The author examines a fresh rub at Muleshoe Bend on Jan. 30.
February 1 Update
It's always nice to squeeze one more hunt into your deer season, even if that hunt is just a quickie. So I was thrilled when an invitation to hunt the late rut in Alabama came my way from John Crook. Deer season in the Cotton State runs through January, and John was offering me a chance to sample the hunting at his Muleshoe Bend Outfitters (www.muleshoebend.com) property. On Monday morning, Jan. 29, cameraman Ron Sinfelt and I loaded up our gear and headed our Ford Expedition EL southwest from Atlanta for the 3-hour drive.
John's hilly property along the Tallapoosa River is studded with big hardwoods, pines and lush food plots, making it some of the prettiest deer country I've seen. And when Ron and I wheeled up to John's picturesque log lodge and walked inside, we were even happier we'd made the trip. John, a retired surgeon and a true Southern gentleman, had a table full of down-home food just waiting for us.
We hunted Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, and while we didn't see a mature buck on those two sits, we observed enough to make us want to visit Muleshoe Bend again. John is a strong proponent of sound deer management, and with the help of guide John Welsh, he's turned this into a whitetail haven. Deer at Muleshoe Bend tend to be well above the state averages in terms of body weight and antler size.
Too bad we had to leave in such a hurry, so I could tend to some unanticipated issues back home. There were fresh rubs and plenty of scrapes scattered through the area, testament to the late rut that makes Alabama such a popular hunting destination in January.
Although we didn't fill a tag on this hunt, it was a great trip. Not just to meet the Muleshoe Bend staff and pig out on cornbread, but also to spend time visiting with the other lodge guests. Among them was Bob Woods of Alabama Power Company. He and Donny Jones of the Tuscaloosa Chamber of Commerce are among the guiding forces behind the recent formation of the Alabama Hunting and Fishing Trail (www.westalabamahuntingtrail.com). An assemblage of top outfitting services scattered across the state, the "trail" includes Muleshoe Bend and a number of other quality whitetail operations. I definitely plan on returning to Alabama to video a whitetail hunt next season.
Now that the off-season is fully upon us, many avid deer hunters' thoughts have turned to scouting and shed hunting. If you're serious about improving your scouting skills, want to find some antlers and are eager to cure your cabin fever, our 2007 North American Whitetail Scouting School might be just the ticket. Be sure to check out the information about it here on our Web site.
The event will be held March 23-26 at Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in southeastern Minnesota. Stan Potts, Greg Miller and I will be there, and we hope you are as well. Nancy Wells in our office can book you for the event; call her at 678/589-2010 to get signed up.
North American Whitetall North American Whitetail is designed for the serious trophy hunter. It provides authoritative coverage of world-class whitetails, the latest approaches to deer management and advanced hunting techniques.
