area you have in your mind. We deal with trespassers, Road hunters, neighbors who kill a lot of 3 year olds, etc. So yes, I’m some ways you are correct, but I don’t hunt something super special now. Our neighbors place a lot of pressure on deer and shoot a lot of deer that we don’t.

Matt, some times it aint where you hunt its how you hunt .

Richard Adkins and I had hand written permits from Gary Neal Drummond to hunt on Liberty Park with rifles or bows. I killed some good deer in there.As it grew up we only bowhunter it, still killed some good deer. I saw at least two bucks in the 170-180 range. One of them right beside the office buildings.

I can tell you exactly which areas of this State have the biggest deer because I've hunted all the allegedly "good" spots and some of them ain't so "good". It's easy to figure this out.


As far as hunting in the city is concerned I know one dude that is probably on this board I don't know his name but I know his face. Never talked to him because I don't care enough to strike up a conversation the secret sauce is obvious. He kills a 160+ inch deer probably every year and he does it in neighborhoods around Birmingham. I can't say he puts in any less effort... likely more effort.... but I bet if you panned the camera to the right in the picture of a so'nuf stud he's holdling... you'd see a house getting framed up or someone's swimming pool. That's a tactic that works is all I am saying.

It's hard to beat places in Hurtsboro or South Montgomery county

I know of a “club” in Wilcox County with just over 5,000 acres on the river and 4 members. It’s going to be pretty hard to get much better than that.

A friend works in that area and he always told me about the huge bucks he has seen in there but I didn't know if it was true or not.

the 170 stayed near the office buildings, saw him several times. The 180+ was on the golf course in front of the club house one late evening. 140's were pretty common.

I try to pay attention to our Buck/Doe ratio although it is completely unscientific and based only on my observations. As we got the doe population under control, the buck/doe ratio appears to have improved.

Yea

When i lived and hunted arky - where i was at - u might only see 1-3 deer - but often one was a buck - their ratio was good and their quality was better than ours

How is it now I wonder?

It’s still Awesome.

I have a few buddies that live across 459 and they both send me security videos and cell phone videos on the regular of some 150” bucks in their yard.

I can't tell you the best but I can tell you Escambia County is not on the BINGO Card at ALL.

I am in a groupchat with some good buds-talk to them everyday and always tell them I am hunting the palmetto swamps of high jackson- because that is where the best deer hunting is. Also I dont turkey hunt and have no idea what a turkey looks like so I cant really weigh in there.

Lauderdale co. The deer are fewer, but we manage 5 to 6 a year on 120 acres.

in muscle shoals TVA reservation unbelievable saw some 150 to 160 but you cant hunt it.retired 2011 wonder what there now.

I live in Mountain Brook near the golf course and have a cell cam set up in the rear of my lot which is very wooded. I have seen two really good deer just in the past month. One nice 8-point and a massive 6 point with one eye gouged out. He looks to be at least 4 years old, maybe 5. widest spread on a 6 point I have seen. Several other small bucks as well. I have no desire to be an urban hunter but it's pretty cool to see a big buck walking 150 feet from our back porch. If they have time to grow and good food options, they'll get big anywhere.

From reading posts on this forum I’m sure I have best deer hunting . 2500acre club less than $3 an acres with plenty deer an no pressure next to my house . Plenty good deer . Have few mounted but now just saw off horns . Also have fresh 800 acres of cutover my boss owns an i have all the free hunting rights to myself only 1/2 mile away . I’ve never driven truck hunting except to pick up deer . Just walk or ride wheeler . Some biggest deer pics I ever seen have come from right here in lauderdale county . Most big deer here die of old age because they live on tva or in subdivision in Florence.. Biggest deer I’ve seen killed was in city limits by bow hunter .

Champ-Remember a few years back when one of the big deer that was frequently seen on the reservation was shot by a local LEO. He was seen shooting the deer and was relieved of his job for shooting the deer. The deer was south of 150" and was aged at 4.5 years old. He stayed across from the sewage treatment plant for Muscle Shoals and loved to pose for traffic in the cornfield. The officer who killed him said he was scared the deer would cause a wreck and someone would be injured if the deer wasn't killed. There are some good ones there now and the turkeys are really starting to thrive there as well.

My 35 acres in Morgan county is the best property in Alabama....
Now, let the bidding begin.

Yup, especially their place in Mississippi


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Yup, he's not doing any videos lately, hopefully he'll kick back off for Turkey hunting.

That’s what I’m talking about 😂

THERE ARE NO DEER IN N BAMA.

2 in the Top 5 would be Dollarhide in Green County and the Fred T. Stimpson lands in Clarke County.

^^
Where i at n clarke aint nowhere remotely close to top

Gastonberg was real solid when i hunted there but not top in state

I talked to a friend of mine in Lauderdale County this week about this very subject. He told me the subdivision he lived in had a feeder in every backyard. Although it is illegal, they are all feeding the deer year round. They are basically yard ornaments that walk from lot to lot. He said it is beyond belief how big some of the deer have become. He also said if anyone killed one of the deer, the killer was likely to be killed by the residents. They even have some of the good ones named.

These so called "suburban" hunters love killing these domesticated "ornaments" SMH

"I know of a “club” in Wilcox County with just over 5,000 acres on the river and 4 members. It’s going to be pretty hard to get much better than that.'

If it's the place I'm thinking of, I hunted it in the mid to late '80s, and it was special. There were closer to 10 members back then (including my FIL), but they were all older gentlemen who didn't put much pressure on it at all. My recollection is that Bham Fred was on there some also.

My first whitetail mount came from Lower Peach Tree. Hunted there several years and had a blast and made great memories.

Marengo County around Dayton back in the late 70s. I was too young back when it was really good. I'd give anything to be able to go back in time and hunt it back then, knowing what I know now.

South Woodley Road outside of Montgomery in the 1980's when I was a kid was a special place. Big deer and lots of them. Dad and his hunting buddy called the place we hunted "The Zoo". Think it is still pretty strong when it comes to quality and quantity. I have spent the majority of my life hunting Montgomery, Macon, Tallapoosa, Bullock, Barbour and Macon counties in a 40 mile radius around Union Springs. No complaints. The place that I have seen produce some true giants in AL is along the Alabama River on a large tract of privately owned (non-high fence) property.

He said they didn’t shoot them. SMH.

If we go back in time abolt - Nanafalia was pretty special in 70s not far from ezells

My buddy killed 2 in 160s and mr ezell himself killed some toads