As a resident of Alabama who hunts both states i will weigh in my opinion. Alabama numbers are an estimate. I don't think it is in the 500,000 range i believe it is lower. We have no tagging system. They send a card at the end of the year and it is optional to fill it out. We are starting a tagging system in October similar to TN. As for the man who hunted the west Talladega national forest the WMA is covered up. We hunted there opening day not even scouting and had 8 birds gobbling in hearing distance and killing one of them. I havent hunted the eastern part of the state but I have hunted Monroe, Wilcox, Dallas, Bibb, Greene and several others counties on the Tombigbee river. Those places are loaded with birds. I would say wilcox has the most birds i've seen. I live in Cullman county and have no birds around the house, Morgan county doesn't even have an open season. I hunted north jefferson opening weekend calling a bird up that never gobbled. It is tuff to hunt down here because the birds hen up. By the time the hens go on nest evry tom, Richard, and harry has called at them so they are skidish. I will say me and my cousin left alabama to get a lease in Wayne county TN and I am glad we did. He hunted Wilcox and I hunted Dallas (prime alabama counties) we kill more birds up there than here in Alabama.