Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Alabama deer hunt in January

Hi all,
I am curious about the possibility of hunting the whitetail rut in January. What can you tell me about hunting in AL? I would probably opt for the services of an outfitter rather than DIY. I googled it and most outfitters had a 3 or 4 day hunt, as opposed to most midwest or western outfitters generally sell a 5 day hunt (or so it seems). What is the deer population like? hunter success rate? any pointers or recommendations?
Thanks for any help,
kstockfo

Do your research on outfitter and area to make sure you will be there during the rut. Due to AL's restocking of deer in the 50's and 60's different parts of the state have different rut times. A few parts of the state experience the rut during Thanksgiving, while others see action in Jan and Feb (season extended until Feb 10th).

I recommend looking in the Blackbelt region and hogs are always a bonus.

what is the Blackbelt region of the state? I'm guessing it has something to do with soil quality and crop production? are hogs a pretty good bet, or hard to come by? thanks for any help.
kstockfo

I hear that Alabama has hogs all over the share. A good bonus if the deer hunting is slow.

I've done a bit of research on Alabama hunting. A couple of salient points if you decide DIY in the northern parts of AL:

1. As mentioned, AL deer rut between Nov and end of January depending on where the stock came from. This is not a geography issue - it is a deer issue. For example, the deer in Black Warrior WMA rut in late November. The deer in Freedom Hills rut in January. They are ~ 50 miles apart in northern AL.

2. The WMA seasons and lands have some really good hunting - but only occur at certain times of the season. Most are open 3-7 days at a time and some coincide with the rut, some do not.

3. Antler restrictions and doe days - some WMAs have antler restrictions, most do not. Some have liberal doe limits, some do not.

An out of state license is also relatively expensive.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Did it for the first time last Jan. here is the story.
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/9553067/1

Good soil, nutrients, genetics, etc. You can literally see the Blackbelt on a good satellite or google map. Start your search around Camden and you'll be good to go.

Good deer show up all over the state though. The biggest deer I've ever seen on the hoof was in Tuscaloosa Co. The one in the pic was killed in the whitebelt, about 5 mi. from the coast.