Who hunts in the SE United States?

I am central and eastern NC for deer, turkey, migratory and of course big bears down east.

If you have too many deer and no hunters, I am happy to make the road trip, just need directions and an invite.
I've begged people to shoot deer and coyotes going on a few years now here in eastern NC, no takers, because I need them shot during archery to protect my young trees.
 
I grew up in Arkansas and hunted it exclusively until I joined the AF. Was stationed back there as a fluke in 2005-2011, before we got stationed in AK. I retired in AK for the hunting really, but the last 3 years or so, our caribou herd we hunted is now closed for up to 20 years they are saying. Wife and I are leaving AK when I retire for the second time, if not sooner. I really miss the long deer seasons in the south, and not having to hunt in negative temps. After a spinal fusion in 2017, my body hates the cold more every year.
Arkansas the deer are getting so thick. I do the urban bow hunting around some of the lakes. Those hunts are either sex. With no limit. And they don't count against your state limit of 6.
 
Hunt in SW Miss the last 30 years. Yall's deer look a lot like ours. We mostly cater to the grandkids now. Me and my buddy who owns the land really start hunting in Dec and January during the rut.
Nice Buck! Where in SW MS are you, Cajun? I've hunted Gloster & Liberty since the turn of the century.
 
I was born and raised in South Carolina. I grew up in Barnwell, SC and moved to Aiken, SC in the mid 70s. Back then there was hunting land available everywhere. You could ask most farmers for permission to deer, rabbit or quail hunt with no problem. Fast forward today, farm land is rapidly disappearing. Finding a place to hunt is getting nearly impossible. About 20 years ago the horse people started moving in big time and land prices skyrocketed. Now most of the prime hunting land is horse farms. In the last couple of years thousands of houses have been built in Aiken County alone. It's sad having grown up on a farm watching the farmland disappear so rapidly. Luckily I have 200 acres of private land available to hunt 5 minutes from my home but for most it's almost impossible to find. There's so many times I wish I could flip the clock back to what it used to be. They call it progress, I call it disaster.
 
Arkansas the deer are getting so thick. I do the urban bow hunting around some of the lakes. Those hunts are either sex. With no limit. And they don't count against your state limit of 6.

I participated in a couple of archery depredation hunts in Arkansas. We fed a lot of folks.

Southern Georgia was fun for a couple of years, hunting private land has advantages. I'm a meat hunter so the racks were left to those folks.

:)
 
I'm born and raised in NE Florida and didn't start hurting until I was 40. I had friends that hunted growing up but no one in my family did. I never had any aversion towards it but just never had the opportunity. I was invited on a group trip and jumped at the chance. I was hooked immediately. Now I hunt every where I can and every chance I get.

One problem I have is hunting in Florida sucks. I tried it here a few years and really didn't like it. I hunted South Carolina a few years and loved it. Same with southwest Georgia. Loved it. Texas and Missouri a few times and they are both great!

I don't understand the guys having trouble getting people to come shoot deer. All the good opportunities for us are out of state. I have a couple of guys that will come shoot whatever you want shot.
 
I've lived in TN my entire life. Traveled to AR and TX to hunt ducks and WT several times. As a young man I was blessed to have access to hunt private rural land in middle TN. Plenty of dear, turkey and other critters, but genetics were not optimum on deer. South Texas was a real treat for me. I saw more quality deer in one day than I ever encountered in the years I hunted in TN. However, there is just something special about the beauty and experience hunting the hardwoods in TN. Fast forward to today and the access to several hundred acres of private land is gone. I hunt primarily WMA land in TN. It is difficult hunting with regard to finding game, but it still gets me out in the beautiful woods.
 
Arkansas the deer are getting so thick. I do the urban bow hunting around some of the lakes. Those hunts are either sex. With no limit. And they don't count against your state limit of 6.
Well, it's looking more and more like I need to get back to AR if I ever want to hunt big game. Our caribou herd is on the decline here and we are allowed 565 bulls total this year where I can hunt. The area I'd be in Is allowing 195 bulls, but the Feds are allowing 2 bulls for subsistence hunters, which is not helping the herd at all. Outside of moose, my hunting is getting way limited here.
 
I was born and raised in PA but thanks to the US Navy, I ended up in GA. My wife loves it here so we stayed. I have hunted all over the state and have a lease in Taylor County. My kids all have shot deer there and on a friend's farm. Public land is plentiful but usually is crowded. There is no long range hunting on my lease anyway. 85 yards is as long as it gets.

The deer in my avatar is a big boy from GA.
 

Hudge76 my dream for MANY years has been to escape SW Oklahoma and move to AK! The heat here is murder on me. I love the winter and watching temps for years, this place is almost always colder than the Kenai Peninsula (Homer) or the Ketchikan area. Those are where I've been looking to move to. Would LOVE to get you my ph# so I could get moving finding proprty advice and knowledge from you!

tim1457 I hear ya! Grew up hunting with HS friends in the 80's in E. Wisconsin on "Da Lake" lol. When asking for permission and bringing the landowner a back-strap and roast was THE way. Now, unless you have lots of money to lease or are "related" your screwed. Public hunting land is 2.5hrs minimum from here so that's out. I've personally heard the farmers here bitching non-stop about the hogs destroying their fields and me asking to help them out for 'free', and that I could REALLY use the meat as I'm living (surviving) on 40% VA Disability... (SHOULD be 100% but that's a whole other battle). Their response is always "grumble grumble grumble...well blah blah blah..." and NEVER "Sure! Let me show you where they are..." Ticks me off and I smile BIG seeing their fields tore up...and getting WORSE! Needless to say I haven't hunted deer in 14 years...sad. The whole "leasing" or "paying members ONLY" IS killing hunting. I SEE that from my side of the "no money" fence. Hence the wanting to move to AK thing... The land I roamed with a .22 for rabbits when I was a kid is now all under cement slabs and privacy fence swimming pools...heartbreaking...

GSRetrievers Wish I was closer, we'd be mutually beneficial!

 
You all are making me home sick. I've been in the military for 25 years and haven't gotten back down south in quite a while but I plan to retire back in Alabama. I'm looking forward to it. There's a lot of nice places in the US but none with what we have down south.
 
Top