As the rut starts in Barbour County and other late rut areas of Alabama, it is amazing to me to see the huge economic and biological impact these ten days in February have had on rural Alabama's small businesses. Just a couple of these are outlined below. 1) In Barbour County, landowners mostly with a livestock background, have been implementing quality deer management practices for thirty years. Hunting clubs have now adopted these rules, making for a much better hunting experience. 2) In 2013, approximately 65% of the available land was leased in Barbour County. Now, 100% is leased. All hunters, landowners, and businesses in Alabama should thank Chuck Sykes and the DCNR for the February deer season.

Nice first post.

I'm sure it has helped out yalls business for sure, don't know that it had a whole lot to do with the increased leasing or qdm though. I'm ready for turkey season so I can come get some of those skrimps

Great point!

You know what..Im gonna call old Chuck right now and thank him!

The difference between 2013 & 2016(17) is that more timber companies have better hunting lease internet visibility and that internet visibility has FAR more impact than the Feb hunting season.

I am heading up tomorrow to dump some $ into the bama economy.

The ladle is skrong with this one

I worked in Clayton last month and I'll tell you from what I saw a dadgum Jacks would make a huge economic impact. And it looked like to me every day I passed by your fish camp on the way to Eufaula y'all were full. So I can understand how it has helped out a lot of businesses down that way.

At least he waited until after the election to get a handle! Haha I have a feeling this is the first, of many, entertaining posts from my dad. Y'all share the popcorn!

Y'all need more cabins.

Looking forward to hopefully getting to stay in one soon and meet you guys.

It is not all gravy though. I cannot work hogs during deer season, so the extended days have hurt my business. The funny part is all the calls I get from NR deer hunters and from outfitters wanting me to take their clients on a night time hog hunt while they are down in Bama. I sure wish I could.

Thank you, Mr. Sykes! I especially appreciate your commitment to the resource, your honesty in all things, and your total disregard of politics!

do I detect a hint of sarcasm there??

What, me??? You gotta be kidding.



I can't make a long post right now, but to me a thread like this is like waving that red flag at a bull. The bull knows he's wasting his time and energy, but he charges anyway.

I say they need to jack up the non resident license fees to counteract the positive financial impact on the small towns. After all, it's the cheapest non resident license out plus you get to him damn near year around!

Season extension wasn't needed and was not recommended by Chucky's own biologists for North Alabama. But thanks to back room deals with high fence owners we got it. So I say screw Chuck Sykes and you to if you're a high fence owner that wanted the season extended statewide.

A lot of younger hunters may not know the history of deer management in Barbour Co. The WMA there was the first place the dcnr implemented an antler restriction; I think it was around 2001 or so. No buck could be shot on the WMA unless he had at least 3 points on one side. The stated purpose of it was to protect the 1.5 year old class of bucks. We were told over and over by biologists, both public and private, that there were not enough yearling bucks surviving and it was having a negative impact on herd health.

The WMA program was wildly successful, immediately producing something like a 400% improvement in the buck age structure. People from Barbour Co begged the CAB to implement it for the whole county, and they did. The thing about an AR is that it actually works, and there is no easy way to beat the system. Many of us thought they would gradually add more counties to this program, and eventually most, if not all, of the state would be on it. Of course, many clubs were already voluntarily implementing an AR. The CAB appointed a special committee to study it.

However, instead of expanding the Barbour Co system, the committee recommended a buck limit. It was sorta like if you had a study proving that seat belts save lives and the Federal government decreed that all new cars must have running lights after reading the study. Even the Feds aren't that dumb, but the logic worked in AL.

Now, a decade later, I think the buck limit has done about what most of us expected - it has very marginally improved the buck age structure of the herd. It has come nowhere close to doing what the Barbour Co system could have done. I am happy for the people who hunt in Barbour Co, but I'll always think what a shame it is that our state didn't go with a system proven to work right here.

I'm also glad that south AL got a hunting season during their rut. This should have been done decades ago. If the CAB were elected by license holders, it would have been done decades ago. But since they are political appointees who have no accountability to the people, they can do whatever they wanta do without repercussions.

The deal that 2Dogs mentioned was one of the more outrageous things I've ever seen in dcnr history. There was no biological reason for a Feb season in north AL, and to tie the season to the successful implementation of Game Check is something that I think borders on corruption. Its proof that it has nothing to do with the biology of the resource, and everything to do with politics. Its a shame we are stuck with a system like this.

Spot on Preacher. I'll add instead of CAB member Ainsworth (high fence owner) abstaining from the vote to extend the season state wide, he's the member who made the motion for the vote. Anywhere but Alabama that would be conflict of interest.

Should season dates even really apply to high fence properties? Kind of like pen raised quail hunts?