Gun malfunctioned this morning and won't be back from the gunsmith til after the new year so there goes my gun hunt on the management area tomorrow. Can anyone point me in the right direction on the refuge since I have to take the bow out. I am flying to Wisconsin on Monday for the holidays and purposefully made my flight for that day so I could hunt all weekend, but Saturday is now blown unless I take the bow to the refuge and go in blind. Any help would be appreciated.

Not looking for any honey holes, but any areas where the gates aren't closed right off main roads. I don't mind walking, but since I have no opportunity to scout it, I don't want to find a decent place looking at maps only to drive an hour to get there and realize it's either closed or the road crosses private property and I can't get access. I just need to stick a doe, since I haven't downed a deer yet this season. North, South, East or West end of the refuge? Looking at trying to access from Bulldog Bend Rd off County Rd 65

You can still bow hunt the WMA, you just gotta check in at the ranger station and get a permit. And you will walk in on the refuge also. Most of the land is gated and a pretty good hike. Although there is a small piece off of 65. If you have never been I suggest scouting it first.

Thanks, I called the ranger headquarters but the girl that answered said I could try and get a permit for tomorrow but she didn't know if they would actually issue me one since the map/permit online says that archery is open except during the youth and gun hunts and she couldn't get the actual ranger on the radio to get an answer. I guess I'll show up in the morning with my bow and see if they give me a permit. Thanks again

I have bow hunted the WMA during gun hunts several times when I lived in Hoover. Been a couple years so regs on that may have changed. I also have bright eye trails to some trees on the refuge that I never get to hunt anymore. One tree I killed a deer from 3 consecutive years. I loved hunting cahaba. Didn't see many deer, but when I did there was a good chance it was a nice buck.

How far you wanting to drive? I could probably help you.

NortonZ7, drive doesn't bother me much. I'm leaning towards getting to the check-in station early so I can ask and if they say no, I'll have to high tail it down to the refuge. One of the parents of the kids I coach has offered me to use his .270 tomorrow, but I am uneasy using someone else's gun, especially when my plans call for crossing the cahaba in a raft.

Well if you ever want to brave the ride to Muscadine just let me know. Id try to put you on one. My place is about an hour and 20 mins from downtown bham.

Thanks for the offer! A drive out that way tomorrow won't work. Since I am leaving the wife down here for Christmas with her family while I head to Wisconsin, I told her that we would go out to dinner tomorrow and a drive that far will get me back a little too late to get ready and she was giving me hell as it was about the mileage. However, if you are hunting Sunday and I get shutout tomorrow from getting to use my bow in my intended spot due to no gun, I'll be sure to PM you. Thanks again!

Be safe if you plan on using a raft down there man. I havnt seen the levels in a while, but with all the rain tonight, it will probably be moving pretty good.

There's only 2 entrances that I know of for the refuge. The one that follows the river, and the main one just before that and that gate always stays locked. Your looking at a good hike anywhere on the refuge. Theres a high wall on that pretty much runs the length of the refuge on the east side. There's a few places at the beginning to get up and a few near the end, but you can hang it up trying to get over it in the middle unless you have climbing gear.

Good luck and stay safe.

Thanks for the heads up. Took the guy up on borrowing his .270 and will either raft the river in the morning or wait til mid-day so I can determine the speed of the water. It was moving slow last week thank god, because the raft deflated a bunch and I had to lay on my stomach and reach over the edge to row back to the jeep, took a lot longer and was a PITA. I picked up a hand pump tonight so that if it loses some air I can get it back in shape for the quick trip back across.

Well, it wasn't with a bow but I borrowed a gun and got the monkey off my back today on the WMA. Saw 3 deer, all bucks. Rattled in 2 at 7am but blew both opportunities at shots, saw this guy walking a clearcut while I was off stand looking for an afternoon location at 11:10. Not a giant, nor the biggest one I saw today but he's my biggest yet.

Nice one. Congrats!

Congrats

Congrats

Congrats!

Awesome man!