We hear a lot about killing more does, and even more about there being very few deer in parts of the state. So, what is the ideal deer density for an average Alabama property. I know, I know....."it depends". Let's rule out large agricultural areas and just say mixed woods with a pine plantation here and there.

My desired deer density would be one where i regularly see deer while still having a handful of chances at a mature buck each year. Im pretty happy with where my place is at. I have averaged seeing 6-8 deer per hunt each season for the past three years. Every now and then i get skunked but sometimes I’ll see 20 or 30 deer in a single sit. Our doe:buck ratio is roughly 2:1 and I see a handful of mature bucks each year and usually kill one or two.

Where ever it was in the 80's and early 90's would suit me just fine

A few more then I have now. We see 2-3 deer on average a day with some sits better some worse. I'd like to be able to see 5-10 deer a day with the regular small rack buck in the mix and some decent ones around. If I had 3-500 acres where I'm at now I think I could do it. Too many neighbors though unfortunately.

what ever the land can carry

I wish we could go back to the 2 week doe season instead of this year round doe slaughter now...I remember growing up seeing 36 deer in one field and we killed not only about the same number of big bucks but also the same size of bucks as they are today...now we see 2/3 deer if that on the same field after the change of doe season..I'm not against killing an old barren doe at all but not any more than 1/2 a year...my two cents...With that said, I want the deer density to be maxed out for the carrying capacity of a property and not be this "1 doe to 1 buck" with half the deer killed off to obtain anywhere close to that bull crap that spread from Texas and other states...

It depends....:)

I got several hundred acres to hunt by myself and havnt shot a doe in 4 years that was with a bow and I'll see a deer 1 outta 4 sits. I'd like to c one everytime I ive seen more bucks than does this year but it's not every time I go. As long as i know theys a good un to hunt ill be after it tho

Haha darn right. I use to cruise Stockton and all the little towns north (Blacksher, Uriah, Eliska etc) in the 90s, and we would literally see herds of deer, any see many a fine buck deers also...

Take away the doe slaughter. Get the numbers back up so kids can enjoy the days of old. During the 80's a lot of kids were afield deer hunting because they saw deer, and lots of them. Take a kid hunting a time or two without them seeing a deer, and the kid quits hunting. It is ridiculous what our extended seasons have become. Reminds me of Hitler trying to eradicate the Jewish population.

I saw a post on TNdeer where a hunter had killed his 19th and 20th deer-Both were does. There is no way that individual can use that many deer. I think it boils down to ego like "Mines Bigger". I'll be glad when his deer population goes to zero so he can see what is happening because of his actions.

I've been on record forever as saying, "in Alabama, free-range deer, the concept of 'over crowding' is not real" (yes, yes, before you give me your examples of browse lines and blah, blah, blah). Back in the late 80's and 90's every place I hunted had AT LEAST 5X more deer than it does now, heck maybe 10X. And absolutely NOTHING is different now than it was then, except you don't see many deer now. Body weights were the same, does birthed twins and even triplets (crap, it seemed most of them had twins), the bucks were the same size (I'd argue they were bigger then, because you saw enough bucks back then that you didn't feel pressured to shoot the first "average" one you saw just because you haven't seen one all season). As thick as most of Alabama is...our places were all cutover, with more privet and browse than deer could ever eat, and still lots and lots of acorns too, plus our food plots, it's virtually impossible for Alabama to be "over crowded".

I don't know what density I want, I just want as many deer as you could imagine. I want it to be like kicking the top off an ant bed.

More than it is now. I am lucky to be able to see a deer one in four sits.

About the time we started getting a decent population up was in the early 2000's and that's when they changed the doe regulations from the two week season to season long.

I feel like we need to be on a deer tag limit in the area. Two does at most and a buck. I feel like it would help.

Our deer numbers continue to increase. We have more now than ever. We don’t shoot does. Only mature bucks. Not sure what our density is but it’s high. Hunt every day and always see deer

For the vast majority of the state, I would agree. Are there 2 acre food plots in this state with 80 deer on them? Yes, but that puts you in the 1% club. Really not worth generalizing.

It seems to me the places with the most, and best big bucks also have a crap ton, and I mean a crap ton of deer. It's a numbers game.

North Alabama, North of the Tennessee River, has the biggest (best) bucks and they also have the lowest deer density. It ain't a numbers game, it's a habitat game, genetic game, trigger control game.

What I mean is, high deer numbers don't impair your ability to grow big deer. Within reason.

Blue tongue hit em hard around there. The population is just now starting to come back to decent numbers, but it still ain't like it used to be. We now have a bear that shows up on a regular basis too.

We don’t have 80 on a 2 acre plot, but this year we’ve seen up to 24 in a 2 acre plot. Honestly I believe we have 80-100 deer per square mile. We have very typical bama land. 900acres total. 600acres pine plantation, 200acres hardoowds, 25 acres food plots..... we see deer every afternoon generally between 5-15. Mornings are usually very slow and if you see a deer it’s a good hunt. According to carrying capacity we are prob over populated, and we don’t see a bunch of 130”+ bucks. I wouldn’t want any less of a population though I like seeing deer. I’d rather keep it where it is and improve my habitat to grow bigger deer.

More than it is now.

Keep the deer coming, ill plant enough food for em to eat. It would be alright with me if they crawled up in the shooting house with me and laid down by the heater