Me too. Macon County bound @4:30 am to finish up the season.

I totally agree with this question being considered in a serious manner. It might take that element out of the equation of hunting regulations. My view is make the season year round for high fencers - they own the cattle, let them manage the slaughter the way they see fit. Hunt in June if you like. Only hang up is regulating how the deer get into the fence ... in other words, could a given crummy '100 acre high fence operation' kill all/most of their bucks by end of season, say "whoops", and open the gates, corn the surrounding deer inside, and start business up again.

No , I doubt any non-high fence hunter cares if they hunt year round. But Average Joe Hunter would have a big problem with high fence owners influencing and making season dates and other regs that effect them if they knew it.

No doubt about that

As for #1, the landowners should try that qdm on their livestock and see how it works out.

Politics as usual. No one to hold their feet to the fire. No one in the public cares because -- hurray, 10 more days to hunt! No one in the Legislature gives a chit about anything. And the DCNR had to go along with it to get the GameCheck mandated to save Alabama's deer herd.

Folks I'm not going to defend, praise or put down Chuck Sykes because I don't know anything about the reasons why DCNR extended the February season North of the zone line that existed last two seasons. I do know more about what's needed or not from the folks on here that I've either met or talked to on the phone. I believe y'all. That's were you live and hunt so y'all should damn sure know.

But what the OP is saying about the impact it has had on the rural poorest Southern counties is spot on. I travel this entire state everyday, every week all year long and some of these towns that once thrived from agriculture and the textile industries some forty years ago have very little if any tax base. Hunting is all some have.

So if hunting is a huge economic impact in these areas then why wouldn't the land owners in these counties and hunting clubs want to try to grow bigger and better deer to appeal to the customer base through QDM. It's just good business sense.

Everybody on here knows that the counties or clubs that produce big bucks year in and year out will never have a vacancy for new members and can name their price for land lease or membership dues.

I saw this first hand years ago with the woodley road area in Montgomery county. And there is still to this day land in that area that pulls a premium dollar based on it's hunting history plus the quality of bucks that are still being killed. Not as many as it once did though but the history is still there.

The ten days in February for the Southern half of the state in my opinion is the best sound economic and biological decision the DCNR has ever made.

.....for Lower Alabama.

Yep. I had to edit that because it was my entire point. lol

I've heard very few complain about the Feb season in South AL. That was long overdue and they even did a good job in drawing the line for last season that divided north from South. It's extending it to the whole state that makes no sense. It was apparently done for the sole purpose of getting some of the cab to support GC; that's what the complaints are mainly about.

And then I'm complaining that only one county was given a system that was actually proven to work. The rest of us got the buck limit that is just paperwork. The OP was praising the success of Barbour Co; that could have been the whole state.

If you are calculating the economic impact factor in the 12 hours that I'm not going to work the first weekend because my brother is coming and we hope to do some hunting.

PCP, we'll have antler restrictions before too long. Just wait. Some won't be happy with a 3 buck limit, or even fewer, without big monsters everywhere. Will need something else to get those big bucks growing and showing up.

Just wait.

Also, I'm glad hunting (and fishing) helps the economic impact in Barbour County. I really am. It damn sure needs some help and that's not being stated in a mean way. If 10 extra days helps, and the WMA is doing well and the lake is doing well, good for 'em. I've always enjoyed visiting down there and hope to get back this spring or summer for some fishing.

I'll also add that I don't know anything about QDM nor do I want too. I have other things to do and when I do go hunting I want it to be as simple as possible. Not this you can't shoot this or you can't shoot that. Let me choose as a hunter. But I also don't have a problem with those that practice it to the extremes or live by it. But I will if that agenda is shoved off on me and others like me.

I figure we'll go from 3 to 2 like TN did.

The sheboon running the register treats me like schit, but she's the only game in town for a 45 min truck ride to hunt, so I pay her. I know she makes at least $200 a hunting season off me and my party...which is a lot for the demographic she serves.

That was a really good post! Back in 2011,and certainly now, hunting over bait would have not been approved in Barbour County. Most of the positive changes you noted had their origins from the private sector. Another thing to understand is that 65 to 70 percent of the leaseholders and other hunters in West Barbour County come from other parts of Alabama, where the rut has finished. If we are trying to increase the young hunter participation here, it is important for them to have a successful hunt. Lots of young hunters are here now, and the chance of harvesting a trophy buck in West Barbour will be greater over the next 13 days!

I remember some big deer way back from that area and guess the most turkies I've ever seen in a flock. Ray Ward and Jimmy Jerrod killed some mighty big deer the way I remember it.

One of my grandsons told me three weeks ago that he did not want to go deer hunting anymore. When I asked him why, he said: " All we can do is sit for hours and watch the deer. I don't want to watch deer, I want to shoot a deer." I did not say it, but I agree with him. This "trophy buck" fervor that has become the rage is going to lose a lot of young hunters, imo. Just not fun for them to sit all season and never be able to pull the trigger.

Rant over.

Do you think the entire State would agree with AR? If I recall at the CAB last year the discussion regarding adding the days in north Alabama involved giving back the days lost in December and setting back dog hunting season to 1/15. You are correct in saying there may not have been biology behind the decision but I recall discussions about dogs being able to follow a rutting bucks scent and giving back those days in December and returning dog seasons end to 1/15. Additionally, if I lived in north Alabama I would welcome a few extra days to hunt deer. Some counties have a similar rut as south Alabama.