2Dogs, we did genetic testing several years ago with MSU. The only location I remember still having genetic markers similar to their stocking source was Bankhead. Most other deer populations in the south don’t show any genetic markers to their stocking source. Most deer are what they are, natives from the remnants of what was left before stocking or a hodgepodge of different stocking sources. I’ll see if I can locate the full report.

Goatkiller, that’s not an official policy of the state. It’s a management scenario I recommend on some properties. Not all. Not even most. We make recommendations according to what ppl want to see. We base that off of individual objectives. If you want to grow and see more mature deer there are other things you have to sacrifice. If you want to hunt and have a good time and occasionally kill a mature deer that’s MUCH different than an advanced QDM or TDM property. The state is not in the business of managing for trophies. That’s your job as a landowner. We have a 3 buck limit. You get to decide which 3 bucks you kill. If you want them all to be 120”+ I’d suggest locating a property that provides that opportunity. It’s not something the state is going to mandate over the general hunting public.

Never mind, I found what I was looking for. Looks like mostly Clarke county...very few introduced from out of state, according to my source.

I believe the larger antlered bucks taken in Jackson Co. and close proximity are the products of age and nutrition using the genes stocked from LA and what native deer were still around. There's pretty good nutrition in the limestone hills and soils along the Tenn River. And lord knows we have the hiding places to allow some to grow old enough to maximize their genetic make up. Back before they were restocked from LA they might have shown the same antler size had the lived long enough and gotten better nutrition . Everytime a full grown buck hit's the ground in Ol' Hi-Jackson it doesn't have "Northern Genes" That's not to say it couldn't be an influence in a small area in NJ, maybe. That's my logic and I'm sticking to it.

To me the difference in Jackson county and most other surrounding counties, comes down to below.

Good genetics
Good feed, agriculture and acorns. Not pines
Good soil along the TN river, could go with above statement
Relatively low human population, with largest city of Scottsboro. Also one of the larger counties in AL.
Excellent terrain features to allow hard hunter access, which allows an older buck class structure
From my experience, *in general*, show a little more trigger restraint. I think that decision is made by the above factors and hope of a big buck.

If you can consistently kill mature mountain bucks in Jackson county in 50,000 acre blocks of woods you can kill deer anywhere in the United States . Same goes for turkeys Come kill you a limit of Appalachian foothill birds in a season and you are one of the elite turkey hunters in the country .

Were iare bankhead and skyline located? What weapons are people using primarily on these places.

Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area

Primitive weapons only

Just an FYI, the local biologist aged this buck at 3.5 and so did the taxidermist.

Bring lots of food. No where to eat down there at all.

I don't know the dates through which the data was compiled but the AL whitetail records has published a map of the state by county record book deer. To my knowledge this is 150 inch deer or larger. It was in AON magazine so y'all get mad if you want about what I'm going to post here but it is public knowledge.

Bankhead (Winston) has genetic markers for northern deer ( admitted previously in this thread ) and has produced 31% fewer record book deer than Jackson.

The good soil in the PRV you can see out your truck window. Mountain dirt is poor dirt I've never heard anyone in my entire life say mountain dirt is good dirt that is a first.

Dallas county has good dirt. Black Belt. They have produced 44% fewer record book deer than Jackson Co. Call me crazy - but that's an example of predominately Alabama genetics.

If you want to believe these record book deer came from genetics derived from a couple native AL deer hiding in a slew down by the TN river that's fine with me.

If you want to believe these genetics came from deer from Mobile that's fine too. What happened to the rest of the State?

What I know is that TN stocked the deer less than 30 miles away from in-state sources. They stocked Middle TN with deer from Ft. Campbell. Those deer were from TX and Oklahoma. TWRA states plain as day the majority of their deer's genetics are North Carolina, TX and OK.

Calcium actually binds to the tannin in acorns and inhibits antler growth.

I heard Dr. Grant Woods say that. He said acorns to deer are like fudge to us. They'll eat it up, but that doesn't mean it's good for them.

Yes..rocks and spears..

North slope mountain dirt grows enough types of flora to keep a botanist busy for a lifetime. You gotta be goofy if you don’t think there’s any rich soil anywhere in these mountains.

Very true Brent. Not uncommon to have 40+ different species on a 1/100th acre plot(which is a 11.78’ radius plot) on a North facing slope close to a big drain. Find the ginseng or any of the trillium species and you find good dirt is a good rule of thumb.

I would think this helps a little as well, “The top 5 soybean producing counties in Alabama are Jackson, Madison, Baldwin, Limestone and DeKalb counties”.

That mountain soil in Jackson co is extremely fertile

You stay out of jackson county...too much killin like it is😁

Y'all need to start bagging that Jackson County dirt and selling it next to the bags of corn in neighboring counties and you can probably retire within a year.
I need royalties for the idear.