Dry Fall Should Have Minimal Effect On Deer Hunting In Alabama

MONTGOMERY, AL — Deer hunters will be relieved to find that the dry fall Alabama has experienced will not have much effect on the state's deer herd.

Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division Deer Program Coordinator Chris Cook said Alabama received abundant rain when it was most important to the state’s deer herd, but waterfowl hunters will definitely see negative effects of the dry fall weather.

"With deer, as long as it’s wet during the time when they’re putting on antlers and when fawns are dropping, nursing and developing, it really doesn’t have much of an effect on deer," Cook said. "This time of year, the deer are focusing on acorns. If it was wet when the acorns were forming, it doesn’t really affect them. I know in west Alabama, we had great habitat conditions when the fawns were growing and antlers were developing."

Cook added that the dry weather this fall has not affected the harvest, based on what Game Check is showing so far. "What’s been reported so far this year is about 5,000 more deer taken than at this time last year," he said.

Cook said when the acorn supply is finally exhausted, if the dry weather continues, it could affect the quality of the browse available to the deer and increase the use of supplemental feeding opportunities like food plots if they were planted when sufficient moisture was in the ground.

"Deer are more susceptible when there are fewer options for food," Cook said. "But when the rut rolls around, the last thing on a buck’s mind is eating."