I spent the last weekend of whitetail deer season hunting with some good buddies in Clayton, Alabama.  Let me tell you, if you haven't gone hunting in South Alabama, you are missing out.  It is really an awesome experience.  The amount of wildlife will blow you away and the quality of deer is better than anywhere I have ever hunted. 

 

We got to the hunting camp on Friday evening and did a little socializing prior to getting in the woods for the morning hunt.  The camp guide had me hunting in a tripod overlooking an area that had been logged a few years ago.  I saw deer sign all around the area but unfortunately, we didn't see much in the way of bucks.  Some of the other hunters did see deer but none were shooters.  The picture to the right is a from the stand I was hunting in.  After the morning hunt, we came back to the cabin and regrouped for a while.  After talking with one of the guides, we decided that for the afternoon hunt, I would go to one of the stands towards the back of the property.  This is a massive piece of property, too.  The stand was a good 20 minute ride from the road.  It was like I was hunting in another country.  I didn't hear the first sign of civilization.  It was actually quite refreshing.  That afternoon I saw a small buck and that was about it.  I think most of the deer have gone into hiding for the year.  Once we got back to the cabin, we were all informed that a good friend's wife, Casey Williamson, had been hunting that afternoon and she had taken a really nice trophy.  They brought it by the camp and I have to admit, we were happy for her but jealous at the same time.  It was a "hammerknocker" as they call them down there. 

 

We all hunted from the camp the next morning and decided to head back home and try again next year.  I hate I wasn't able to land a late season trophy but I took a big 6 point on opening day so this season is a success in my book.  October will be here before you know it though.   Until then, I'll be checking the camera and feeder.

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The Thrifty Outdoorsman Swap A Hunt page is up and running!

 

Are you looking to try your luck on another piece of property but don't want to join a club or pay for a lease?  Try swapping a hunt with another outdoorsman.  This is a great way to experience other properties and meet outdoorsman who share your passion. Say your property has a good deer population but no turkeys.  But you really want to kill a turkey.  You could offer to swap a deer hunt with a hunter who has some property with a good turkey population. 

 

All you have to do is post to the Add Hunt Swap page.

 

Opening morning is always a little crazy here in Alabama and honestly, I wasn't expecting to see many deer.  The woods are packed with hunters and the deer are usually pretty spooked.  I had been hearing shots all morning and had passed on a few does.  About 7:45AM I saw a pack of five does come from my right and they started walking down the trail in front of me.  In the back of my mind I was thinking there had to be a big buck following this many does.  After a few minutes, I noticed movement from where the does had come from.  It was a buck!  The first thing I noticed was the size of this deer.  It has a huge neck.  My heart started racing and the adrenaline was flowing.  As the deer started to pass, a limb fell and startled the largest doe.  All the deer scattered instantly.  I was crushed.  I figured the opportunity was lost.  Things turned around quickly though.  After about 10 minutes, the does came back and started walking back down the trail.  The buck reappeared and I readied my gun.  I knew he had to be a decent deer because of his body size.  I wasn't sure exactly how many points he had but I decided I was going to take the shot as soon as he gave it to me.  I found him in my scope and he spotted me.  Before he could blot, I took the shot.  He ran about 15 yards and fell.  He had six good points weighing 195lbs.  His inside spread was 15 inches with 4 inch brows.  

Check out these big Alabama bucks!  This really gets me fired up for hunting season.  These pics where taken by my cousin's Reconyx game camera.  These deer are a little more impressive than the deer in the last post.  They're still in velvet right now but it won't be long before they start rubbing.  This camera is over some Deer Cane we have out right now.  This stuff is really amazing.  The bucks tear it up!