Maybe North Alabama does need a week of hunting in February. Talked to 2 eyewitnesses today who saw a giant 8 "lock down" with a doe and bed in an open pasture for more than 2 hours yesterday. Within sight of a road and 2 or 3 houses. He was back in same place running a doe again this morning. North Marshall Co.

A doe comes back in heat till she gets bred. Why is fighting skeeters in Oct so important ?

Exactly... For me it's more about hunting cooler weather..

Yea I saw two examples of it last year. Big 8 chase a doe in my corn field for 20 minutes the next weekend following deer seasons end. And then again a week later I watched 4 bucks dog one doe for 30 minutes in the same field. All big bucks too

Our rut is always first of February here. We catch the very beginning of it is all.

A lot of the north Bama guys were fighting mad when us southern hunters were wanting a week or two of February.

I've wanted a Feb season for a long time. I just dont see the deer in Oct and it's still too hot.

Nah it aint all it's cracked up to be.

In general, a lot of success in deer hunting revolves around cold weather and lack of abundant food in the woods. February provides you with both. I like the Feb season as long as harvest totals are within reason.

I don't think we should hunt them in the rut or post rut when they are run down. They need to be able to breed and recover without our interference. would make bigger healthier bucks every year

Excellent point, Ben. Protecting them to create mature bucks with giant racks is a critical component of "management."

Don't know about anywhere else but the February season is a game changer. If it weren't for February we would have only killed three bucks off our 1500 acres. We are now up to six with three days left. October, November and December historically sucks on our place due to the low deer density and excellent habitat the deer do not move much at all early season...

Trophy management.....my management strategy is to protect as many baby makers as I can.....

Exactly, I would be in favor of a season that opened Dec 20 or 24th and ran further into Feb. And that is for ALL weapons, bow included. I get pissed every year at the number of hunters that shoot their bow two or three times and get in a stand, then all you hear is "I stuck one, but didn't get it".

Good philosophy during this age of high predators and 'Trophy Managers'.
Funny thing is, neither the predators OR the so-called managers pay any attention to the habitat, carrying capacity, or overall health of the deer herd.
If you kill EVERY deer on most leases, there still is not going to be a large quantity of high protein forage on the average lease that is primarily pine plantations with no habitat work.

I had much rather hunt October than February, where I hunt.

February was good to my FNL yesterday morning:



And my wife yesterday afternoon:

Deer are done at our lease in Randolph County. I have pics of bucks back together. We started seeing chasing the first week of January.

The states that do hunt their ruts do it bow only and primitive weapons. Maybe last two weeks bow only or one and one with smoke poles. Again if you don;t want to hunt Feb stay home, its not mandatory !

We've got to answer the question "Why?" Why do you want February hunting?

Because it makes it easier? (I disagree, but that's another argument)

Because you want to see Outdoor Channel deer behavior? (as if you're guaranteed to see it)

Because you don't see bucks otherwise? (So what you're telling me is for 3-1/2 months you couldn't see a buck?) This is the worst answer to me, do NOT tell me this and expect me to be persuaded.

Because you want to see rutting activity? Why???? Why does it matter??? If you CAN see a buck(s) from Oct 15 thru Jan 31(and you CAN!!), what does it matter if you see a buck chasing a doe on Feb 10??? This is a grossly selfish and misguided reason.

And to the guys who say "we hunt turkeys when they gobble", I'd say "yes, but we haven't already been hunting them for 3-1/2 months prior to gobbling." As a young man, I easily killed as many longbeards in the Fall season as I did in the Spring.

Quit being selfish and abusing the resource. Get out of your over-pressured club, get off the food plots, get out of the shooting houses and ladder stands. I don't see bucks when I hunt like that either!!! Quit goofing up the season for those of us who DO see and kill good bucks from Oct thru Jan, just because you've been brainwashed by TV shows.