State of Alabama begins deer recognition program
There is always a need to learn more about the whitetail deer. They are the most adaptable creature that I know of. By keeping track of the big bucks it will give an indication of how well they are doing in a specific area as well as help to determine habitat and herd population.
By: Rick Kratzke
Staff report Hunters no longer have to wonder why Alabama doesn’t have its own recognition program for big bucks killed in the state.
The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division of Alabama’s conservation department has developed a new records and recognition program for white-tailed deer taken in Alabama — the Records of Alabama’s White-tailed Deer.
The demand for information on the largest bucks harvested in Alabama led to the development of the new program, according to a department press release.
The program will allow Alabama’s deer hunters to have their deer scored by trained wildlife personnel. A scoring session will be held in conjunction with the Southern Deer &Turkey Expo at the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Aug. 23 in Dothan.
For more information on this scoring session, call 334-347-1298.
By providing Alabama’s deer hunters a program to have their deer’s antlers measured and recognized, the RAWD program will be able to showcase the many exceptional deer produced in the state each year. The hunters also can compare deer taken in their region to deer from other areas of Alabama, as well as other states in the Southeast.
The RAWD program is open to antlers from all free-ranging bucks legally taken or found dead in Alabama, regardless of the year the deer was taken or found. The antler scoring system used for the RAWD program is identical to that used by the Boone &Crockett Club.
The minimum scores for the program are 140 net typical and 165 net non-typical. The minimum entry scores are high, but that is by design. If a deer has been officially scored for Boone &Crockett, Pope &Young or Longhunter’s purposes, sportsmen can bring the official score sheet with their mount to a RAWD scoring session.
From: AL.com
That’s pretty cool and sounds like it is about time they got something together to track their record bucks.
August 18th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Arthur, it’s a never ending thing. You constantly have to stay on top because they are so adaptable.
August 18th, 2008 at 10:22 am