Alabama Deer Hunting

Alabama continues to top the list of hunter friendly destinations. With a deer herd topping an estimated 1.75 million animals and one of the most liberal seasons in the country, is it any wonder that hunters love this state. The Alabama deer season covers 108 days annually and hunters may harvest both a buck and a doe everyday in most areas. Hunters may choose to harvest whitetails with a bow, crossbow, rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, and even a spear…Did I say a spear? Oh well, you get the idea. Click on the link for complete
Alabama deer hunting regulations.

Top Areas For Alabama Deer Hunting

Alabama’s deer herd continues to grow and deer can be found in every corner of the Cotton State. In the northwestern part of the state, the largest deer populations can be found in Lamar, Fayette and Marion counties. These counties are also producing some trophy animals. The district including Lauderdale, Limestone, Madison, Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence, Morgan, Cullman, Winston, Marion, Lamar, Fayette and Walker counties offers some great opportunities for public land deer hunting with more than 170,000 acres of WMA’s and National Forests.The northeastern corner of the state is made up of Jackson, Marshall, DeKalb, Cherokee, Etowah, Blount, St. Clair, Calhoun, Cleburne, Randolph, Clay and Talladega counties. There are some top quality private lands in this area, but all of the WMA’s produce good whitetails as well.

In the west central part of the state, the best deer hunting can be found in Pickens, Sumter, Green and Tuscaloosa counties, with the top WMA’s being Oakmulgee and Demopolis.

East Central Alabama offers opportunities for some trophy animals. The counties of Montgomery, Lowndes, Macon and Bulloch continue to produce good bucks thanks to Alabama’s fertile “blackbelt” area.

In the southern part of the state, the deer numbers remain high, with Clarke, Washington, Mobile, Barbour, Pike and Crenshaw counties being your best bets. Check out the WMA’s in these areas. Barbour county is particularly interesting due to the implementation of a quality deer management (QDM) plan. Under this plan a buck must have at least 3 points on one side to be legal. Only time will tell if this will lead to more mature bucks, but we have to applaud any state game management association that manages a deer herd not just for numbers but for quality as well. Nice Job Alabama!
For more information on Quality Deer Management, check out the Quality Deer Management Association.

Alabama Deer Hunting Season

Alabama deer  season is one of the most liberal in the United States with over 100 days of possible time afield. The bowhunting season begins on October 13 and goes all the way to January 31, that is a lot of time in the woods and reason enough to take up bowhunting. The Gun season typically begins on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and will also last until January 31. In most counties the limit is 2 deer per day, one of which could be a buck. The great thing about the season going through January, is that the Alabama whitetail rut occurs in January. This is by far your best opportunity to harvest a mature buck. Just when most deer hunters are settling in to their easy chairs for a long winter, Alabama deer hunters are gearing up for the most exciting time of the year in the whitetail woods. Click on the link for complete regulations regarding the
Alabama deer hunting season.

The best time to harvest a mature Alabama whitetail buck is during the January rut!

Alabama Hunters Helping The Hungry

Alabama hunters again have the opportunity to help others while they enjoy their outdoor pursuits.

The combination of Alabama’s long hunting season, dense deer population and generous bag limit provides ample opportunity for hunters to put food on their own tables as well the tables of those less fortunate.

Since the program’s beginning in 1999, approximately 380,000 pounds of ground venison have been donated to Alabama Food Banks in the state.

Hunters Helping the Hungry began as a joint effort of the Governor’s Office, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Alabama Conservation and Natural Resources Foundation, the National Rifle Association and the Phillip Morris Company.

Today, the program is sustained by annual fundraiser quail hunts hosted by the Governor. There is no charge to the hunter for processing the deer. There are over 40 participating processors and the list is growing.

Thank You Alabama Deer Hunters!

How Alabama Hunters Helping The Hungry Works

Hunters field dress the deer and take it to a processor participating in the Alabama Hunters Helping the Hungry program.

The hunter is not charged to donate the venison, but hunters may voluntarily pay processing fees to provide more venison for food banks to distribute.

The deer is processed into ground venison, packaged and frozen in quantities not exceeding four pounds each.

The process venison is distributed to the nearest participating food bank. The processor receives $1 per pound from the Alabama Conservation and Natural Resources Foundation for their labors.

The food bank picks up the venison for distribution to those in need.

Deer processors not participating in Alabama Hunters Helping the Hungry are asked to call (334) 242-3467. Click on the link for more information on Alabama Hunters Helping the Hungry.

List Of Participating Processors

• Autauga County-Kens Deer Processing/Joyce Owens, P O Box 523, Autaugaville, AL 36003 334-361-8761
• Baldwin County-Farm Fresh Meats Inc./Chuck Childress, 22057 Hway 59 S POB 435, Robertsdale, AL 36567 251-947-7385
• Bibb County-Owens Deer Processing/Timothy Owens, P O Box 118, Brent, AL 35034 205-926-5461
• Blount County-Blount County Meat Processing/Will Hall, 1485 Lincoln Rd., Oneonta, AL 35121 205-274-7617
• Calhoun County-Jerry’s Taxidermy and Deer Proc./Jerry Cunningham, 46 Roberts St., Oxford, AL 36203 256-835-3336
• Chilton County-Ratliff Deer Processing/Mike Ratliff, 10161 Co Rd 16, Maplesville, AL 36750 334-366-4553
• Chilton County-Reed’s Meat Processing/Warren Maddox, 510 Dunlap Drive, Clanton, AL 35045 205-755-5392
• Clarke County-Green’s Deer Processing/Fred T. Green, 35 Wiggins Rd., Jackson, AL 36545 251-275-8213,
• Clarke County-Southern Taxidermy and Deer Processing/ Jimmy E. Paul, 13510 Hwy 43, Grove Hill, AL 36451 251-275-8505,
• Covington County-Nelson Meat Company/Lamar Nelson, 22613 County Road 81, Andalusia, AL 36420 334-493-7679
• Dale County-Rattlers Taxidermy and Deer PR./Jimmy D. Jones, P O Box 584, Ozark, AL 36361 334-774-7261
• Dallas County-Central Alabama Deer Processing/Jamey Lee Lewis, 108 Co Rd 477, Selma, AL 36701 334-418-8560t
• Dallas County-Nichols Deer Processing/William A. Frith, 528 Jeff Davis Ave., Selma, AL 36701 334-875-1333
• DeKalb County-Smith’s Deer Processing/Keith and Kellie Smith, 319 Star Rd., Fort Payne, AL 35968 256-638-2168
• Etowah CountyJ and J Deer Processing/Justin Hallmark, 745 Tidwell Rd., Boaz, AL 35956 256-572-7743
• Fayette County-Hocutt’s Deer Processing/Jimmy Hocutt, 2011 County Road 130, Berry, AL 35546 205-689-4848
• Fayette County-Sipsey Deer Processing/Mike Gladden, 3345 County Road 35, Fayette, AL 35555 205-932-5179
• Franklin County-Kimbrough Processing Plant/Armon Kimbrough, 111 Kimbrough Lane, Russellville, AL 35654 256-332-2868
• Franklin County-Sutton’s Deer Proc fomerly Hester’s/Jimmy and Deborah Sutton, 1122 Co Hwy 123, Phil Campbell, AL 35581 256-412-0358
• Hale County-Richey’s Deer Processing/James E. Richey, 2050 State St., Greensboro, AL 36744 334-624-1403
• Hale County-Stump Hollow Deer Processing/Darrell Cook, 29256 AL Hwy. 25, Greensboro, AL 36744 334-624-4248, /li>
• Jackson County-Anderson Deer Proc./Robert Anderson, 2574 Co. Rd. 53, Stevenson, AL 35772 256-574-4175
• Lamar County-Chops Deer Processing/Gwendolyn McGee, 3650 Co Rd #10, Millport, AL 35576 205-662-3752
• Lauderdale County-Florence Frozen Meat/Phillip Martin, 1050 South Court St., Florence, AL 35630 256-766-2786
• Lauderdale County-The Rut Custom Deer Proc./Michael Parker, 750 Co Rd 57, Florence, AL 35633 256-767-6505
• Lawrence County-Don’s Slaughter House/Lynda Heaps, 4455 Co Rd 214, Trinity, AL 35673 256-974-6616
• Lee County-John’s Deer Processing/Terri Ford, 1125 Lee Rd. 147, Opelika, AL 36804 334-787-1125
• Lee County-Loachapoka Deer Processing/Lee P. Hodge, 141 Lee Rd. 667, Auburn, AL 36832 334-887-0108
• Limestone County-Clarks Deer Processing/Ray Clark, 24941 Cabbage Ridge Rd., Elkmont, AL 35620 256-232-8331,
• Macon County-T and J Deer Processing/Troy and Sandra Green, 8912 Macon CR 2, Union Springs, AL 36089 334-738-3948
• Madison County-Digital Printing Innovations/Marcus Hamilton, 8974 Hway 4315, Owen Cross Rds, AL 35763 256-426-8247
• Madison County-Hang’EM High Deer Processing/Chris Coultas, 314 Rubye Lane, Gurley, AL 35748 256-379-4490
• Madison County-Jenkins Deer Processing/Alton Jenkins, 493 Acuff Rd., Gurley, AL 35748 256-776-9662
• Madison County-Rocket City Meats and Seafood/Billy R. Phillips, 2205 Meridian St., Huntsville, AL 35811 256-533-9744
• Marengo County-Douglas Peteet Deer Processing/H. Douglas Peteet, 800 Old Lock Road, Demopolis, AL 36732 334-289-4919
• Mobile County-Naman’s Meat Company/Chris Naman, 8400 Airport Blvd., Mobile, AL 36608 251-633-2700,
• Mobile County-South Alabama Custom Meats/Drvanne B. Smith, 4661 Dawes Rd., Theordore, AL 36582 251-666-4566
• Montgomery County-Alabama Meat Processors/George McMillan, 2213 West Blvd., Montgomery, AL 36108 334-263-2884,
• Montgomery County-Buckster’s Deer Processing/Michael McCord, 2208 Spruce St., Montgomery, AL 36106 334-262-1162
• Montgomery County-Quick Drop/James M. Pugh, Jr., 8342 Chadburn Way, Montgomery, AL 36116 334-584-7556,
• Monroe County-Beatrice Meat Company LLC/Elizabeth Moseman, 2595 Grant Blvd., Beatrice, AL 36425 251-789-2242
• Pickens County-Clark’s Deer Processing/J. Larry Clark, 2114 Bonner Mill Dr., Carrollton, AL 35447 205-373-3523
• Russell County-Hudson Deer Processing/Jason Hudson, 246 Long St., Hurtsboro, AL 36860 334-667-7383
• Russell County-Millirons Deer Processing/Gearal Millirons, 95 Kirkland Rd., Seale, AL 36875 334-614-0118
• Russell County-Seminole Fur Dressing/Jimmy Lumpkin, 3746 Opelika Rd., Phenix City, AL 36870 334-298-1704
• Sumter County-R and J Meathouse Inc./Alice Walker, P O Box 537, Livingston, AL 35470 205-652-7280
• Talladega County-Deer Run Processing/ Jerry Cox, 206 Deer Run Drive, Sylacauga, AL 35150 256-249-1130
• Talladega County-Kay Family Farms Processing/Matthew Kay, 52118 Hwy. 78, Lincoln, AL 35096 256-403-1804
• Tuscaloosa County-Acker’s Slaughter House/Opal Acker, 11065 Pate Rd., Buhl, AL 35466 205-339-0903
• Washington County-Deer Processing Company/Quincy Baros, 433 Palmer Cr., Leroy, AL 36548 251-246-5101
• Wilcox County-Venison Creations LLC/Eric Stallings, 150 Hwy 41, Camden, AL 36726 334-682-4037

For more information on participating in the Alabama Hunters Helping the Hungry program call (334) 242-3467.

Conclusion

Alabama is a great deer hunting destination with a healthy population of deer and residents that welcome hunters to there state.

There may not be as many big bucks as there are in a state like Ohio, but in certain parts of Alabama, there are trophy buck living, if you know where to look