Alabama Power Company (APC) licenses hunting rights for approximately 80,000 acres of APC property to hunting clubs across the state. This year, improvements have been made to the bidding process making it easier for hunters to view important information throughout the process, including having access to real time bid prices. For 2022, bidding will open for available properties to the general public on Feb. 1 and will close on Feb. 28.
In prior years, APC required bidders to mail or email their highest and best bid by the end of February. This year, APC is using an auction website to allow bidding on available properties and give bidders an opportunity to see information about each tract including maps, GPS coordinates, pictures, limitations and other important information. Bidders will also be able to see the current high bid for each property – a key difference from years past.
“The most common comment made by potential bidders is that they wish bidding was not blind and bidders were able to see the current high bid for properties,” said Brad McGiboney, Alabama Power Team Leader, Land Leasing and Legal. “Our goal is to make the bidding process more transparent and to provide real time information to bidders. We’re excited to make this shift to better support customers interested in hunting licenses.”
Available properties are listed by county and indicate the acreage plus the minimum bid per acre. Bidders may place a bid for the minimum incremental price or place a proxy bid that will automatically increase a bidder’s bid against other bidders.
Prospective bidders may inspect an available tract(s) only after reviewing and signing a Release Agreement, submitting it to APC and receiving a response from APC with permission to conduct a site visit. The Release Agreement, a sample Hunting License Agreement and Frequently Asked Questions are available on the Hunting page of APC Shorelines website.
Bidders will be able to see who won each tract immediately at the close of bidding. Winning bidders will be contacted to confirm their bids during the first couple of weeks of March. The winning bidders will be granted a 5-year license to legally hunt the property pursuant to the terms of a Hunting License Agreement with an option to renew the hunting license at the expiration of the license.
For more information on hunting licenses through Alabama Power or to bid on a tract, visit apcshorelines.com/recreation/hunting.
