Free... Shoot me a pm for details. Depending on where you are I'll line you up with the appropriate biologist.

AL can, and does, annually produce deer every bit as nice as any southeastern state. The MS delta is one of the most fertile soil regions in the world, so yes they're going to produce better deer, on average. The rest of MS is no different than AL. The black land prairie and the TN valley area produce big bucks because of soil fertility as well. Other areas in AL put up some very impressive deer each season that compare to anything from surrounding states. I believe you are starting to see a higher percentage of older age class deer in the harvest because of the state mandated 3 buck limit, and self restraint on the part of hunters. Nearly every other SE state has had a limit on either the number of bucks a person could take each season, or an antler restriction, or a combination of the two. Obviously if you are protecting any segment of the buck population more of them will reach another birthday. Birthdays mean larger antlers. AL is in the 8th year of the 3 buck limit. I've certainly noticed an increase in mature bucks being killed. Whether it's a perception or reality I don't know. Social media sure makes it easy for big bucks to make their rounds. I believe the surrounding states have historically had more big deer killed for the simple reason they've had buck restrictions longer than we have. AL produces it's fair share of big deer.

And has for years, and for years has said it will work with all landowners and hunters -- not just "the rich ones!" or "the big landowners!" -- to achieve goals and help with good education and info about management ... and still there's a big "What? Really? Who? Where? They do this?" group of people who don't know about it but would like the assistance.

Now ya can't beat the price.

That's what I thought too, but I just couldn't help myself.

Chris Cook one of the co authors of the book i posted a link to, came to my little 150 acres and gave me advice, no charge, the book also details alabamas history of whitetail deer restockings and such and why the biologists have done what they have done,and why its time to change gears now that the herd is at or above ideal levels in most of alabama.it really is a great read and its free too.

Nothing wrong with Alabama's deer genetics......Got more to do with genetics of the hunters in this state. They seem to have bred the ability for trigger control out of the majority of hunters in this state when it comes to bucks or does

all I know is Ive hunted all around the country,..have had leases in Illinois, Indiana , Kentucky, and more...heck..I have a 300 acre Illinois lease NOW....and the BEST bucks Ive killed are a 169 7/8 in Alabama, a 153 in Bama and 143 and a few 130s. I think the hunting absolutely rocks here!

If you pass em and let them grow and get to see them at 5 yr old plus..youll be pleasantly surprised!

This exactly. Practice trigger restraint..( I know its tough) like they do in the midwest and youll have the same results. Shoot them at 2 - 3 and youll never find out IMO.

Heck..if you all saw what this crazy arse roflmao guy shot last year watching them grow youd understand. He shot a couple studs letting them get old.
Youd think he studied deer in college or something!

Genetics play a bigger role than anyone will accept. The Georgia (Wisconsin) deer here at the house are a good bit bigger than the Clarke/Marengo county deer at our farm. As long as the northern deer genetics keep moving west from the Chattahoochee, things will continue to improve.
The average mature doe here near the river weighs 15 to 20 lbs. more than the Alabama stock.

Got a question on BODY WEIGHTS: Are the deer generally bigger in the Black Belt than a neighboring non-Black Belt county?? If so, why??

Georgia has a two buck limit but they also have more hunters. Georgia also has more B&C bucks in the book than TN, NC, FL, SC, and AL put together.

more nutrient rich soil types, the coastal plain soil types are overlooked on that front also,big thing is the hold out of agriculture in blackbelt areas. soybeans peanuts cotton corn.acres and acres, = big deer.

So, your thought is the foods grown there and not the soil??

Not many row crops in the belt like used to be. The TN valley though can rival the Midwest in certain parts now since we quit cotton 10 yrs ago and went to grain.

Another thing the alluvial floodplain of Mississippi has going for it is a lack of people living all over the place.

The main thing keeping bucks from growing nice racks in Bama is trigger control. They have to be allowed to reach their potental.
There are still too many wanting to kill every buck they see. If we had way more bow days than gun days wed see more good racks.

You know I spend a lot of time in the Black Belt. Soil natural Ph high 6 - low 7. I also spend a lot of time in a neighboring non-Black Belt county. I see a LOT of animals. The deer do seem to be a little bigger in that area. But the turkeys, rabbits, raccoons, cows, donkeys, etc. all seem to be the same. If its the soil, shouldn't the rest be bigger also??