West Alabama Predator Challenge March 4 - 6 helps deer and turkey

Deer season is over, and turkey season is still a few weeks away, but there is game that can be hunted right now. In fact, you could win $1,500 for hunting this game.

It’s called the West Alabama Predator Challenge, and it was started four years ago by Dwayne Lolly, owner of Blue Bore Armory in Demopolis. The team that harvests the most coyote, fox, bobcat, raccoon and feral hog will win $1,500. Even though hog is not a predator, they are an invasive and nuisance species.

The Predator Challenge will be March 4 through March 6. Teams of up to four people will register at Blue Bore. Around 12:30 p.m. March 4 they will go over the rules, then around 2 p.m. all the hunting teams will be released to hunt over the weekend.

Lolly said some people have hunted alone, but it is better to have a team to make sure the harvest count is up. Check in will be at the Faunsdale Bar and Grill in Faunsdale from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. There is no weigh in; winning is based on the number of predators harvested.

“We just take a head count, so they all stay in the back of the truck or trailer,” Lolly said. “We do check to make sure they are fresh kills.”

The Faunsdale Bar and Grill will be open for hunters. “It was a good time last year,” Lolly said. “We had about 40 or 50 hunters. Everybody has a good time talking about your stories hunting.” There will be a food table this year, according to Lolly.

The rules are very simple and are available at the West Alabama Predator Challenge Facebook page.

All state hunting laws are to be followed. Teams can hunt any land, as long as it is legal and they have the proper permission, especially if it is privately owned and it is within the state of Alabama. The game being hunted are nuisance species, and it’s always open season for these animals in Alabama.

Predator hunting “has become about third or fourth on the list” after deer and turkey in popularity over the last few years, Lolly said. Hog hunting has also become very popular. Many hunters from other states come to Alabama to hunt feral hog.

“The main reason most people hunt the predators is to help out the deer and turkey population,” Lolly said.

For details, go to the West Alabama Predator Challenge Facebook page.