Oak mountain hunt

I know the oak mountain hunt was managed previously by folks outside of the dept of conservation and transitioned to a SOA this year. Question is was it hunted the past couple of years? A quick google search confirms they did have bow hunts in 2015/16 but I can’t find info on anything since then.
Thanks.

Yes it was

What was the “arrangement” over the past few years?

Probably a if it's brown it's down mentality.

Yeah from all the language I've read, the point was to kill a bunch of deer. "Population control".

It’s been basically a season long membership for years. You had to go to the BHA and jump through a bunch of hoops, then have a spot open up. Seems like if you didn’t kill enough deer, they removed you and put someone else in your spot the next year.

What is the population like out there now? My dad got one of the hunts so I'll be up there with him Nov 30- Dec 1. I saw the section layout but they have not assigned him one yet. I feel like the golf course portion of it (section 1 I believe) would be a fun hunt.

When these hunts are taking place is the park still open to the general public? I'll be there Dec 28 and wasn't sure how that worked and if you had to hunt around hikers and birdwatchers.

I wish I got an earlier one but will enjoy the one I got. My understanding is the park will be open normal. I’ll be there January 11th. We rented a cabin and are just gonna make it a fun family week.

I'm really curious if the population is still real high like it used to be. Probably need to go look at dark/daylight I suppose.

i don't think the park will be open to visitors during the hunt that is what the 40$ is for per hunter to offset the park being closed. It was closed in the earler draw hunts there years ago

So they’re closing the whole park for ten hunters each hunt? Don’t think that’s right.

Most of the 10 are paying for a guest too that comes to 800$ for 4 days. I think the park can survivr on that for the 4 day period. I'm scheduled for 16 through yhe 19 which is Monday Through Thursday. The park doesn't generate alit during those days I would imagine

No its not

there will not be many visitors during december to the park. The problem I see with hunting oak mtn is the woods are so open you can see hundreds of yards from everywhere. My understanding is the guys who used to be successful in the bow hunting thing out there increased their chances with additives to bring the deer closer to their stands. I have been to oak mountain hundreds of times during the winter in the last few years and we rarely see deer driving through or walking around. I have never seen a good buck out there. I would say surrounding neighborhoods would have better hunting.

I just don't see om working out as an soa . Its no better hunting than an average wma. The guys that use to hunt it where told to be very discreet while hunting. Now there's gonna be a bunch of random folks hunting it while the park is open?? It should make for some entertaining stories anyhow... Gonna be funny when Billy Bob walks up on a heard of Ghay's a pevine falls . Watch yer 6 ! That being said ,I hope I'm wrong. Its a beautiful place and hopefully you guys have a great hunt.

That's some good information - Thanks Ben2.

Is the population still high enough to even warrant such a hunt? I rarely see deer there anymore. And only ten guys ain't gonna put much of a dent in it anyway.