Public Land DIY Whitetail hunt

[Stuart C.]

Hi,
 
I'm trying to get plans together and we're thinking of going over to Alabama for deer this fall. If you could, please chime in with any general recommendations - towns/counties with good WMAs, good lodging/motels. Or do you think an outfitter/lodge would be better.
 
Your thoughts on public land hunting in AL ?
 
Thanks very much!!!

[Graybeard]

Most of my huntiing has been on public land. I've hunted both divisions of the Talladega National Forest. I've hunted on several WMAs to include Chocolocco, Hollins, Coosa, Barbour and Butler. All have both good and bad points.

It used to be the WMA hunts were set so only one in a region was open at a time and the hunts brought in large numbers of hunters. All the hunters kept the deer moving and a lot of deer were taken. Now it's common for several in a section of the state to be open at the same time. Hunter numbers are low and not enough to keep the deer moving. That's great if you can hike the hills and search them out but not so good for folks with limited mobility such as myself.

Since CWMA is the closest to me it's where I've hunted most with Hollins being second in personal use followed by Coosa. The deer population isn't that high on either of them. It's pretty much all big woods with few green fields or food plots as they are jokingly called. The state does little to nothing on the plots so they are mostly just overgrown fields tho some actually are managed especially at Hollins or were the last time I was there which has been a long time.

Barbour is prolly the best in the state and usually ranks near the top in deer taken as well as trophy bucks taken. CWMA used to be up there as well but with fewer hunters and no management of food plots it has dropped badly and wasn't even in the top ten last year. It used to always be in the top five.

The black belt region has far more deer and bigger racked bucks than my area of the state. The very northern tier of counties have really come into their own of late and the really huge racks are coming out of Bankhead National Forest and Jackson county these days.

Good luck.

[Stuart C.]

Man that's great info. Thanks very much, GB!