I’ve been a member of the North Sumter Hunting Club near Emelle, AL for 5 years. Starting my 6th year coming up. We are looking for 4 members. Our membership is 12 total. Here are some details:

- 4000 acres. Adjoins the camp house
- 40 green fields with shooting houses. Salt/mineral dumps on each field
- Multiple ladders in hardwoods
- Main camp house and 40 acres with water/sewer, washer/dryer, 3 ovens/stove, big screen tv in house and on porch, multiple refrigerators, chest freezer
- Enclosed skinning shed with hot/cold water, heat, fridge to store meat overnight, electric hoist
- 100/200 yard shooting range with bench next to camp house
- Spots to hook up travel trailer
- Pole barns to park utv/atv out of the weather. No trucks on property during deer season. The roads are too muddy
- 12 member maximum. Currently 8.
- NO guests. Immediate family ok. Wife/child
- Property managed by State of Alabama game biologist for last 7 years. We pull jaw bones, record all kills and record all deer observations during the hunt. Went first 3 years with a NO buck policy
- Now it’s 2 bucks (3 1/2 or older) (There is a NO CULL policy). State law on does. All the hogs you can shoot or trap. We just received permits to night hunt hogs too.
- NO TURKEYS. Mossy Oak leases the club for turkey season.
- Twice a year planting. This year we switched half the plots over from Outfitters Blend to clover. Now our spring planting consists of poisoning weeds and fertilizing the clover. All fields were spread with several tons of lime 2 years ago
- Gravity feeders throughout property. Fenced in to keep out hogs
- 90% of property is pine plantation. Different stages of growth so a cutting doesn’t ruin the property. Large creek runs the length of the property with several branches throughout. This Is where the hardwoods are.
- 2 tractors on property with all implements
- There are no “required” work weekends. However, we all work as much as we are able to ensure the camp is ready to hunt in the fall.

Dues:
- $500 joining fee. This money will go straight into the camp general fund to help defray monthly costs. The same costs we have all incurred over the years
- $2750 yearly dues lease payment
- A monthly assessment which averages $140 a month. Depends on number of members and camp expenses. These include; seed, fertilizer, corn/protein, electricity, propane, tv satellite, water, landline telephone, tractor time and fuel/maintenance, property tax and anything else spent on the camp.
- If you bring a trailer you will need a power pole and will receive your own meter. You will still share the general camp bill.

The two camp owners reside in Meridian. They follow the same exact rules we do. They pay the same monthly assessment we do. These are the rules in a nut shell. This is a little to no drama club. There is no debate on who is in charge or what the rules are. It’s in writing and they apply to all of us. Our efforts are starting to pay off. There are plenty of mature bucks on the property. Now we are trying to encourage antler development. We feel the clover will start to address the issue this year since the bucks will be able to browse this high protein food source during their antler growth.

Call me if you have questions.
Ralph Humphrey
228-861-7060
Biloxi, MS

How many bucks/does did y’all kill last year.

Old club in a good spot. If I still lived down there I would strongly consider. Only downside is the mossy oak deal. I know how that is around there though as we lost a lease because of that same crap with them

2019-2020

- 8 Does
- 6 Bucks: waiting on biologist to age the jaw bones.

2018-2019 we killed 4 bucks. One 3 1/2, two 4 1/2, one 5 1/2. I killed the 4 1/2 year old bucks. One weighed 217 lbs.

We all see plenty of mature bucks. I can also show my hunt logs where I saw numerous young bucks and does/fawns on almost every hunt. However, we are all counting on seeing that mythical B & C buck step out. We are trying really hard to obtain this objective with the clover and supplemental feeding.

So if I'm reading correctly, 500 joining fee+2750 yearly lease+ 1680 (140 per monthx12) = 4930 for first year, and 4430 every year thereafter? Is that correct ?

You have a very keen eye for the obvious. I

Again, the $140 a month is an average. Less money going out on camp expenses and/or more members equals lower monthly fees.

How about CWD, you got it?

No we don't have it and haven't had it.

At the start of this year’s deer season I investigated the issue. There were no reported cases of CWD in Alabama. Therefore, it is legal to transport deer back into Mississippi.

Work on your grammar, then your social skills

And I still don't understand your pyramid structure payments

Stop shitting on the man’s post. If you have a legitimate question call the man or send him a PM. This is not a thread to dictate how he runs his lease.

Thank you Shaw. I remember you had my back 5 years ago while I was exposing RayP and his Gentleman’s Hunting Club. I landed in this club within a few weeks of his downfall. I am only a member in my current club. I’m simply tying to find a few members on behalf of the owners of the camp. So with that in mind I will try to answer Ozark:

If you’re unable to add 2 plus 3 and come up with 5 you might not be smart enough to afford this club. If you’re easily offended while having your balls lightly busted you definitely shouldn’t join this club. It’s called humor. It’s a guy thing.

If you can afford roughly $4500 a year, half of it spread out over 12 months, and you want an opportunity to hunt mature bucks in a club managed for trophy bucks and with very little hunting pressure, you should give us a look.

P.S. The $500 is a one time joining fee. Again, it goes into the general fund. That money will be applied evenly across the membership towards the next couple of month assessments.

Will post to general forum to help you out

Thank you.

Sounds pretty well run. Better than 90% of them

North Sumpter Co is the best hunting and fishing in the State of Alabama. Gotta pay to play boys. That said no turkey hunting is a deal breaker for me.

For pictures of the camp and a couple of deer killed the last two years please see our Facebook page. North Sumter Hunting Club.

Thanks.

I can’t locate your place in Facebook when I type in north Sumter hunting club

My mistake. Try North Sumter Hunt Club.

The no turkeys is a bummer. Glws

Couldn;;t find it on facebook

I’m not sure why people are having difficulties finding the FB page. I obviously don’t understand everything I know about the issue. When I type in North Sumter Hunt Club on FB it comes right up. The page is public. Maybe because it’s a “Group” page? If there are any members here that can help me resolve the issue I would appreciate the assist.

I don’t have Facebook so I can’t view it. Probably like other folks.

Well that makes sense. The only thing the FB page has that ALDEER doesn’t is pics of the camp and a few deer pics.

Why did the 4 members get out?

We’ve been at 8 for a year now.

- Two left last year to find a club with better genetics. The club they joined shot zero bucks this year. Waiting on the B & C buck.
- One left to hunt turkeys.
- One decided to hunt with his son in Kentucky

How are the deer numbers in that area now? Just curious based on what y’all killed seems low for 4000 acres. Used to be a lot of deer in that area. Good luck finding the members you need. North Sumter has always been one of the best deer hunting areas in the state. Always been some big bucks in that area. Killed my biggest about 5 miles east of y’all in Sumterville

The deer numbers are very high. That’s just my own personal observation based on the Hunt Logs that I filled out after every hunt. The biologist wanted us to kill 20 does each of the the first 3 years I was up here. The last two years he wanted us to kill 15 does. We never come close to those numbers. As I said, this is a low pressure hunting club.

One of the 2 owners rarely hunts. He loves coming to camp to socialize, loves to cook, have a drink and a cigar on the porch and watch football. He’s killed 1 doe in the five years I’ve known him. The other owner loves to hunt and has hunted all over N America and Southern Africa. At his age and experience level, he is very selective. This year he and his adult son hunted together and his son shot a mature buck. It’s the first deer I’ve seen this owner kill since I joined. I eat venison. I generally shoot 4 deer a year. We can’t eat more than that. We have a Dr who drives over from his home in Meridian once or twice a weekend with one of his kids. Usually in the afternoon. He shot a nice buck this year. I think he killed a doe last year. There are 2 guys from Tuscaloosa who’ve been friends forever. They’ve hunted here for over 20 years. They work hard on keeping the property hunt ready including countless hours on a tractor. Between the 2 of them they haven’t killed more than 10 deer in the 5 years I’ve known them.

This is an issue the owners addressed this year. They realize it’s hard to sell a club with low kill numbers. That is why I posted pics on FB of dead deer and trail cam pics. The deer (and bucks) are here.

I have been trying to locate the pictures on FB. Can you direct me where they are located.

“How many bucks/does did y’all kill last year?” was an earlier question in the thread. I’ve been this lease for two consecutive years having the opportunity to shoot more than a dozen does and two bucks each year. I am retired Army and for me the biggest thrill is watching the deer walk through the kill box and knowing if I wanted to I could. I also carry a nice DSLR camera enjoying the images. Wouldn’t most people agree whatever lease you are a part of you make it what you want.

I missed this message. North Sumpter Hunt Club must be a closed group that you have to be invited to join.

I'm gonna see if the works.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1803998723203235/

It worked for me. Thank you so much.

But you're a member, but hopefully it will work for others.

It works.

That’s great news Shaw. Maybe this will generate some excitement.

negative for me. I’ll keep looking

Thanks for posting. It worked for me.

I have posted a new picture of one of the clover plots from this weekend on our FB page. The clover is coming on strong in large part due to the lime we spread 2 years ago. We will be spraying weed specific poison 2 more times this summer. According to our biologist the clover is critical to antler development over the next few months. Additionally, we will soon be loading our gravity feeders with protein pellets/corn and replenishing the salt/mineral dumps . This fall most of our plots will be planted in clover. There are a few fields that are too shady and will be replanted in Outfitters Blend and Deer Radish.

One last item. The owners have agreed to waive the $500 sign up fee as long as any new member joins prior to the end of this month. Our land owner lease payments are due in May. You will be included in the monthly assessments (along with the rest of us) when you join. If you have any questions please PM or call me.

Update on the membership search. We picked up a new member today. We’re still looking for 3.

When turkey hunting gets included I’d be interested

I’ll have an update to that issue at the end of turkey season.

All of the clover fields at NSHC we’re poisoned again this week. It is a weed specific (expensive) herbicide that targets grasses other than clover. We specifically are eliminating Buttercups at this time. As you can tell, we take our year round QDM program seriously.

I wanted to post an update to our club openings. We have picked up 3 new members. In the interest of full disclosure, the Dr decided not to renew his membership this year. He wanted his 18 year old son to be able to come over with his little brother and hunt when the Dr wasn’t present. To be clear, the boys are welcome, when they are accompanied by their father. So currently, there are still 2 openings at North Sumter Hunting Club. I promised to have some information about turkey hunting at NSHC after turkey season. We are negotiating for 300 acres adjacent to our property. If it’s successful we will have turkey hunting on the new property. I expect to hear something next week.

In further developments, our guys put 50 lbs of mineral/salt on each of the salt licks this past week. The salt licks are located at all of the 40 food plots. Soil samples from a couple of food plots indicate a need for more lime. Despite the several tons of lime spread on each plot 2 years ago, we will be ordering and spreading more lime in the next few weeks. We will also have to spray for weeds a couple more times this summer on our clover plots. The clover plots all look great and the deer are browsing them pretty heavily.

If you are looking for a club in the Sumter County area I encourage you to give us a look. We’re managing for trophy bucks with very low pressure. 12 members at our current 4000 acres is 333.33 acres per member.

Well the wait is over. For all the hunters who said “No turkey hunting is a deal breaker”, I have good news. NSHC just picked up an additional 309 acres of property. The new property directly adjoins our eastern most property line. The new acreage extends to Hwy 17. We have full hunting rights including turkeys. This property is only for our deer hunters. Mossy Oak will not be included on the new lease. I have not been on the new property yet but I can attest that turkeys are there. I see them every time (literally) I hunt on that side of our current property line. As I said earlier, we are still looking for 2 members. The $500 join up fee is still waived but that won’t last much longer. All the current members are still paying monthly expenses. We will have new expenses coming in as we order more lime, expand a few green fields and grade some interior roads. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to hunt mature bucks with very little hunting pressure. We are still keeping the membership at 12 hunters on 4300 acres.

Another update on our membership search. The sign up fee will be waived until the first of June. At that time the fee will be $150 and will increase every month until it reaches $500. We will have a bulldozer on sight the first week of June to commence our expansion plans. The following weekend we will have 12 tons of lime delivered and begin spreading. That is the reason for a sign up fee. We will be averaging $150 a month membership assessment for the rest of the year. As you can see, managing for trophy bucks goes far beyond just letting young bucks walk. It’s a year round commitment to the QDM program. If you think this is a commitment you would like to undertake, please give us a call.

If you missed it in my previous post, we have picked up an additional 309 acres that includes turkey hunting rights.

Also, last week all the gravity feeders were filled with protein pellets.

I’ll be going up to the NSHC next Tuesday (6-2-20) to help oversee the bulldozer work. On Friday (6-5-20) we’ll take delivery of the lime and start spreading. Next weekend most of the members, including the 2 camp owners, will be at camp to assist. If there are any potential members wanting to take a look at our property and meet the members, next week would be a great time to come look. I also added a couple of pics last week to our FB page. Deer standing in the clover feeding. The deer are so fat you can’t even see their ribs.

New pics on North Sumter Hunting Club FB page today. We spread over 40 tons of lime this week. Freshened up existing fields and built several new fields. We had a bulldozer there all week. Several roads were fixed and new fields cleared.

We are still in need of 2 members. Response to this ad has been anemic at best. So with that in mind I would like to open the door for discussion and serious feedback. I see a lot of hunters looking for leases and I’m sure there are many more not posting, just browsing. We’ve had over 5300 views so I feel confident a lot of hunters have looked us over. What are you all looking for in a club that we don’t offer? I know the turkey hunting rights were an issue, as stated by several. But we did pick up 300 more acres with exclusive turkey rights. So how about it?

Is 300 acres too small a turkey woods?
Is having to bring a trailer in a problem?
Is the cost too high?
Are hunters waiting until the last minute to commit?
Has the China Flu screwed up employment and consequently the ability to join a new club?

Any feed back would be appreciated.
Thank you and Happy Birthday America.

Since you asked I will give my opinion on the place

1. 300 acres is barely enough land for 1 turkey hunter
2. The club is very expensive for mediocre deer at best.
3. All the added monthly and joining fees come across as being a money grab. I know things are expensive but it’s hard for me to believe it takes dues+joining fee+monthly fee per member to pay for the place.

I'll second that.

I'll add one more just from my perspective:
4. I'm done with "trophy" clubs.

I hunt North Sumter in the Panola area, so your post caught my eye. I do agree that with the rules and type of club you are running, I feel sure the hunting is pretty good and the possibility of killing a really good buck is there.

That being said:

- theres only so many people who can afford a place like that
- I tend to personally agree with zero/few guests on a trophy club, but it can turn people off who are looking at the $$ aspect
- the club sounds like you are pretty particular about the way one chooses to hunt. Nothing wrong with anything you’ve said, but it could strike folks as being a place where it’s difficult to fit in and avoid running afoul of “accepted hunting practices”

I think a place like this fits best with word of mouth with like minded people who you already know personally, know their hunting values/trade offs, and are comfortable with spending that type money.

Good luck with your post. If I had more money I would possibly be interested in a low pressure place like that in North Sumter. I feel like you’ll eventually find someone, the hunting is just too good in that area. You may have to settle for a “die hard” type though who tries to “hunt a lot”. Never know, you might find the perfect fit here as season approaches.

Maybe I’ll see you at M&M’s one evening! Good luck again

Since you asked, I would say lump all the costs together into one price. All those different fees sounds like a scam and the waiving of fees and stuff. I hunt all public land now to avoid the hc drama. Sounds like a nice place though. DUmp the mossy oak turkey guys and you will have no trouble filling the lease. Do those guys use the facilities too. I wouldn't like that, dump them.

Since you asked, dump the Mossy Oak guys OR make them pay enough to cover all those "monthly expenses". They have enough bank to cover it.