Very good response Matt. Please give us your opinion on what needs to happen about the enforcement of the present game laws for deer and what can be done to make the situation better. I know it’s got something to do with the judges just giving a pat on the neck to habitually outlaw but would love to hear your thoughts
Game laws in the south aren’t taken seriously by a fairly substantial percentage of hunters. I used to think that wasn’t the case, and that most ppl obeyed most game laws. After having my eyes opened, I feel like there’s way more hunters that will break the law than I previously thought. I think it comes from a history of AL having VERY high populations of wild critters and seemingly endless resources and opportunities. Plus we have very liberal bags and season structure. I think that helps justify unlawful behavior in the minds of those willing to participate in it. No amount of enforcement is going to fix that. It’s going to take education. People need to understand the value of healthy and thriving game populations and what that means for our future. Habitat management, land stewardship, reconnection with nature, landowner workshops, complete buy in by the public. That’s what will change it. I don’t know exactly how to accomplish that because there’s a lot of distrust in government at the moment, especially G&F agencies. I was so adamantly opposed to the February extension in north AL that it almost got me in trouble when I was employed by WFF. I was looking longterm, and saw the potential consequences from it. I also still wholeheartedly believe our current season structure with cell cams and bait is not sustainable for management. Can we retain a huntable population of deer? Yes. No doubt. Can we manage deer herds with those three allowed the entire season? No we can not.
