Question for all Fish and Game professionals

I'm asking for the opinions of wildlife, land management and DCNR type professionals - retirees too - not necessarily those of professional opinion givers - I assume you all will give yours anyhow .

For the pros:
As far as it impacts hunting in the state of Alabama, If you could eliminate one current trend or regulation or state initiated management practice, what would it be? What would you change?

As far as it impacts hunting in the state of Alabama, If you could implement a new trend or regulation or management practice, what would it be? What would you like to make happen?

I really want to know what the Pros think about the current state of hunting in AL.

This should be interesting I’m saying 5 page minimum

I doubt it. They’ve realized that everyone else’s thoughts and opinions are way more “right” than theirs, and I bet they don’t bite the hook that’s been thrown out. (Not that the OP is intentionally baiting them)

I doubt you'll see anyone but retirees answer. Would put a current employee in a precarious spot...

May not get any feedback to this one...

haha, chickens...

I'd tell Montgomery to get their heads out of their ass and make positive changes to the laws pertaining to hunting hogs. Make hog hunting easier, less restrictions, etc. Don't tell me we have way too many destructive hogs and then restrict the hell out of hog hunting.

Next......

Require everyone that shoots a buck to have it shoulder mounted...

.....And it would be a terrific plan. Very smart. Much better than all of the other plans. Hunters will be tired of seeing such fantastic bucks on a regular basis. Believe me...!

Obviously this suggestion is made in jest. But seriously, that would be pretty effective in getting them to grow. IMO trigger control is the most economical and effective management strategy. What is not realistic is thinking you can persuade hunters to do it, though.

I have to be honest here. It didn't occur at all to me that people currently employed would have a reason to keep their opinions to themselves. At some level I keep thinking this internet thingy is anonymous.
I would appreciate any truthful comments because I have an inquiring mind.... but I get it if there's reason to keep quiet. My dad always gave me the same advice: "Never pass up an opportunity to keep your mouth shut."

How's about easing up on all predator regs? If they are so concerned about deer and turkey numbers , lets do something about a real problem and not take the easy way out and just lower the bag limit.

Shorter deer and turkey seasons.

They have continued to expand/lenghten to the point that there is no Urgency to go by many and it trumps all the small game hunters out of the woods.
Not to mention, so much pressure on the game that it takes away from the quality of the hunting.

But, I am far from a 'professional'!

I’m not a professional but I’ll tell you what i think is a bad trend for hunting and that is the steady upward rise of the coyote population. Not sure of a solution but there needs to be an incentive to kill them, most folks don’t eat them like they do deer.

The coyotes are a bigger problem than most folks realize.

I've have no hogs but a terrible coyote problem had two try to circle me a few weeks ago

Get rid of the CAB. We're paying professionals who are suppose to know what they're doing. Get out of their way and let them do it. If they're not capable, replace them. I don't need political appointees who can afford private leases in Texas making decisions about Alabama hunting, claiming to be representative of the state's hunters. (I don't have a problem with them having the leases. More power to them. They just aren't having to hunt the way the typical Alabamian has to hunt.) We also don't need political appointee's allowing themselves to be used to get unpopular decisions made into law. Part of hiring professionals and letting them do what we pay them to do can sometimes include having to accept things we don't like. If the study's show we need antler restrictions, shorter turkey season or reduced limits, they need to put it out there and back it up.

And there are several areas the whole "make it easier, not harder" concept comes into play. Some have already been mentioned, i.e. trapping and other predator management, hunting WMA's, etc.

We had coyotes real bad then hogs moved in and cyotes vanished. First hog I ever killed was chasing a coyote. Hogs have now been trapped, coyotes have not really returned yet and fawns are everywhere

5$ bounty on coyotes...huntable by any means necessary accept poison...you kill enough to cover next seasons hunting liscense you get a redeemable voucher for a free liscense. If you kill enough to cover a lifetime liscense..you get a one time voucher to cover 1 person in your household..wheather it be you,your wife, or your kids. Be a nice incentive to totally eradicate the mongrels.

I'll say it, this is NOT SMART,😶
Trying to make everyone a trophy hunter just because one believes he's a trophy hunter is flat out dumb. Alot of people hunt because they enjoy hunting and want the meat. I could kill a 180 buck, and it'll be a skull mount. I have enough mounts of other animals so I don't want any more l9l

I agree with a bounty, heck state of Wa put one on nutria

So........

How much of an increase will I have on my license to pay people to trap on their property??
I mean, I do it myself and am not waiting around on the ‘Government’ to come fix my problem.

But, maybe I am wrong.....maybe the Government really does just print out money when they need some and don’t collect it as taxes and fees from the Public.....

ha, Danny, they could of took all the money they squandered at Lowndes and funded coyote bounties for years....LOL

their focus should be on a healthy herd not how big racks are

Well, you do have a point there!!!

Add hogs to the bounty. $5 for a nose. And like grumpy Fred said: ease restrictions on hunting hogs.

I agree, corn for hogs and snares for yotes

I hate the cab

Stop the doe slaughter!!

I would agree on a shorter season or possibly reducing gun season to one month.

Not a professional. But I'd have a tag system like.other states and not some crazy doe numbers. Everyone gets 2 any deer tags and 3 doe only tags. Land owner with too many deer apply for extra doe tags at a discounted rate. Regular Joe's can buy additional doe tags for $50 a pop. This way everyone with license can kill 5 deer, 2 can be bucks or all five does. Guys that want to kill more pay more. Also I'd jack up the price of out of state tags, except for land owners who live out of state. Wouldn't mind a split season for does or ending doe season on the new year and bucks only after that.

I was just fixing to type very similar post. And make damn sure GW made folks scared not to tag it.

I'm not a pro, just a 30+ year observer and Aldeer premium member.

First I would not try to manage the whole state deer herd as one. different regions have different carrying capacities and populations. Manage it by region.

If you are serious about limiting the kills on buck, do like other states and issue tags that have to be attached to the deer's antlers before moving it. Then make a reg making it illegal for any processor to accept one without the tag attached. Not trying to make it hard on my friends that are processors, but that will help with compliance.

Btw, the tags are mailed annually to lifetime license holders or after purchase of your annual license. Maybe this will help in compliance in that area too. Obviously this is the very rough draft of an idea that needs a lot ironed out. I would hope though that it would work better than the Game Check App system.

But not everybody uses processors. I say $2k fine plus lost license for 2 years for moving Untagged deer

If and when Alabama reduces the buck limit, I will either become an outlaw or quit hunting. I refuse to spend the $ that I do with only a chance to kill 2 bucks.

It amazes me when people want to reduce the buck harvest in an attempt to improve deer numbers! SMH......

No way am I implying that for that reason at all

I'm not a professional but since many other non professionals are chiming in I'll do so too. The 3 buck limit we now have is okay. We need to get away from this 1 doe per day per licensed hunter all over the state. I'd be in favor of doe limits per hunter or go back to a 1 week or 2 week long doe season. Now I'll be the first to admit that I don't know of anyone who hunts and kills a doe per day but I think over the years this kind of liberal bag limit has taken a toll on the population.

I don't see near the numbers of deer where I hunt that we did 15 to 20 years ago.
Yep, if I could change just one thing it would no doubt be getting rid of the one doe a day deal.

This above.

Im no professional. Its a free for all now so heres my take.
Season is way too long. Its too hot in october. November 1st til jan 31st.

Private land:

No antler restrictions
3 bucks a year
5 doe a year
Hog all year with any weapon

Public:

2 doe a year within the whole season, do away with the 2 week crap.
2 bucks a year with 1 buck being 4 point or or more.
Hog season november 1st-march 31st any weapon


The seasons for hogs on wma sucks. You cant hunt hogs in a wma in september when all the leaves are on the trees. You cant see crap. What moron put a 2 week hog season in september? Its like they save the hogs for the wardens to shoot at night for fun. Thats the only resonable idea i could come up with lol?

You shoot 3 coyotes you get a free licence next season.

On wma, you make a fund me bowl for hunters to pay for actual food plots. All i ever see is rye grass and they only plant 1/3 of the field. Its pitifull. You get caught throwin garbage down on camera, you lose your hunting privilege for 2 years and community service for a week on a wma.

Rye grass was NEVER planted on a food plot at any WMA I managed. It was always wheat, oats, rye grain, and several clovers. The amount of time we put into managing the plots was more than on most private land. We would often leave areas of the field unplanted and standing in native vegetation, which is not laziness. It’s good sound management. We planted sorghum, peas and sunflowers in the spring, and they always did great given minimum rain requirements. I’m interested in hearing which WMA you’re referring to with such horrible plots?

[quote]Private land:

No antler restrictions
3 bucks a year
5 doe a year
Hog all year with any weapon

Public:

2 doe a year within the whole season, do away with the 2 week crap.
2 bucks a year with 1 buck being 4 point or or more./quote]

Why punish public land hunters?
If you really want to stop the slaughter, outlaw processors. 75% of the hunting population is either to lazy to process their own or "just dont have time". BS, you got time to hunt, time to shoot then you have time to process.

Why wait on the government??
If you want more deer on your property, don't shoot deer.
You want less hogs on your, shoot more hogs.
Want less coyotes on your property, shoot more coyotes.
Want more trophy deer on your property, only shoot trophy deer.

Not a single thing that above will have a harmful impact on your neighbors property!

Want to piss and moan about it wait till the government does something that will be a hell of a lot worse than you doing what you want done on your property.

Coyotes are a real problem; you can't hunt them at night (when they are most active) except by applying for a permit that has to be signed by the landowner and then approved by the state.

The restrictions on yotes and hogs seems pointless. If there are ways to reduce the numbers of these two species, being invasive problems, then we need to do that.

X2 from Page 1 what B'ham Fred said about hogs and Ozark said about predators.

As for deer, I'd remove the antler restriction and 3-buck limit and go back to what we had prior to 2006. Let the hunter decide.

thats just stupid

You serious Clark??? Like I said, it was made in JEST.

I agree with seeing fewer that I did 20 years ago but I would attribute that to fewer row crops in my area. Much of what was once in corn\soybeans and cotton are now pine plantations.

Regarding lowering the numbers of does that are killed I would say to make a 2 week season at the beginning of gun season. Get the does out of the way early and have whatever food sources are available for the ones who remain. Also shooting does early means you dont take a pregnant doe and the fewer does will make the bucks move around more when they are looking for love. At least as long as people dont kill all the does...

The doe rule above is how we manage our property.