Best Place to go on a Guided Hunt Cheap

[30-06man]

Y'all wheres the best place in Alabama to go on a hunt at some sort of a huntin lodge that isn't too expensive? (under$1200)

[holahead]

Do a google search deer hunting in alabama and it should turn up a few places.

[Graybeard]

I'm not sure any of the lodges here have a hunt that cheap at least not for a gun hunter. You might find a two day bow hunt for that but unlikely a three day bow hunt even. Most run anywhere from $1700-$2000 for gun hunts. Yeah really outrageous especially in light of the quality of animals you are likely to take if any.

I went on a hunt at White Oak Plantation last December it was the annual handgun hunt that has been held there for 15-16 years or so. I got the hunt at a discount from a fellow GBO member who had bought in and wasn't going to be able to go. I still put over $1500 in it I think. I shot one little doe and didn't see a buck the entire trip. No one saw a buck on the trip and there were about 20 of us hunting all four days. I think of the 20 hunters times approximately four days there were at most a half dozen does killed.

While I'm sure they's not admit it I suspect that's about typical of their hunts other than perhaps during the rut.

If you want to come to Bama to hunt on the cheap then forget the lodges and do it on your own either in the National Forests or on a WMA. Your chances of taking home a deer are about as good that way and it's a lot cheaper.

[30-06man]

Wow. I have hunted the National Forest and normally Ill take the tent. If its going to be a while Ill take my camper. I might just do that. I know if I ever go to Colorado to hunt elk that's what Ill be doing. I know the deer in SC haven't got bigger than a 200 class. Might take my money and get into a big deer hunting club in the low state. The state record was taken off it and It cost about the same as going to Alabama. Is the White Oak Plantation in the Blackbelt part of the state. I have heard that if your going to Alabama hunt in the blackbelt not sure if this is true. The other place I looked at was Master Rack Lodge.

[Graybeard]

Yes I believe that's considered to be in the black belt region and while that USED to be good info it's not necessarily so these days. Tuskegee is where White Oak is located they claim to have about 16,000 acres to hunt on.

Master Rack has a good reputation but I don't think is any cheaper and I've never been so have no first hand experience with them.

These days most places in the black belt region are way over populated with deer mostly does and so the larger racks are no longer coming from there. If you really have an interest in coming to Bama in the future to hunt you should look into subscriping to Alabama Game and Fish Magazine. They do several good articles each year on the best places to go to just kill deer and where your best chances for a trophy buck are as well. They do a full blown two magazine write up on the WMAs each year as well so you'll get the latest skinny on where to go.

Right now the NW area of the state is where the biggest bucks are coming from it seems with the NE up around Jackson county showing well also. The Bankhead National Forest and the 90,000+ acre WMA within it are where a lot of big bucks are coming from these days. There is a Wilderness area inside that National Forest and some really remote areas if you're up to that sorta thing.

There are quite a few lodges in Bama and some nice bucks do come from them each year but not the really big bucks, they come from private land not lodge land or the Nat. Forest land in NW and NE part of the state mostly. You might run into a nice wall hanger anywhere but in all honestly Alabama is NOT the place to come to for real trophy bucks but rather for numbers of deer.

About 2/3 of the state allow you to shoot two does per day. It used to be one buck and one doe or two does per day but that changed this year and you can only take a max of three bucks per season and the last much be an 8 point or better.

[30-06man]

So If I go now I know to hunt public land or try to join some type of hunt club. I might go to Texas with my brother. If he goes then they have some sorta discount where he's going if 2 people go. The blackbelt sounds a bunch like Chester. I mainly hunt in Kersaw now and I passed on  very nice 10pt last time i was there for a good 12pt.