Tennessee been doing this for years. Used to love the October gun hunt at eagle creek wma.

I got drawn this year for a mzl and rifle hunt in October in TN at Laurel Hill wma.

Hollins is one of the better managed wmas in my opinion. I'd hate to see all that big timber harvested, would definitely put a dent in the turkey population

As far as putting in row crops... We'd have a certain group all overs for that... I'll let someone else in the know say who.

We are getting much more active on the timber side, give us some time. Our new top brass has only been in place for a short while. Things will change...

I just wish They would plant the old food plots on CHOCCOLOCCO we use to hunt behind. Those were fun bow hunts cutting the deer off coming to and from them.

I think the wording "Special Opportunity" must be a typo. Those are not special hunts. They fall within the statewide gun season.

Figured it had to be wrong/typo. Doesn't surprise me, I got all excited when I saw special opportunity for nothin I reckon

I didn't say all of it, I said half of it. From what I've seen, turkeys benefit greatly from ag fields, food plots, and cutover. After the acorns are gone, what food is left in those virgin hardwood forests during winter? Most places you can see 150 yards in any direction in the woods there.

Question for Night Hunter.

About how many people are you expecting to show up at the Choccolocca Special Opportunity hunt? It wouldn't be a big stretch of my imagination for there to be 10,000 orange hats there. I was there back in the late 80's or early 90's with 3,500 other hunters when they would have an either sex draw hunt, and that was during the regular season. I wanted an orange jump suit, a strobe light, and a megaphone, to help me make it back to my truck.

No idea... I am not a WMA biologist. I am guessing quite a few though.

I haven't hunted Choccolocco since back in the 90's. The problem with that place is that the Forest service has all the damn roads gated off or humped up and you don't have access to any of the land without walking your but off. I don't have a problem walking, but this is steep in a lot of area's and will kill you dragging out a deer. No atv's allowed. I believe i'll do some riding around and looking between now and then. Back in the 80's and 90's standing in line freezing your butt off, back before gortex and thinsulate was common, yea that brings back memories. People everywhere, but the deer moved because of it. That place could be so much more if the Forest service would open up some of the roads. 56,000 acres but it hunts like 20,000 because of the lack of access.

Got the answer from the boss this am. They are special opportunity because they take place during the 10 days in Dec. regular gun season will be closed. Barbour is having one too if I understood correctly.

I like what the state is doing. The WMA license sales my bump up a good bit because of these hunts and the public gets an extra opportunity to get in the woods. It'll likely be packed but if you hunt public ground that's to be expected.

I'm interested to see what kind of deer get put on the ground for both Choccolocco and BW. I bet there will be a few studs brought out.

Just my penny's worth here but If I was to go 12.7 days without killing one with a gun or 22 days without doing the same with a bow...I'd probly just go hog huntin!! LOL

In all seriousness...most dedicated bow hunters are many times over better hunters technically than gun hunters...stand placement, wind useage, knowledge of and accuracy of what the weapon they shoot, and I bet shot for shot more deer are missed with a rifle by far.

Yes I know I jumped the thread a bit. My point is if you don't have ALL and I mean ALL the hunter data...you have a best guess scenario.

Do the deer at Barbour and Lowndes rut "early" and those WMA's just have the misfortune of being in the south zone or was the "increasing opportunity" logic only applicable to the Choccolocco and Black Warrior hunts?

How long do you think it will take before we get a 3rd zone so folks in those early November rut areas get to gun hunt the rut. It appears that the data is their to support a season shift.

I checked the management area seasons and Choccolocco shows the early hunt in Nov., but BW does not. When is BW's hunt?

Nevermind, i see where it is for zone B only.

Forgot you south Bama boys had a split season. That's why they are special opportunity.

Hey Matt, i've never hunted BW, but might give it a try on 11/13&14 if the rut kicking. What phase of the rut would those dates provide for BW? Thanks

Blumsden, we've been collecting breeding data for decades there. The overall average conception date has been Dec 2 if you combine all years together. It ranges from early October until late December. may even be a few outliers in January.

The deer I collected last year were all bred between Nov 11-19. The early hunt should be the jack pot.

Going to be very interesting.