There is a very good possibility I could be relocated to the Florence/ Muscle Shoals area very soon. What are the hunting opportunities like in the area? Im an avid bowhunter and die hard turkey hunter. I grew up hunting in the blackbelt and i'm not sure if ill find anything resembling to how the hunting can be in those areas but i'm looking for some insight. I wouldn't mind paying good money for the right place. I've heard some people go north into Tennessee and some hunt south in Marion and Lamar counties. I have a friend who also hunts in Northeast Mississippi and its pretty good. Can any of you North Alabama guys help me out? Where are the good areas around there for good quantity and quality. Turkey numbers?

I grew up in that area. While it's changed a lot in the last 20 years I've been gone, I can give you a little insight. Turkey numbers are not there. Lauderdale County was one of the last counties to even get an open turkey season. When I was growing up, there was no turkey season. I think the whole County now has a season, but it's a shorter season. It doesn't open March 15th like most of the state.

Deer hunting can be good. I think the Lauderdale WMA is one of the larger ones in the state. Once you drive out to Waterloo, you'll know why. There's not much out there but woods. While north Alabama isn't known for its deer density, it produces some nice deer every year. Being a bow hunter will open up more opportunities on these WMAs.

Stop hunting and take up smallmouth fishin'!!

There is several good clubs in the area and plenty of WMA property to hunt. Lauderdale WMA has a great population of LongBeads and the serious hunting pressure to go with it.
The deer population at Lauderdale is down but slowly rebounding. There is some true studs there that are killed every year, especially by bowhunters. I've seen some sheds that would rival midwestern bucks folks dream of.


You will have plenty of choices just not many folks willing to share public land opportunity. The old club I was in has a good program and usually need members.

You'll want to stay in Colbert or Franklin county if you are a big turkey hunter.

I think really good places are harder to find in that area, especially if you're used to the black belt. But there are good spots around. Tons of agriculture around.

I appreciate the help, I know there is a good bit of TVA land around the area and the Lauderdale WMA. While im sure ill be trying a few spots I also wouldnt mind joining a club within about an hour of florence. Say within an hour of florence what direction should I go to find the better hunting opportunities for deer and turkeys? Im really not looking to match anything from the blackbelt but i dont want to feel like im hunting bankhead either. Decent numbers and good quality are important.

Jackson county is a little over an hour from Muscle Shoals.

Most of my younger years was spent between Tuscumbia and Cherokee. The areas I hunted are now mostly Forever Wild on both sides of the river. If I were to move back there, I'd try to get in a club in the western part of Colbert County. If I couldn't, or got put on a waiting list, I'd look into a club across the line in Tennessee.

I live here now. I have hunted the 2 WMA's here the last 3 seasons, Freedom Hills and Lauderdale. Deer numbers are fair at both but not great. Some very nice bucks killed on both WMA's the last 2 years. Rut is end of Jan early Feb for Freedom Hills. Late Dec early Jan for Lauderdale.

Sam R Murphy WMA in Marion County has a better deer density but is a little tougher to hunt, IMO.

I'm planning on trying out a couple of the WMA's in Tennessee this season around Collinwood to see how I fare. I am strongly considering getting into a club next season in that area of TN myself.

Seems like there aren't too many clubs in the area, I hear that a lot of people up there hunt a club in Tennessee because of it.

No deer in jackson county

If you asked me to give someone a simple plan for maximizing their deer/turkey hunting success in the Shoals, I'd advise that you develop the means to hunt within about 5 miles of the Natchez Trace corridor, beginning around Collinwood or Lutts, TN (Wayne Co.) in September, and ending in western Colbert Co. from mid-January thru early February.

For whatever reasons you want to attribute, the rut peaks around Lutts in the early to mid of December (used to often coincide with the muzzle-loader-only week in TN), and then you can move south from there... late December to early Jan in Lauderdale, late January for Colbert.

Turkeys can be found all over southern Wayne Co, Lauderdale WMA (yes, there is pressure but also many, many acres) and Freedom Hills WMA.

7mm-08 gives good advice. The first buck I killed was taken just off the Trace service road on West Colbert club. Back then, you could ride the service road on an ATV with a weapon as long as the gun was cased and unloaded. I'd be surprised if that was still true.

7MM-08 you just laid out the exact plan that I've been trying to build for this upcoming deer season. I've only been hunting this area for 3-4 years now, so still learning it some. I've never hunted in TN before but am planning to get up to Tie Camp WMA before long to do some scouting.

Some good hunting can be found, but as others mentioned it is going to take a little more effort.

The trace advice is spot on. To me, the big issue is the brown and down mentality of some there that still exists today.

I would seriously look in TN as an option.

On a positive note, it is a beautiful place to live.

Do yall have any info about northeast mississippi? Ive come across a few leases in itawamba county on the other side of the river and a few clubs in the corinth MS area. I appreciate the help fellas!

Out of state license is higher in MS I do believe.

I'm a native to Tuscumbia (actually rural Colbert Co), but work in Tishomingo, MS. My advice is to avoid MS for deer. The place is a cesspool of spotlighting and road hunters who hunt with dogs from the luxury of their truck seat. I know good, honest hunters who have be driven to commit unspeakable atrocities (relatively speaking) due to the frustrations of dealing with this culture.

For MS public land, many hunt "Corps land", which is US Army Corps of Engineers property associated with the Tenn-Tom Waterway. I think there is a significant acreage, but I never even entertained researching it.

We've had a big buck contest at our plant for many years, and all the MS guys gripe that I get to bring my "AL deer" over and win prizes.

I've heard it's a good area, other than that I have no idea. I do have a friend that leases land in that area and land around here. What's you price range?

The WMA where the Trace runs thru it is a good area and has plenty of deer. Last year some guys said they couldn't find a deer and all of a sudden deer appeared later in the season. The acorns had the deer movement slowed down unless you were on top of them.

Turkeys are down again it seems, I have yet to see hens on the Trace from 72 South to the Allsboro exit where the farm is. Seen very few hens with any number of poults in that area this year. I've seen plenty of Gobblers though, 17 in one day in and around that area. We seen 6 hens together without any poults that same day.