Who might you recommend...

[theoldarcher]

...if you wanted to hunt through a lodge in AL that wouldn't scalp you for pricing?? 

While hunting I have slept under tarps, in hammocks and tents, and in the back of my pickup; I've slept on pine cones, rocks, limbs, and roots; I've slept at such odd angles on mountain sides that you needed duct tape to stay on your sleeping mat; I've been rained on, hailed on, sleeted on, snowed on, and crawled as far as I could down in my sleeping bag to try to be missed by lightening that was 'right there!'.  I am not getting any younger!  What I'm looking for is to be spoiled a little with my deer hunting.  I'd love to find a lodge where Miss Judy and Mister Buddy come out to the truck and give you a big ol' hug when you pull into the yard.  I want to sleep in a bed, eat at a table, be carried out to the shooting house or the stand, etc.  If it worked out, I'd love to start an annual traditional trip to a lodge. 

So that's my story, and that's what I'm looking for.  Thanks in advance for any ideas you are willing to share with me.

Blessings, Arch

[Graybeard]

Being from Bama I don't often hunt at lodges here. I have been to White Oak. It's NOT CHEAP by any means and I saw no legal bucks while there but you can shoot a doe per sitting (two per day) and there are a LOT of them. They don't come to your car and hug you but are friendly. They do take you to the stands and come back for you and you do sleep in a bed and eat at a table and pretty good food at that.

It's a beautiful lodge for sure and might or might not be what you're looking for.

Portland Landing is one I think I'd like to try but haven't been there so am not certain.

[theoldarcher]

Graybeard: I have tried every combination I can think of to find Portland Landing on the Internet, and I can't get anything on them.  I tried TreBark too and nothing opens that allows me in there.  Any suggestions??  Happen to have a phone #?

Thanks, Arch

[Graybeard]

I'm not 100% certain but think Portland Landing is owned by Mossy Oak. I watched a show I had recorded filmed there with the Mossy Oak crew and a boy with some serious medical problems. They showed him shooting his first deer ever on the show. I'll see if I can dig up something on it. I likely have a link on my primary computer but it's down right now and I'm operating on my back up and I don't have all the links on it I do on the other. I'll see if I can dig up a contact for you on Portland Landing.

Dunno about Treebark but I think you're spelling it wrong. Search for Jim Crumley, he's the guy who invented Treebark camo and I think was the first of the designer camo patterns really. Bill Jordon might have beat him but I don't think so. They were the first two I remember.

You can read about my hunt at White Oak if you want on the handgun hunting forum. I think I have it pinned at the top.

[Tom W.]

I don't use  outfitters here either, but there is Hawkins Ridge Lodge here in Eufaula, about a mile or so from where I hunt. I know they have a good business, and also have fishing trips here on Lake Eufaula.

http://www.hawkinshunting.com/

[Bugflipper]

 Sorry, i can't recommend one, but I can give you a tip. Try to stay in the black belt region of the state, where these fellows are pointing you. I'm in the NE tiip, we do have big deer, but they are few and far between. The local place charges $500 a day, I hunt land that borders theirs and would not pay that a season. I know around the blackbelt a lot of the QDM was done in cooperation with whitetail institute, so the ones that have been around 10 or more years have bucks worth paying for. Once you find a few just email them and ask about their qdm program. If they just say we have 6 foodplots or whatever, move on to the next. You want to hear about genetics, selective harvesting and soil tests.
 Good day