https://worldpopulationreview.com/states/alabama/countiesAttached Link above is to a color coded map of population, by county, in AL. According to your theory, counties of the same color should be seeing the same, or at least somewhat similar harvest trends, if fragmented properties and corn are really the route cause of all issues. At a quick first glance comparison, it doesn't appear that that is the case. Overlay the two maps and see what it looks like.
So how does population density for a county like say Jackson relate to hunter density??
I cant find anything regarding licensed hunters by county. Roughly 10% of Alabama residents have hunting licenses according to what I can find. A safe assumption is that that 10% is somewhat evenly distributed among the population and across huntable property. Sure it will vary by locale, but you cant just arbitrarily say that more people hunt in Jackson county than do in Mobile county.
Marengo, Dallas, Clarke, and Wilcox counties have low populations and larger tracts but what you have to take into account is that half of Pensacola, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and half of Mobile and Baldwin counties, along with a pile of Louisiana coon asses are driving to those counties to hunt every week. The actual hunter density in those counties when you add in all the transient hunters coming and going, to the existing resident landowners that hunt, is way higher than you are giving credit for looking only at individual property ownership.
Example: You've got a fragmented area in Jackson County. You have one landowner with 500 acres and 12 individual landowners with 2-40 acres each, totaling another 250 acres, and all hunt. So you have 13 people hunting that 750 acres in Jackson county. In Marengo county, you have one privately owned 750 acre tract. It is leased to a hunting club with 10-12 members. If the landowner and his son hunt the backyard around his house, you have 12-14 people hunting the 750 acres in Marengo too.
