Would-be hunter in NW Alabama

Sebaney said:

Hey all,

I set a goal for myself to take a deer this coming season (next year) with my .54 Hawken. I’m new to hunting, and to Alabama, and am hoping to get some advice from this knowledgeable community as to how to go about finding land to hunt and tips for stalking whitetail with a muzzleloader.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Click to expand...

Trigger said:

https://www.amazon.com/TACTACAM-Cel...2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1

Go for it...

If you can get one deer in a spot you think on camera. During the day. Just one shooting legal picture in a week. That's an OK spot..

That if you use it without bait without scent. Just to see what's natural threw there.

If nothing at all in a week.. move that thing.

Click to expand...

1950DAVE said:

Oh, and by the way, Welcome.
Keep an eye out for a shoot sponsored by Sparkplug on the forum. He is planning one in the spring.

Click to expand...

Spikebuck said:

While I've never hunted Alabama myself, I was on a lease in Minnesota for years with a group of guys from Southern AL and the Florida panhandle that made the trip north every Nov to freeze their buns off! Of course, they all usually went home with nice bucks too!

View attachment 364966

The guy in the bright orange sweatshirt owned a farm in AL and said the deer herds were so big he'd sometimes have to plow cotton under and replant since the deer would nip off virtually every plant in the fields. He had depredation permits and was culling deer by the dozens every year. I don't know if it has changed, but at that time there was no "mass donation" program so all the culled deer were piled to rot. Disgusted him that the farmers couldn't get the legislature to get a program in place to use the meat.

If that's still the scenario, getting permission to hunt should not be hard.

When scouting public land, go where most others don't. Scout the fringes...especially those bordering posted private land. Note where all the cars are parked and go elsewhere!

Click to expand...

R Ellis said:

Wheeler Refuge in Decatur has a muzzleloader season also Try Bankhead National Forest

Click to expand...

Trigger said:

For deer.. gear
I like a snack sandwich water. Waterproof backpack is nice
Thermos coffee..

Wool clothing.

Boots.. insulating waterproof hunting and rubber or muck boots is nice.

Chest waders.. that I used Michigan.

Ground cushion heat seat. Milk crates. Good start.. shooting stick.

Gloves. Knife. Folding saw. Drag Rope. Whistle. Compass. Roll of orange trail marking tape. Roll of Electrical tape. Flashlight.

half a toilet paper roll from the bathroom in a zip lock. Ssmush the roll Flatt to save space.

Click to expand...

Spikebuck said:

Successfully stalking close to whitetails can be very difficult...at least I find it to be. As I reported in my recent post, I've only successfully done it twice in 50 years in the brushy short-range-visibilty woods I usually hunt. Well...sometimes with bow I got within gun range, but not bow range, so I don't count those. Net, I'd plan for finding good spots to ambush deer and, if the opportunity comes up, do stalking as well. Good to have several "tools" in your hunting toolbox.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/successful-stalk.187579/

One other skill you will need is tracking/trailing wounded deer. IMO, the late John Trout, Jr. wrote the bible on these skills. Get a copy and study it. Sometimes deer just fall over when hit, but most are going to run. I've had deer hit through the heart go up to 100 yards. Many double lunged deer will go 50 to 75 yards. Get a less than favorable hit, like liver...or worse, guts...and you'll need good tracking skills.

Below is one source for John's book.

https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Wounded-Deer-John-Trout/dp/0970749309

Click to expand...