I guess call me a conservationist, but imo, if habitat loss, predator population increases, along with hunters killing more deer are the issues. Then i only see one resolution that we as hunters have any control over.


Kill fewer deer.

The property in the area I hunt could support more deer than what is currently on it (food wise). But the hunters in the club with me, as well as surrounding properties are a bunch of trigger happy hunters. They just cant see the writing on the wall.

A biologist that I respect gave a very good lecture on this subject. He basically stated that data is more important than memories. Everybody likes to remember the "good old days". He said he'd heard from many hunters over the years how good the hunting used to be in a certain area. He even recalled quite a few hunters telling him how good the hunting used to be at the Coosa WMA. These hunters recalled 20 racked bucks being killed on the opening weekend gun hunt. Curious, he went back and pulled the data. They had killed 2 racked bucks. This was just a short anecdote to illustrate what we all know to be true. Things didn't always occur just the way we remember them.

The data kept by clubs participating in QDM should show a trend of increasing body weights and better racks on younger deer (since they're getting more nutrition). 20 years ago, most 1.5yo bucks were probably spikes. Now, you're seeing more 1.5yo deer with basket 6 & 8 point racks and they weigh 20lbs more at that age. If you are practicing QDM and you're not seeing these results over time and have data to prove it, maybe your doe harvest does need to be cut back. You can't make that assertion on memory alone. You need some data on your herd to compare the results over time. This is why jawbone collecting is important in a QDM program. Body weights alone are not enough. You need to know the age of each deer so you can determine if that deer was below, above, or just average for their age. To say that QDM doesn't work is just patently false. To quote one old timer that I know "the paradox of QDM is that you'll see fewer deer but they'll be healthier. If you want to see a bunch of deer, keep 'em hungry."

Everyone on this thread is relating their personal experiences. Mine are far different than most. All my green fields are already mowed to the ground. Right now the deer are healthy but who knows what they will look like by January. They won't be eating wheat, oats, rye & clover unless the temps warm up.

On two separate 80 acre tracts we have killed 6-10 does per tract per year. We still see lots of does & lots of young bucks. My neighbor on an adjacent 80 killed a deer last year that grossed close to 170. If you want to kill mature bucks then hunt the rut & stop sitting in that comfortable shooting house.

One of the 80's is an agricultural operation & after the corn was cut there were 50+ deer in the field. To retain access, I have to kill deer & minimize crop damage. That isn't a problem because I know lots of younger hunters that love to shoot does. My ability to practice herd management has been hurt by the new regulation.

My view of the whole thing is this:

Manage your own property.

If you don't think you see enough deer on your property, do something to change it. If that means that you think you don't need to shoot does, don't shoot does. If that means that you think you need to improve your food sources, or bedding sources, or whatever else you're not doing as well as your neighbors...then do that.

Stop worrying about what you cannot control...your neighbors...and control what you can. I've yet to see anyone on here complain about shooting too many deer themselves, it's always the neighbors' fault. If "your" deer are walking across the property lines into a "brown-it's-down" war zone on your neighbors' property, then figure out why the deer would rather walk into that than stay on your place, and do it better than your neighbors are doing it.

If you're in a club that you don't agree with its management practices, then find one that better aligns with the way you think.

Wanting the state to do your dirty work for you is ridiculous.

I don't shoot does anymore. Seems like in south Alabama years ago we saw more does and more bucks. Since the doe season was extended we don't see as many of either. No one has been able to explain to me how we would have more bucks with less does.

I truly wish Alabama would limit doe harvest and start a statewide antler minimum of AT LEAST 3 on one side.

News flash, they did limit the doe harvest. Many parts of the state it was cut in half. They should have left it alone in some areas.

I agree 100%

I very much agree that everyone should manage their property to obtain their goals. My goal is herd control & providing a great experience for younger hunters. I have been able to accomplish this in no small part because of the liberal regulations of the past.

A typical season involves hunting an area no more than every 10 days & only with a favorable wind. My son & often one other child in the shooting house. Shoot 3 or 4 does & my herd control is done in 2 hunts. Now they will only be able to shoot a doe a piece. To reach my goals pressure will be increased 2 fold. In response to increased pressure, deer sightings will decrease & more pressure will be needed to harvest the does.

A depredation permit could most likely be obtained but shooting deer like vermin out of season is not what I wish to teach. Fostering an attitude of respect for game is my hope. Doe tags may be an option but again I don't want any child to get the impression that they are above the law or by knowing the right people, regulations no longer apply.

For my particular situation the regulation is a Lose/Lose.

News flash, reading comprehension may be over rated at your house but it is valued around mine. I said "South Alabama"!

This says ALOT. Well put.


If deer would rather go over to a place thats being shot up over yours, something is seriously out of whack. Change it.

Please forgive my limited reading comprehension, however, I think they are as good as your composition skills. Above is your closing snetence, dropped down by it's self. I don't see the word "South" anywhere, I do see the word "statewide". I see you calling for decreased doe harvest and more antler restrictions state wide.

"Statewide antler restrictions of at least 3 on one side"

Haha! How can you have a direct quote and then take it out of context!? You'd make a fine democrat!

2dogs, let me throw you a bone that will really get you to bash me.

Alabama is the laughingstock of the country with deer management. We piss away tremendous potential every single year.

We need one buck tag for bow season, one buck tag for gun season both minimum 4 on one side. One doe tag a person with the option to purchase additional individual tags in some counties. If we did this 10 years from now no one who hunts in Alabama would ever buy another hunting license to a midwest state.

Now you can respond giving me the same old and tired excuses why we can never achieve truly great deer hunting in the state of Alabama. You can tell us about different deer in different areas, ours will never get big, pine trees make bucks smaller, snow makes horns grow bigger blah blah blah...

Aren't our number of hunters way, way down from years past? It seems like the last thing I saw we had dropped from something like 230,000 hunters down to 140,000 maybe. Something like that anyways. If you've taken that many hunters out of the equation already then is there really any need to further restrict those of us who are left with mandatory antler restrictions or anything of the like?

On the original topic:

Property should be managed on a case by case basis. Records should be kept and evaluated yearly, tweak things slowly and with careful thought.

Here is some info I am using for my place in Baldwin county, maybe some will find it helpful or give me an idea on something else I can do better.

"The numbers"
The state deer density chart (of unkown accuracy but its all I got) for our area says we should have 15-30 per square mile. We control 1.8 square miles of property so 27-54 deer on our place, average of 41. We killed 6 bucks and 14 does last year. So theoretically we killed half the population. Not good, right?

Now for "The ground truth":
Our buck to doe ratio is pretty much where it should be based off our summer surveys. Most people actually had more bucks than does on camera. Our plots get mowed but not eaten to the dirt. Browse is in the woods is getting eating but not stripped bare. Doe family groups are present and there is a good age structure of bucks.

I feel like we have a healthy herd based off what I've seen despite the numbers. You don't see deer every time you go hunting out there but thats ok. I do feel like we were a bit heavy on the does last year but I don't think we have a problem yet. I have decided I personally won't shoot any does this year and I know a couple of the others guys have said they won't either even though we put 2 does per member in the rules. A lot of our property is fresh clearcut too so that will have an impact too. We'll see where we are next year and continue to make small adjustments as needed.

Why don't you buy 10,000 acres here in Alabama, try your plan, then tell us how your deer compare to those in Illinois and Iowa? I predict massive dissapointment on your part.

Now that sounds like a good democrat^^^.

49er would be so proud.


Ya think we might get a little over populated with those limits in 10 years time? How ya gonna grow monster bucks with all those mouths to feed?

Would " statewide antler minimums of 3 points on one side" not be more antler restictions than we have now? I took that to mean for all bucks killed. If I'm wrong.....my bad , sorry.

Alabama will never be the Mid-West when it comes to size/score of bucks killed that is just a fact. They kill a ton of young bucks up there probabbly as many or more than is killed in Alabama. No law will change the fact Alabama is not located in the Mid-West with Mid-Western soil, and can not compete with those places that are.

And right on schedule we have the predictable "that won't work!" And "Alabama's not in the Midwest!"

The regulations I quoted are word for word what Missouri's season is, I didn't come up with that one my own. Even the Florida panhandle now has a 3 on one side rule! And then there's Alabama, "shoot every doe you see but better not get caught over corn!" Lol

Here's to hoping things change on day...