Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Serious Deer Talk Forum Some Insight from a Texas Boy

Moved here October '23. Hunted in Texas every year since I was about 6. I am almost 62 now. It has been very interesting learning about and attempting to deer hunt here in Alabama. I just killed my first deer in Alabama last month (a doe). I have killed probably close to 150 or more deer in Texas in my life, so it ain't my first rodeo. The differences are interesting and I thought it might be interesting to share them.

I would first say hunting in general here is harder than Texas. The thick cover puts you a lot closer to the deer and you really have to watch both your camo and scent. Most of my hunting in Texas was from elevated box blinds and those two items were still important, but not quite as critical. The deer here (at least the ones I have hunted) seem to be a lot more spooky and wary. I gather this is from higher hunting pressure. Y'all have some really good deer here, as good as many high fenced places in Texas, and the fact they are free range is impressive. Body wise the deer are generally bigger here, at least the big bucks.

I will say deer hunting here seems more accessible, affordable and more popular than it is in Texas now. More easily accessible public land, and leases are generally cheaper, although they seem to be going up even since I've been here. I think there are generally more hunters here because of this. Hunting anywhere in Texas, especially because of the lack of public land, has more and more become a rich man's game. Access is incredibly expensive there compared to here, especially in south Texas where I am from.

Texas probably has you beat on "management", probably due a lot to the money factor. There is a much more of a management oriented philosophy in Texas, again probably partly due to the money involved, but the mindset tends to bleed over to the rest of the smaller acreage hunters there as well. I personally prefer it here, where folks seem to tend to hunt what they like and as they like. I still have seen a lot of big bucks taken here, so something is working. I like the overall atmosphere here better.

The constant debates over baiting are pretty amusing. We have been allowed to bait in Texas all my life. All baiting really does is let you see more deer, so you can be more selective about what you shoot. South Texas is like Alabama in one respect. The brush is thick, and if you don't bait, you are going to see a lot fewer deer. Baiting just lets you see more deer and feeds into the management thing a lot. I have shot a few big bucks over corn, but in general they become very smart and nocturnal there just like they do here when they get some age on them, corn or not. Baiting is not, and will not ruin your deer hunting here. Texas is your example to look to on that.

I am shocked by the amount of folks who take their deer to processors here. I have always butchered and processed my own, and that seems to be more common in Texas than here. I have yet to meet a single hunter who processes their own deer here, although I'm sure at least some do. My dear departed daddy would roll over in his grave if I ever hauled a deer to a processor. Lol. I will say it does look easier though, but I would never trust one to take care of the meat the way I do.

The wife and I absolutely love Alabama, and I only wish we had moved here 30 years ago. Alabama now is like Texas was about 40 years ago. At least it seems that way to me. We have met lots of wonderful, friendly people. Found a wonderful church. You folks are very accepting of new folks, and with the beautiful country and all that there is to do, we feel like we moved to heaven most of the time. The only dislikes are it gets colder, longer in the winter and you folks sure drive slow compared to Texas (but the troopers have now finally convinced me I better drive slower also...). Lol. I really enjoy this board a lot. Good luck and happy hunting to you all for the rest of the season.

Welcome row tad, wor beagle

Glad to have you here in the yellow hammer state.

Great post!

I moved to Central AL in 20 from Dallas. I agree with a lot of your takes. Lots of good people on the forum and it's been helpful. I took a buck and 2 does last year off public. That state income tax is a little hard to get used to but, I think when all is considered I'm better off here. The first deer hunt of my life was here in 22. Not many opportunities in Dallas were always too expensive and inaccessible to me. Welcome to Bama!

Good to hav you! South bama the bucks a little smaller

And thats what i was trying to say on the corn threads. I baited for 20 years in different states. Its exactly as you say - prob see more deer - your order deer not gonna be stupid much - 3 and 4s may some and its not gonna make the herd go extinct 😀

Good luck hunting

Welcome Ben - Thanks for the insight -

Yes we are glad to have you Ben!

Awesome name, must have smart parents!

Have relatives in Texas it's a cool place.

Cool post! Welcome Ben!

I spent 15 years hunting between Abilene and San Angelo. A lot of deer and hogs.

Texas can be an oddball place to deer hunt. In general, the deer get bigger the further South you go, which is exactly opposite of the rest of the country. Alabama does not have near the range of deer size and habitat that Texas has but the deer generally get larger as you move North from the Gulf Coast.

Welcome and appreciate the perspective

Welcome

Thanks for posting. Does Texas of has crazy of a rut as we do here? Here you can hunt the rut somewhere in the state from November to February. Oh and welcome to Bama.

Welcome.

Welcome glad to meet you

The rut varies across the state but not as much as here it seems. Depending on where you are I have seen rut as early as late September (rare though) and as late as very early January. In deep south Texas mid December was always prime time.

Texas has always had a pure native deer herd and has not seen the effects of deer brought in from other areas of the country like so many other states have. Central Georgia is a prime example of that effect. On the Georgia side of the Chattahoochee River, the rut aligns with the November Midwest rut (where the area's deer herd was repopulated from) but on the Alabama side just a mile or less away, there are as many as 4 different ruts and all are much later due to repopulation from various Southeastern sources.