Anyone ever hunt it? Not asking for tips or anything, just curious on who does/has. It seems kind of weird to hunt an area where there are hiking trails running all throughout it. Feel like it could get awkward walking by a jogger or dog walker with a bow and in camo. Which makes me think also, how many people actually hike the trails East of the River? Would it be rare to walk up on a hiker?

Anyways, just curious as to if anyone hunts it, and if you ever encounter people.

Yes and YES you will encounter hikers and bird watchers. But I hunted Oak Mountain SP. for a few years so hikers and such were a fairly normal.

I have not. People that have told me that when the sunlight comes up, you look around and you can see blaze orange in the trees around you. The place is full of other hunters so it has discouraged me from doing so.

Are you sure they were talking about the refuge and not the WMA?

he must be, you CAN NOT gun hunt on the refuge.

My mistake. I was referring to the WMA.

What was it like hunting Oak Mountain? I applied for the urban management this year but it was already full. How would you compare the two?

It's like they are killing them on purpose. I thought you only killed antlerless deer when the herd was over the carrying capacity.

They actually are killing them on purpose. The deer in Oak Mountain are way over carrying capacity for that area. Fortunately, hunter's are able to reap the benefits, so it is a win-win. They are only allowing about 50 hunters to participate, though. Here is an excerpt from Outdoor Alabama:

"Wildlife experts point to Oak Mountain State Park as a textbook case of how deer tend to multiply in numbers greater than their habitat can support unless controlled through regulated hunting. Past herd health checks and necropsy confirmed the presence of parasites and disease due to overpopulation. After consulting with state wildlife biologists and in consideration of scientific research data, regulated archery hunts were established in 2004 to control the Oak Mountain State Park herd.

Surveys conducted in 1999, 2000 and 2003 found that the Oak Mountain deer herd was causing serious damage to wildflowers, trees and shrubs as a result of feeding on park vegetation. In turn, populations of small mammals and nesting birds were negatively affected. An ongoing independent study reveals a higher percentage of seedlings have survived since the hunts were implemented. As funds allow, future research will be conducted highlighting the improvements to park vegetation and to the health of the whitetail deer population due to the hunts.

They have been, and still are, killing them on purpose. The OMSP herd WAS over the carrying capacity and needed, and still needs, to be heavily managed.

The history of OMSP is pretty easy to read about, learn about and then not spout off ignorant comments.