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Number of Alabama deer hunters???

Posted By: CNC

Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/11/18 08:33 PM

I’ll give the survey a little time so we can get as many responses as possible…….but in the mean time we need to decide on the number were gonna use for “total deer hunters”. I’m gonna depend on y’all to get me an answer on this one. If you think you know what it is then throw it out there along with the source of where you got the info and we’ll compare answers to come up with a final number. This IS NOT total license sales…..we’re wanting total deer hunters.
Posted By: poorcountrypreacher

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/11/18 08:50 PM

I talked about this in my response in your thread, but the answer is that you will have to make up something. Nobody knows how many unlicensed hunters we have in AL. The state uses a Federal survey from 2011 that probably was just a guess when they made it.

That's the reason the hunter survey didn't even attempt to count these hunters. It was always limited to the harvest by licensed hunters and likely did a reasonable job of measuring that. Your survey would have been a lot easier if you had asked only licensed hunters to respond. But since you didn't structure it that way, you might as well use their figure of 535,110. I have no idea of their methodology and I think the number is overstated, but it's just my opinion. And that figure is all hunters, which makes it even less useful.
Posted By: FurFlyin

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/11/18 08:55 PM

I can say this with certainty. It will be two less next year than it was this year. My son and myself.
Posted By: CNC

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/11/18 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by poorcountrypreacher
I talked about this in my response in your thread, but the answer is that you will have to make up something. Nobody knows how many unlicensed hunters we have in AL. The state uses a Federal survey from 2011 that probably was just a guess when they made it.

That's the reason the hunter survey didn't even attempt to count these hunters. It was always limited to the harvest by licensed hunters and likely did a reasonable job of measuring that. Your survey would have been a lot easier if you had asked only licensed hunters to respond. But since you didn't structure it that way, you might as well use their figure of 535,110. I have no idea of their methodology and I think the number is overstated, but it's just my opinion. And that figure is all hunters, which makes it even less useful.


Is that 500,000 number the total number of “hunters” or the total number of “deer hunters”???
Posted By: poorcountrypreacher

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/11/18 09:04 PM



That's number of hunters. I think it was gathered by the Census bureau, so take it with a grain of salt.

The dcnr did an unscientific email survey and determined that 98% of AL hunters hunted deer, so you could multiply the 535k by .98 and it would be more accurate than GC at reflecting the actual kill.
Posted By: 3FFarms

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/11/18 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by FurFlyin
I can say this with certainty. It will be two less next year than it was this year. My son and myself.



We're not far from increasing your 2 to 5.
Posted By: ronfromramer

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/11/18 09:45 PM

Y'all just need to find a better place to hunt. They are out there. I can't imagine giving up my favorite activity and something I've been doing for over 60 years. I'd die from boredom in short order
Posted By: James

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/11/18 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by 3FFarms
Originally Posted by FurFlyin
I can say this with certainty. It will be two less next year than it was this year. My son and myself.



We're not far from increasing your 2 to 5.


Yep. Me and the boys should've been chasing the Specks, hell with a deer lol....
Posted By: Forrestgump1

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/11/18 11:29 PM

I don't care what license sales say. I think there's at least jut as many if not more deer hunters today than in years past. If there weren't why is it so hard to find somewhere to hunt, and why is it so expensive. Sounds like supply and demand to me.
Posted By: therealhojo

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/11/18 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by James
Originally Posted by 3FFarms
Originally Posted by FurFlyin
I can say this with certainty. It will be two less next year than it was this year. My son and myself.



We're not far from increasing your 2 to 5.


Yep. Me and the boys should've been chasing the Specks, hell with a deer lol....




https://youtu.be/zhGDiJJeCNA
Posted By: Turkey_neck

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/12/18 04:40 AM

Originally Posted by Forrestgump1
I don't care what license sales say. I think there's at least jut as many if not more deer hunters today than in years past. If there weren't why is it so hard to find somewhere to hunt, and why is it so expensive. Sounds like supply and demand to me.

There are less hunters but the reason it’s so hard to find a lease is there is a lot more land with a lot less hunters on it. I know a lease in lowndes cnty that is 4,500 acres that two people lease and their 2 sons also hunt it. 1600 acres in pickens that 2 people lease with their 2 sons and 5,000 acres across the street that jim burke owns and only lets a few people hunt. I can go on and on but 15 years ago places like those would have had 10-25 maybe more people Hunting them. It’s really not that hard to understand.
Posted By: Forrestgump1

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/12/18 06:21 AM

The state has easily doubled the amount of money it makes a year based off of hunting and the hunting industry since the 80s and 90s and your telling me that its because of less people contributing more money? I doubt that.
Posted By: James

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/12/18 07:10 AM

Originally Posted by Forrestgump1
The state has easily doubled the amount of money it makes a year based off of hunting and the hunting industry since the 80s and 90s and your telling me that its because of less people contributing more money? I doubt that.


How can you compare now to the 80s and 90s? Merchandise prices have more than doubled, and there's waayyyy more hunting related chit and gimmicks on the market now than there ever was. Hell i only owned one pair (only camo i had besides a pair of jeans) of camo coveralls in the mid 90s, now i own dozens of camo related clothes and purchase (I spend a butt load more than i ever did also) more every year. The Deer Hunting industry is a total different animal now than it was in the 80s and 90s...
Posted By: Forrestgump1

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/12/18 07:30 AM

Originally Posted by James
Originally Posted by Forrestgump1
The state has easily doubled the amount of money it makes a year based off of hunting and the hunting industry since the 80s and 90s and your telling me that its because of less people contributing more money? I doubt that.


How can you compare now to the 80s and 90s? Merchandise prices have more than doubled, and there's waayyyy more hunting related chit and gimmicks on the market now than there ever was. Hell i only owned one pair (only camo i had besides a pair of jeans) of camo cover alls in the mid 90s, now i own dozens of camo related clothes and purchase more every yeasr. The Deer Hunting industry is a total different animal now than it was in the 80s and 90s. Ole Bill & Toxey aren't the only guys selling camo and making videos these days you know[Linked Image]
Well apparently there were piles of more people hunting back then than today. I just dont see it.
Posted By: James

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/12/18 07:35 AM

I dunno man. I talked to some guys the other day whom i Haven't seen in a while, and these guys were big deer hunters, and they're still hunting, but they chase ducks now instead.
Posted By: deadeye48

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/12/18 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by James
I dunno man. I talked to some guys the other day whom i Haven't seen in a while, and these guys were big deer hunters, and they're still hunting, but they chase ducks now instead.


I've talked to a lot of guys who completely quit deer hunting to chase ducks and some said the expense was higher for deer and you get to shoot more at ducks
Posted By: scrubbuck

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/12/18 12:38 PM

Overall there is a lot less land to hunt than in the past due to development. This has condensed hunters into smaller geographical areas.
Posted By: Squeaky

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/12/18 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by Forrestgump1
I don't care what license sales say. I think there's at least jut as many if not more deer hunters today than in years past. If there weren't why is it so hard to find somewhere to hunt, and why is it so expensive. Sounds like supply and demand to me.


In my opinion this assessment of our current situation is spot on. There is no shortage of deer hunters in this state that I guarantee. If there was there would be more land available to lease and better options for clubs. The land and especially quality land is not out there. Someone has it leased and has for years!
Posted By: bigt

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/13/18 12:04 AM

Originally Posted by ronfromramer
Y'all just need to find a better place to hunt. They are out there. I can't imagine giving up my favorite activity and something I've been doing for over 60 years. I'd die from boredom in short order

Some people just can’t afford to drive hours to find a better place to hunt. Thankfully this State does offer plenty of other activities that people can pursue in the outdoors that you can still have a gratifying experience. For I am blessed to be able to afford driving 8 hours to enjoy hunting deer again. Now I will never quit hunting in Alabama totally, but the days of me buying a hunting license to do it is definitely numbered.
Posted By: bigt

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/13/18 12:07 AM

Originally Posted by deadeye48
Originally Posted by James
I dunno man. I talked to some guys the other day whom i Haven't seen in a while, and these guys were big deer hunters, and they're still hunting, but they chase ducks now instead.


I've talked to a lot of guys who completely quit deer hunting to chase ducks and some said the expense was higher for deer and you get to shoot more at ducks

Yeah duck hunting and fishing year round has really taken a lot of people out of deer hunting down here on the coast since the deer population has went into the dirt.
Posted By: turkey247

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/13/18 12:30 AM

Follow the $$$.

In this case, it’s all about folks with enough extra to spend big $$. Turkey Neck’s assessment is correct, with some other variables thrown in the mix.

Look at the cost of - access to property, weapons, clothes, boots, gear, anything hunting related. The cost is skyrocketing and that’s an understatement. However, a hunter like myself has the same small amount of extra to spend on hunting that I had 10 and 20 and 30 years ago. And for various reasons the experience has declined. Bad recipe, but nothing really new. It’s been a big money game for a while.
Posted By: Hogwild

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/13/18 03:50 PM

I think that there are more people hunting. BUT, they are hunting less individually than in the past.

I also think that for a myriad of reasons, a much higher percentage of them are declining to buy license.
Posted By: Remington270

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/13/18 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by bigt
Originally Posted by ronfromramer
Y'all just need to find a better place to hunt. They are out there. I can't imagine giving up my favorite activity and something I've been doing for over 60 years. I'd die from boredom in short order

Some people just can’t afford to drive hours to find a better place to hunt. Thankfully this State does offer plenty of other activities that people can pursue in the outdoors that you can still have a gratifying experience. For I am blessed to be able to afford driving 8 hours to enjoy hunting deer again. Now I will never quit hunting in Alabama totally, but the days of me buying a hunting license to do it is definitely numbered.


You guys near the coast really do have a raw deal when it comes to deer hunting. You have to drive a long ways to get into good areas.
Posted By: BhamFred

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/13/18 04:59 PM

yeah, but the sumbitches have ALL the fish..... shocked grin grin
Posted By: bigt

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/13/18 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by BhamFred
yeah, but the sumbitches have ALL the fish..... shocked grin grin

That we do ! Fresh and Saltwater....hence why my daughter has basically given up deer hunting but she has 3 boats lol.
Posted By: CNC

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/13/18 06:08 PM

There’s been a big swing in the habitat type/usage from “the good old days”……There’s way more urban sprawl these days……habitat fragmentation…… along with lots of cattle being raised. Back in the good ol’ days most of Alabama was rural, less fragmented and people in the blackbelt were growing crops. Things are set up differently now. Deer can inhabit those subdivisions and urban outskirts but there’s a higher density of hunters when you divide the remaining habitat up into 100 acre parcels....500 acre parcels....etc……The black belt can still produce some dandies but when the vast majority of the acreage is worn out cattle pasture….then the amount of total deer to go around is much fewer. Add coyotes into the situation and here we are……..
Posted By: jacannon

Re: Number of Alabama deer hunters??? - 02/13/18 11:02 PM

I joined a club in Conecuh county in 1990. 3000 acres, 20 members, dues $400.00 per year and the hunting was great, fast forward to 2017, 1800 acres,12 members $1900.00 dues. The hunting is nothing compared to what it like before pine plantations. Add the price of an out of state Lic. and $100 or so dollars a week for fuel and food. I can understand why some folks hang it up. I feel fortunate to have been able to hunt this land when the wildlife was plentiful and we still had hardwoods.
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