Hi Guys! i live in Chester, don't hunt archery anymore but keep my finger on the pulse of what's going down outdoorwise here abouts. The word among my buds was that it was a pretty good year for those that knew where to go and how to hunt them. Some real good bucks got away, i know of a dozen guys or so that got theirs. One friend told me last Tues. that he had seen 4 different 4x4's, any of which he would gladly have mounted. Couple days later he killed a 4x3 with a 22" spread.
Usually, most of these deer would be gone, in the game refuge, before the rifle season opener. So far this year it's been pretty mild and the archery pressure is getting lighter every year so there still should be some, not a lot, nice bucks around if we don't get any big snows or severe cold before the opener.
I long for the old days seeing 30-40 bucks a night. Those days are long gone but at least a guy stands a chance at a nice buck.
Cahuntr, hope you guys weren't too close to Prattville. There are pet deer there that the residents care for, feed and give names to. They will eat out of your hand. It would sadden me to hear of guys on this site who target tame/pet deer. Once on the migration trail or out in the back woods...that's another story.
Joey