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Alabama Details Extended February Deer Season Map
February 10, 2013
A new region is proposed in southwest Alabama where deer season would be extended into February.
A map was released Saturday in Montgomery by Conservation Commissioner N. Gunter Guy Jr. detailing the area in which deer season would be extended from January 31 to February 10. The season would include a 10 day gun season closure in December, but would allow hunting during a late-season rut when deer are more active.
The proposed region includes 11 counties, including Escambia, Baldwin, Mobile and Monroe.
The extended season would apply only to hunters using guns; the bow hunting season would remain October 15 until February 10.
The plan must now be approved by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. February 2013 is not included in the plan; deer season ended January 31, 2013, in Southwest Alabama.
Comments
38 Responses to “Alabama Details Extended February Deer Season Map”
I think this ten day no hunting rule in December is stupid. Why don’t they let bow season come in ten days later for everybody and then run the season like it always has been. Instead of all this split season. It will be fair to everybody.
If it’s going to be done for some of the state you should do it for the entire state.
They need to extend the season for Loundes county as well. Last couple weeks of Jan we were just starting to see pre rut behavior, scrapes etc… Zero doe chasing. They have enough proof that the majority of does are being bred n Feb. Lets please just go ahead and make the changes for the 2014-2015 season.. I propose opening bow season in Nov.. Gun season near the end of Dec and hunt until end of Feb.. That solves alot of issues in itself right there.
what is the difference between north and south al. as for the late season?
Wish they would extend the season in shelby country cause we still see bucks chasing does in Feb also. They just extend for the whole state that way everybody would be happy.
I hunt in Geneva county on the pea river and our season should definitely be extended also! They start chasing around January 20th but the big boys don’t get going until around Feb 1st. Then season is over and you sit there thinking, wow, I wish I had just another week or 10 days and I could easily kill the monster I’ve been hunting all year! All of south Alabama should have this extended 10 day season. Heck, if they really wanted to do it right, let season come in around Christmas and go until February 28th!! That would be ideal for the rut and the colder weather. Because we all know December is a hot month and they are not in rut, so all you do is basically scout while your hunting.
I live less than one mile from the line in northwest covington county. Last season they were in rut Jan 25, The year before Jan 28, but the heat was so unbearable it was useless to even try. It was 70 degrees and you would be soaking wet by the time you reached full height in a climber. It wasnt until Feb 4 or 5 before these deer actually peaked in activity. Regarding the season extension will there be any kind of buffer zone of lenience for the border. I would hate to pay the fine but It would be worth it to kill one of these trophy bucks that hide until feb 1st.
This comment goes out to Russell who posted about dog hunters. I used to dog hunt when we had enough land to hunt on where our dogs didn’t get on other folks property. It is a shame that some dog hunters don’t take care of their animals but please stop the bashing. Dog hunters hunt far less on other folks property than their dogs do which doesn’t hurt the deer although it is still in debate whether a dog messes up a deer for a still hunter. Here in Florida I have dogs come across my 400 acres and 1 hour later I have killed a great buck, so let the argument ensue. But to my point more still hunters hunt poach and trespass than any dog hunter I have ever known in fact check your ticket base written by your gamewardens and my point will be proven. I feel for you if you have folks running dogs on your property and that is wrong. But quit the open bashing of all dog hunters getting an extended season, cause that is nothing to you. Lack of land have all but shut down dog hunting and it will continue as land decreases but this argument that dog hunters shouldn’t get the same season is crap, focus on your feed and bait buddies and continue to blame dog hunters for messing up deer hunting. Brilliant argument. Dog hunters kill more does and balance the population than any trophy hunter. There is room for both so long as laws rules and regs are followed.
Lets be truthful. In 15yrs of hands on reasearch most of all alabama rut peaks 19TH-22ND same as north florida. When you have a relaxed deer herd you watch it happen. When you see 5-6 bucks a day breeding doe’s it is the Rut. Last week of Jan-Feb19TH you see alot of bucks walking but not mounting.
Go to a place that has a large tract and people not running wild and only ocassionaly shooting anything and you will also see. I think between a few record high temp Jan. and pressure . You may not think it happens because your deer are hidden . 200lb bucks just don’t run about when it is 70deg or more.It is like you scrubbing a clearcut with insulated coveralls on at 70deg. We average 16-19 bucks MLK weekend and 8-10 the rest of the season.We shoot no doe or 2.5- 3yr old bucks
I know for a fact Greenville Al, misses the majority of the rut. Tuscaloosa rut starts late December. Huge difference. It has always been late in Greenville but this year seemed worse. May not be enough big money people to encourage the powers at be to check fetuses and make an accurate decision in that area.
What’s up with this. We in the south have been waiting for this for years and I don’t understand how they came up with the zone cut off.
It should be the same as the dove season zone or right below montgomery to the florida line. Why does the west side of Alabama get included and the east side doesn’t. Do the hunters on the east side not purchest a hunting licence to.
We have nice bucks on our property and we hardy get to see them unless a camera takes a picture of them or its the first week of bow season other wise they might as well be ghost. I would ask that look more into their descision and think adout all the hunters in the south to mid south rigion.
My brother passed away last hunting season and we always talked about this situation and I hope to see this pass in my life time
the whole state should b extended for hunting in feb, i am as far south as u can go i have spent as much time in the woods as any hunter, the mohths of november and december are awaste of time the weather patterns have changed as u known this affects deer movement we have colder weather in feb.
the only deer t hat ive seen chaseing does on our club was in febuary , l spent about 120 hours in the woods this season saw mostly 2.5 year olds and very few of them . Febuary is the time to hunt mature bucks ! WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE GOOSE SHOULD BE GOOD FOR THE GANNDER, IF U KNOWN WHAT I MEAN. PEACE OUT!
I have hunted in Choctaw county for many years and the last five years the rut has moved further into February the last of January this year we saw only a few bucks and they were not chasing doe’s.
The deer that we did kill which was about 12 less that we usually kill were not in rut. we let spikes and small good racks walk, cull the messed up ones.
This was not only with our club but with all on Scott mountain.
Why did they stop and not cover all of Choctaw county?
I think they should extend dog days also. the funny thing is my club killed 43 deer 10 of which were does. the stalk club next to us killed 20 15 of them does. Our dog got off of our club one time and was picked up within 2 hours. The club next to us has 5500 acres we have 1000 you do the math. we also killed 15 bucks not dog hunting and after dog season went out.
I can tell you why the north half of Clarke County was left out of the proposed extended season. Most of the land is owned by one family (Scotch Lumber). They have unlimited hunting resources and pick and choose what they kill now anyway. I have nothing against this but we unfortunate hunters who have to hunt much smaller tracts rely on the rut for an opportunity to kill a trophy buck. If you have any doubt just look at plot maps for Clarke and Monroe counties and you will see. Why did the line go much further north just across the Alabama River in north Monroe County than north Clarke County. Come on Commissioner lets be real and fair. Don’t let the big landowners control your actions. Stand up for the little man for once.
I hunt 5 miles north of thomasville, the past 5 seasons I have not seen a buck chase a doe yet. I know its not because Im not looking good I have 10 trophey bucks on my wall, but not a one has been killed in 5 years. HW 10 should be the cut off, in case your woundering 4 of my tropheys were taken north of HW 10 where there is a rut in january,,
i hunt 3/4 of a mile north of 84 thanks in clarke co.
What about Marengo county and wilcox county they have not done there homework. the bucks are in rut now before they approved it they mite won”t to take another look at it .they need to braing bow season in on November 1 not October 15. i hope they don:t approved it.I want anything more than a fair chance to hunt deer during the magical time of the year . The rut……During bow season in these county the doe have alot of off spring Think about it..
I don’t think the dog hunters need to have an extended season. They continue to run their dogs in our area ( north monroe) thru the end of January. Their dogs hanging out at our camp and on our property with no food or water. We have contacted the game warden several times, does not seem to help.
originally this was supposed to be for south west alabama. would someone enlighten me as to where south west alabama is. i guess since north of 84 in Clarke county is going to be geographically central alabama. has the homework REALLY been done on where the early and late rut is? why not ask the hunters when the rut happens in there area?
this despretly needs to come futher north into coosa county
If the line is going to be Hwy 84 that’s fine but don’t extend it to Hwy 10 on the east side of the Ala River for some hunters.Now I hunt in Scyrene Ala and it’s on the west side of the Ala River and North of Hwy 84 about 7 miles.I will not be in the new extend season.If Clarke County is going to be in it put the whole county in it.Why can’t the line be Hwy 10?.
As a hunting club president for fifteen years in east central Choctaw County I have become use to seeing seasons end with the bucks just starting to chase or sometimes not having even begun to chase. So I was utterly dismayed to see the commisioner’s proposed boundary excluding the majority of Choctaw County. I was concerned that this would happen and had been proactive over the last year contacting state biologist, Chris Cook and our local game wardens voicing our clubs support for our areas inclusion. Apparently the decision to exclude our area was made without proper study or input from local game wardens. Mr. Cook told me as of this past summer, no doe fetal surveys had been performed in central or lower choctaw county and local game wardens have told me they had not been consulted as of last week. Not surprisingly, our game warden also told me he’s seeing chasing all over the county now. I have appealed to the commisioner for reconsideration of the boundary and thought it would not be complete unless I appealed to you also to help ensure fairness in this determination. As lifelong users of this states resource we certainly don’t want anything more than a fair chance to hunt deer during that magical time of the year…THE RUT.
I hope someone with the state will contact the U. S. Government to include the National Forret in the extended Season. My other question is why not the Eastern part of Alabama. Did they request not to be included because they are in the same Temperate Zone as is the western part of the state and woul also miss out on the rut. Why not split the state for the extended season for deer season using the same boundary as for Dove season , highway 84 north and south. I am sure you proably have your reason but it would be nice to know.
Harvey
The dog hunters do not need an extra minute. I hunt in a stalk club near the Huxford area and it seems they spend more time hunting our lease than theirs. With the all around budget cuts there is not enough law enforcement to manage all of the areas that the officers have to cover. If time is taken away they will do it anyway. The time really should be pushed ahead, so that bow season starts two weeks later and general gun ends two weeks later.
let the fun begin
Why don’t they do like Florida and break up the seasons and charge a permint fee for each type of season . that way the state may make some money and can afford to put more game warddens out . I know Florida charges for an archery stamp , muzzle loader stamp , crossbow stamp, hunting stamp , and a deer permint . this is on top of a hunting license? just a thought . Florida also lets you bait deer so let the state make a permint up for that and let us start to use feeders. I know Florida dose not charge for feeders but i would be willing to pay if we need to.
Norton, what are you doing hunting for dogs?
What bout dog season
I think its a good thing because if you think about 9 times out 10 you see more deer when season goes out i’ve seen 5 rack bucks in the last week
U ever thought the hunters may have been rabbit are quail hunting they use dogs too
This is not good news. You only need to live in this area to understand. This morning from Hwy 21 to county Rd1, I observed 7 pick ups with hunters in full camouflage,all but two were carrying hunting rifles on their shoulder..A little further south seven dogs wandering aimlessly that had been left in the woods to fiend for themselves,obviously the hunters didn’t need them any more. I understand this is not the picture for all hunters but with no more officers than the State of Alabama has on the payroll it seems to me they should close the season 30 days earlier. In all reality if you live in Alabama you can hunt the year round without fear from being caught by an officer of the department.
I attended the meeting yesterday in the Montgomery to hear first hand this proposal and provide public feedback to the Commission. Maybe I can shed some light on a few questions.
First, the commission and State Game Biologists spent the last three years researching the breeding times and patterns of does in these southwestern Alabama counties. They determined that they were breeding later than in the rest of the state at this time and set forth the boundaries, not by county lines; but physical borders such as major roads and rivers which would make it easier to distinguish were the borders were for the hunters as well as the enforcement officers.
Second, the question for the effect on dog hunters was asked several times by members of the public, yet no answer was ever given. In fact, the Commissioner and the board looked stunned and at a loss for words. I assume they hadn’t considered it prior to the meeting. The only response that was ever given after the Commissioner and Commission Chairman spoke to one another huddled in the corner was “That information will be released at a later time after discussion by the board.”
Several members of the public including myself asked not for a 10 day closure, but to shift the entire season to allow fawns and yearlings the opportunity to mature through October, before Archery season opened and they could be left orphaned and unable to survive without does that would possibly be taken. Unfortunately the commissioner appeared his mind was made up and that he would push for a vote at the next meeting without any further public input.
If anyone has any other questions, I will check back often and attempt to answer any that may have been addressed at the meeting. I encourage anyone with issues or concerns, to contact the board members of Area 1and Area 2, which covers the proposed areas at the addresses and phone numbers below: (oddly, Dr Shipp was absent from the meeting yesterday…)
Area 1 : ( Washington, Clarke, Monroe, Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia counties)
Dr Bob Shipp
University of South Alabama Marine Sciences
LSCB
Mobile, al 36688
Phone (251) 968-8146
Area 2: (Covington, Conecuh, Geneva, Butler, Crenshaw, Coffee, Pike, Dale, Houston, Henry, Barbour, Bullock, Elmore, Autauga, parts of Montgomery counties)
Mr. Grady Hartzog
P.O. Box 787
Eufaula, Al 36072
Phone (334) 687-8075
Now, guess where all those hunters from the areas where the season ends early will go to.
More hunters in area.
Higher lease prices per acre.
Higher club fees.
If its to help drop the deer population there’s more deer north of the proposed line than south of it. Why not extend their season also.
Does that mean they will extend dog season to r will it go out as it normally does
Most likely for reasons of deer over-population.
IT DONT MATTER THEY HUNT YEAR ROUND AS IT IS NOW
Does anybody know how they came about in picking this particular area .??
just wondering ?