They just opened up the park as a new SOA, registration closes on the 30th. Anybody that draws and hunts pays a $40 fee.

Yeah and the hunts are all Monday thru Wednesday.

Are there any deer there?

I got drawn back when they first started the hunts in early 2000. Man that place was good. I shot a little 9 pt and a doe. I rattled up a couple of bucks that I messed up on too. If it's still thr same which I imagine it is, it's a good place

Just looked it up. Looks like they are one day afternoon hunts starting at 13:00. Have to buy a license, WMA permit and pay a $40 fee. Don't think I'm going to sign up.

No that can't be right or they wouldn't say if you rent a cabin thr fee was waived. I bet it's a 3 day hunt

I wonder if they will do this for other state parks

Does this "special opportunity" replace the previous method that involved Bowhunters of Alabama, selection, your "test" to see if you can shoot, and then hunting in the park?

Based on what I read, it does. Pay your money, enter the "random" drawing and follow the park rules, Game Check, etcetera.


And yes, some other parks probably could stand for some whitetail thinning via hunting.

If the state is doing the drawing now I would imagine Bowhunters of Alabama is nit associated with it any longer.

No, they are Monday thru Wednesday hunts. The bow hunters association is not over it. You don’t have to pay the $40 fee unless you are drawn is my understanding.

Yup.

Seems like what I remember when they first started the Oak Mountain hunts, was everyone was so pumped about going up there and it was going to be a shish kabob fest with deer just dying right and left, sometimes two with one arra. As I recall, the results were less than stellar. Maybe it's been different as of late.

Dr. B

If you enter this (or any other SOA Hunt) and get drawn, do you lose your points for other SOA hunts, like the Gator Hunt?

I think you just lose the points for whatever species you accepted a hunt for.

Where is this listed?

Outdooralabama.con
Hunting
Special opportunity areas
Login with birthdate and cons id

We used to ride through the park back in the 80's during the rut at night and saw a ton of big bucks. Saw one i would swear was a booner in front of the golf course one night. Gone way downhill since then.

Back in the early 90s I remember hitting balls off the driving range and there would literally be 60-80(or more) deer at the far end of the range. Several times teeing off on the back nine deer would be feet from the tee box and wouldn't run. They would just stare at you until you went about your way. It was cool to see. I haven't been on the park since the 90s so know idea what it's like now.

well it ain't nothing like that now bojo.

I killed a bunch of deer at OM. I just don't have time to hunt during the week like I used to hunt. If anybody gets drawn PM me and I will tell you a few places that used to be good. Haven't hunted there in several years though. Never saw a buck over 110" on the hoof. Only saw one that was slightly better than that. You need a different mindset for that place. You will have no cover in any tree you climb after leaf drop. You will have cars, bikers, hikers, and hippies come wandering under you and they never look up. Funny thing is that 10 minutes later a deer will come by on the same trail. Good thing is that if a deer winded you it would lock down, freeze for 15 seconds, look around, and then go right back to what it was doing.

The 15 dollar baiting tag apply here?

If so - popcorn is your friend.