|
|
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,221
10 point
|
|
10 point
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,221 |
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.
BTR Scorer in NW Alabama
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 8,622 Likes: 21
14 point
|
|
14 point
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 8,622 Likes: 21 |
I know a way to increase interest in wmas. Make it worth getting out of bed in the morning. Take hollins management area for instance. Section it off in 50 acre blocks. Clear cut 50 percent. Take the other 50 percent and split it in half. One half gets scraped clean with a bull dozier (which will be paid for by the proceeds from timber harvest) and is leased to farmers for growing corn and soybean only. The other half is left to grow naturally the way a cutover does. The money from the farming leases pays to plant winter forage for the deer and turkeys. I've had it up to my eyeballs with the red dickheaded woodpecker, screw those damn things. Do something for the deer, ducks, doves, quail, and turkeys. 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
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 6,999
10 point
|
|
10 point
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 6,999 |
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...
Last edited by NightHunter; 09/03/15 02:56 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 529
4 point
|
|
4 point
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 529 |
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Matt Brock
Unregistered
|
|
Matt Brock
Unregistered
|
I was not aware of any special hunts on Lowndes. Yup, only ONE scheduled deer hunt and it's a weekend. The rest are the special opportunity dates. Between you and nighthunter, we can surely have an answer fast. I'm sure Chris knows why. I think the wording "Special Opportunity" must be a typo. Those are not special hunts. They fall within the statewide gun season.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 11,418
Booner
|
|
Booner
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 11,418 |
I was not aware of any special hunts on Lowndes. Yup, only ONE scheduled deer hunt and it's a weekend. The rest are the special opportunity dates. Between you and nighthunter, we can surely have an answer fast. I'm sure Chris knows why. 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
There is 2 different high fence. 1 small and one big! Mine was free range in the big pen and was not a breeder buck. Why does it have to be twisted around??
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 8,456
14 point
|
|
14 point
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 8,456 |
I know a way to increase interest in wmas. Make it worth getting out of bed in the morning. Take hollins management area for instance. Section it off in 50 acre blocks. Clear cut 50 percent. Take the other 50 percent and split it in half. One half gets scraped clean with a bull dozier (which will be paid for by the proceeds from timber harvest) and is leased to farmers for growing corn and soybean only. The other half is left to grow naturally the way a cutover does. The money from the farming leases pays to plant winter forage for the deer and turkeys. I've had it up to my eyeballs with the red dickheaded woodpecker, screw those damn things. Do something for the deer, ducks, doves, quail, and turkeys. 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 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.
Yeah c�mon. Daniel White
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 18,377 Likes: 89
Old Mossy Horns
|
|
Old Mossy Horns
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 18,377 Likes: 89 |
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.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 6,999
10 point
|
|
10 point
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 6,999 |
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.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 5,711
12 point
|
|
12 point
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 5,711 |
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.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 6,999
10 point
|
|
10 point
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 6,999 |
Also, they ain't rutting on Lowndes but on 2 of those special opportunity dates... Actually... you got me! I thought BW and Choccolocco were the only two having them. I'll try and find out. Please do! You can pm me if you want cuz I'm curious because it makes no since at all to me the way the dates are laid out. 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.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,349 Likes: 36
10 point
|
|
10 point
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,349 Likes: 36 |
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.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 877
6 point
|
|
6 point
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 877 |
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.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 4,693
10 point
|
|
10 point
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 4,693 |
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.
"Any way you look at it, most of the problems facing baboons can be expressed in two words: other baboons" -
D.L. Cheney and R.M. Seyfarth
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 5,711
12 point
|
|
12 point
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 5,711 |
I checked the management area seasons and Choccolocco shows the early hunt in Nov., but BW does not. When is BW's hunt?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 5,711
12 point
|
|
12 point
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 5,711 |
Nevermind, i see where it is for zone B only.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Matt Brock
Unregistered
|
|
Matt Brock
Unregistered
|
Also, they ain't rutting on Lowndes but on 2 of those special opportunity dates... Actually... you got me! I thought BW and Choccolocco were the only two having them. I'll try and find out. Please do! You can pm me if you want cuz I'm curious because it makes no since at all to me the way the dates are laid out. 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. Forgot you south Bama boys had a split season. That's why they are special opportunity.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 5,711
12 point
|
|
12 point
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 5,711 |
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
Matt Brock
Unregistered
|
|
Matt Brock
Unregistered
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 886
6 point
|
|
6 point
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 886 |
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.
|
|
|
|
|
