My Daddy and his folks grew up/lived in Lee County, Ala. I remember in the late 50's through about 1964....He and a Buddy here would leave on a Thursday and go "Somewhere" on the Tombigbee over in Mississippi and go on Dog Drives. The Dog Men road Horses on the hunt. They were told to "Kill any and all Deer....Bucks/Does/Yearlings"....as they were overpopulated and harming the Crops!! He killed a Big Doe in 1961. Nobody knew much about a Deers' habits back then.....Nor that they wouldn't Spread out and expand there range much if Plenty of Food was Available. Later on in 1967.....And I got Old Enough to Really Hunt..(Age 10)....he was asked by Miller Lumber in Selma if he might be interested in Leasing some of there land for Deer/Turkey....( He bought a LOT of Poplar and Cottonwood from Miller). Elm Bluff Hunting Club was Born.....Leased 10,000 Acres on the Alabama River for 50 Cents an Acre. I remember the first couple years were Lean...Go and Go and Go......FREEZE.....Go.....FREEZE on Dog Drives. Killed maybe 5 or 6 the first couple years then.......it got Better and Better. Went on about 6 hunts before I saw my first Deer....A Doe. The Bucks that were killed were BIG. I still remember a 9 Point Buck one of the members' Son Killed in 1969-----We ALL witnessed the weighing on a Cotton Scale just north on hwy 41----317 Pounds. Deer was Abnormally LONG.....and Had a BEER BELLY from Feeding on all the Soybeans Grown back then.....and th' wealth of White Oak Acorns..
