February Hunting Really???

I am sure some areas in state need it however from my observation I have hunted Lowndes WMA last year and it was totally dead no shooting and very few bucks harvested if any. I am now at Barbour WMA yesterday and today and this morning maybe 4 shots and very few seen by me and my father. No evident rutting activity. There may have been 5 bucks harvested yesterday and it's perfect from tree now and no shots whatsoever and there are a lot of hunters here. I believe 1st main rut is over for this area and in Lowndes. My 2 cents

In full rut in certain parts of Barbour. Bucks still chasing around us.

On this 28,199 acre tract they are not

At my place in Macon co in the southern zone they rut in early January. So were post rut but I'm not complaining about the extended season!

We are 6 miles north west of banks and unless it started Monday, the rut just hasn't happened for whatever reason. I be there this weekend to find out. This has pretty much been the case all around us from hearing other hunters talking, so who knows what's going with them. Last year rut came in on the 18 of Jan at our place

Here in Wilcox county the rut started last week with the old deer, then stopped with the hot weather. As soon as the front went through Wednesday morning the big old deer are chasing does and walking by parked 4 wheelers and one walked by my son standing in a gravel road 20 feet from him. He just looked at him and put his head back down and kept trailing.
We are pleased that the State changed the season dates for South Alabama. This is the second time in many years that I have a chance to hunt the rut.

I believe it's dead in southeast Crenshaw county. Sat on a plot yesterday afternoon and saw a decent 8 pt and had 3 does in the plot. He didn't even bother them just fed around off to his self. Had another buck come out at last light and the bucks just hung out together till I couldn't see them anymore.

I am thankful and blessed to be able to hunt and love it. Who knows. I guess that's why it's called hunting.

Im in Macon county have seen 3 bucks and 2 responded to a primos can call but like said above not complaining about the 10 days in Feb

What about the horns falling off?? Don't tell me it can't start in February, I've seen it.

Globe not down here

Bucks are hitting it hard in Montgomery and Bulluck County. Could have something to do with where you are hunting and the amount of pressure that is put on public hunting land. IMHO.

The rut is still on where I am now in S montgomery co this morning. I've seen 4 does that had 3 bucks following them, then 2 does with a buck behind them and then I saw a spike work a scrape

Just because you didn't see it doesn't mean it isn't happening.

say what you want but there are still plenty of does coming into heat. that's like saying there aren't any turkeys because you didn't hear any gobble

U can't tell me that out out 1000 plus hunters on prime land that on suppose to be in rut that for two days hardly any deer seen and maybe 5 bucks killed. Usually the young bucks and does are moving and seen. I understand the smarter ones are harder but do a survey of the masses here and it will not lie. Let your turkey gobble

no reason to get butt hurt. It's a fact in S AL that there are does coming into heat that did not in the first rut. I can guarantee you that all of the does where you're hunting have not been bred. matter of fact I went through fort deposit yesterday and saw a buck chasing. That must not be Lowndes county. I also have two friends that have land in banks right on the barbour county line and they've seen 6 bucks chasing this AM.

I'm hunting lowndes wma right now. There has been lots of shooting already today and me and a buddy have seen 25+ deer. Not 100% on the handing right now but conception data doesn't lie.

heck yea, good luck. sounds like an awesome morning

I guess they don't have our schedule. You are right. I know that all the doe aren't bred on first round. We had 12 doe and 0 bucks 2 weeks ago on a field and 2 days later 8 does and 0 bucks. Bucks are always ready and you have to be in woods when she's ready. There are always outliers.

Depends on where you hunt lowndes wma too some parts it's over some it's lock down some still chasing. Imo

Lowndes has 4 bucks checked in so far this morning. Have heard 18 shots, they are in rut

They are still chasing in Clarke county. Had small bucks chasing does by me this morning, just no shooters.

Y'all missed it this year then. It does not just wait a month to start. It happened at night or while yall were not there but it likely happened around the same time. Put out cameras in July and wait til you get your first fawn picture then count backwards 200-210 days and you will know when the rut started.

I have no desire to hunt in February at all, it's time to fish

You're right

This!

Seriously though, we just had 3.5 months of hunting.... whew, I'm bored with it. I killed my bucks, and as always I didn't need the rut. In fact, I killed mine by the Friday after Thanksgiving. Don't understand this fascination with "the rut". I couldn't care less if I ever saw chasing or grunting. It makes me no less excited when I see a batchelor group feeding to me in October, than if I saw one of those bucks grunting and following a doe in February. Actually, it is WAAAAY more exciting to me when I see 7 racked bucks together on October 15th, at 3:00 in the afternoon, and they don't know I'm in the world! Then you get to run an arra through one of 'em!!!
If you need those 10 more days in February to feel excited about hunting (or to see a buck), maybe huntin' ain't yo thang.

I kid, I kid, I just know how it riles y'all up when I say that! (but those are my true feelings)

Ben2, you're right it could very well all be happening or happened, at night. We just haven't seen the normal signs associated with the rut, running tracks in the roads, fresh scrapes, rubs etc, etc. And all this is compared to last year. It's just been different from the past seasons.

3.68 spot

3.22 spot

Had about 5 or 6 of em this size this past Saturday! Was a tough bite, but the ones we caught were good uns.

to each his own. If you're trying to kill any buck just because it's a buck, it's not real difficult. I'm looking for a wallhanger, and the best time to do that is very early season or during the rut

I've been watching a Facebook group called "the Fever" that is full of S. AL hunters... been some good bucks dropping like flies today. Most of the reports have been of them chasing, so who knows.

I have no desire to hunt till mid January and into February down.....anything before that is really just scouting. In the last two years only one buck has been killed outside of that time frame at my club.....

Amen.

Update from am in Macon county saw 5 does , 4 bucks , nice 3 year old 8 pt following the does , a spike, a half rack and a six point that both responded to a Primos can call I will take the 10 days

I'm not sure where you hunt but I'd bet it isn't public land. I would hunt till the end of February if it was legal. I may not be the best or smartest hunter, but I hunt hard and it's rare to see 3 shooter bucks during the day at any phase on public land.

Actually, it is public land. I almost exclusively hunt Pelham Range military installation. I even killed a decent 8pt on Choccolocco WMA this year.

Again, I ain't got no beef with the extended 10-days in February. I've just always held that opinion about "the rut". I know to each his own, just expressing that I couldn't give 3 craps if deer ever rutted at all.

If they didn't "rut" we wouldn't have no baybeee deers.

I killed me 3rd buck Dec 4th on public land. Granted the first one was just a small 6

Gets me fired the hell up!

Come on and spend an entire hunting season ONLY in south Alabama and you will tuck your tail and run. These bucks will beat your ass down with their stubborn crap.

That's great for you. But don't tell me I need a new hobby because I like to hunt in February. I could have killed my 3 bucks long ago, if that was the goal. But that isn't it. I try n shoot big deer. I did shoot a 2.5 6 that I thought was a 3.5 8 but I enjoyed the hunt. For me I like being in the woods and seeing deer almost as much as killing one.

That's great for you. I'd rather not shoot a 6 in December so that I can shoot a 10 late January early February.

Let him walk

I spent the afternoon on the lake. The fish weren't in rut either as near as I could tell. Had one smack it and I somehow missed him.

Theres a lot of State South of Barbour, and until the rut is over they won't drop their ANTLERS(NOT HORNS !!!!) Maybe you missed your rut, let the guys South enjoy theirs. Good Luck Guys.

Globe I've seen antlers during turkey season as well as fresh scrapes !
AS for me I'd gladly give up Oct for Feb and not sweating !

I am not too proud to ask for a spot or two where they are down there chasing if you want to pm them me.
May go tomorrow if can make myself make the drive.

If it's hot in October, November, and Dcember like this year in 2015 I would rather not hunt anything. Meat spoils easy, bugs swarm on you, blow flies and yellow jackets get all over meat when it is warm. Now we finally have cool weather and season is closed up here. Regardless of rut just wish season was still open for February in Central Zone on Public land. For us working weekend hunters!

It's great were I am at. Loving the Feb hunt this year. First time since it was created that I have had the time to hunt it.

The rut is just getting good here. I've seen more bucks killed this past couple weeks than all season.

About 4-5 years ago I had a doe and button buck fawn that were coming in to one of my food plots like clockwork everyday I hunted there. They would show up a good 1.5 hrs before dark stay in the field for and hr or so then leave before the other deer would show up. It had been a pretty slow year as far as bucks sightings go. Never saw any real sign in terms of deer movement that the rut was kicking in. Well on the very last day of the season (Jan 31) the doe and her button buck fawn show up in the field. I'm a little surprised she still keeping him around. As I'm watching them all of a sudden the doe just stands on her back legs and starts throttling her fawn with her front hooves. She then proceeds to butt him and chase him off. My take on this was the momma doe was finally coming into heat here on the very last day of the season. Down here it's not unusual at all to see spotted fawns well into November.

I can't speak for other parts of the state but here in Baldwin co I'm very happy having the 10-days in February. Like many I love to bow hunt early season but I will gladly give up those 10-days to have em back in February.

You must be that joker that thought he was slick this morning asking me where I was hunting but not to find out where but to make sure he was t gonna "mess me up" 😄 I laughed in that azzholes face!

You do realize you can stay home... Hunting is not mandatory....

I had one respond to a grunt this afternoon in Crenshaw while cruising. Now he's in my backyard upside down. After that, saw a broken rack buck chase a doe. Found a wet scrape this morning too. Some are still rutting.

Best weather of the season this weekend, beautiful mornings yesterday and today. Killed nice 8pt yesterday morning in Wilcox chasing doe. Heard him grunting before I saw him.

Two more eights down this morning at the club. Both were chasing My club loves the February hunting

We seen several young bucks chasing at 10:30 this morning..

I am settled in and my daughter is in the next patch over....hope she gets one

A buddy killed a 10 pt cruising tthis morning in Lowndes county, rut is still on!

I saw two bucks chasing a doe yesterday in North Covington County near Dozier.

Well then y'all go fishing and we will still hunt or do both.

Friday morning Saturday morning and Saturday pm. Saw 23 deer total consist of 2 spikes , 6 racked bucks, 15 does I will take extended season any time