Alabama Hunting Seasons Guide (Full Schedules + Rules Breakdown)

*Last Updated on August 13, 2026

Alabama hunting seasons vary from county to county and from game to game each year. Understanding the season schedules, regulations, and choosing the right hunting gear will be crucial for a successful hunt.

Here is the Alabama hunting season summary for your reference! It would help if you prepared yourself adequately before you go hunting.

What’s New for Alabama Hunting Seasons in 2026?

Alabama hunters have a few important changes to keep in mind for the 2026–27 season. The biggest ones affect turkey hunters and hunters using dogs for deer.

• Turkey season starts earlier. Spring turkey season will open 5 days earlier in 2027.
• Turkey decoys are now allowed throughout the spring season.
• Deer bag limits have changed in several zones. Hunters can take up to two unantlered deer per day in Zones A, B, D and E, as well as the CWD Management Zone. Zone C remains at one unantlered deer per day.
• A new dog-deer permit is required in part of Talladega National Forest. If you’re coming to Alabama from another state to run deer dogs, check this rule before you plan a hunt.

When Does Hunting Season Start in Alabama?

In Alabama, you’ll find over 1.3 million acres of public hunting land just waiting to be explored.

With some of the most generous hunting seasons and bag limits in the country, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to hunt a variety of species, including white-tailed deer, wild turkey, doves, alligator, waterfowl, and wild hogs.

Most Alabama Hunting seasons typically start in early September and end in early February of the following year. Follow our hunting calendar that summarizes all the legal days you can hunt in the state, and you will have a variety of opportunities to pursue your favorite game.

Alabama Deer Seasons and Rules

White-tailed deer is Alabama’s most popular game animal, with roughly 180,000 deer hunters taking more than 300,000 deer in a typical year.

Deer season in Alabama lasts for 4 months from October to February of the next year. Depending on the zone and weapons, the season dates vary in six hunting zones.

Check your deer zone first. Alabama does not have one statewide deer opener.

Legal Firearms & Ammunition for Hunting Deer

1. Rifles: Centerfire rifles using mushrooming ammunition.
2. Air Guns: Pre-charged pneumatic air-powered guns, .30 caliber or larger.
3. Arrow Shooting Rifles: Pre-charged pneumatic rifles using arrows equipped with broadheads (minimum cutting diameter of 7/8 inch with 2 sharpened edges).
4. Shotguns: 10 gauge or smaller, using buckshot, slugs, or single round ball.
5. Muzzleloaders: Black powder handguns .40 caliber or larger.
6. Bows: Long bows, compound bows, or crossbows that comply with regulation 220-2-.03.
7. Handguns: Centerfire handguns or pistols using mushrooming ammunition.

Note: Hunting with fully automatic firearms is prohibited.

When to Hunt Deer in Alabama

In many states, hunters talk about “the rut” as if it happens during one short period across the whole state. Alabama is different.

Deer breeding dates vary considerably from one part of the state to another because of the history of deer restocking and the genetics of different herds.

The D and E zones were specifically created around areas with earlier-rutting deer. In much of the rest of Alabama, peak breeding occurs later. That is why Alabama can offer rut hunting opportunities from roughly the middle of fall into winter.

For a traveling deer hunter, don’t just ask when deer season opens; ask when the rut peaks where you plan to hunt.

Private Land and Public Land Rules

Some deer seasons are open on both private land and open-permit public land, but the legal deer and dates can differ.

For example, during parts of the 2026–27 Zone A gun season, private land allows either-sex harvest while open-permit public land switches between antlered-bucks-only and either-sex periods. Similar differences occur in other zones.

If you’re hunting a WMA, there is another rule: you need the appropriate WMA license/permit and must follow that area’s specific permit and hunt-day rules.

Alabama’s CWD Management Zone covers all of Lauderdale and Colbert counties plus part of Franklin County. Deer hunting is still allowed there, but special CWD rules apply.

If you’re hunting northwest Alabama for the first time, figure out your processing and carcass-transport plan before opening day.

Turkey Seasons and Rules In Alabama

Alabama spring turkey hunting is getting a small but important change for the 2026–27 season: most hunters will get into the woods five days earlier, and the old restrictions on turkey decoys have been removed.

Regulations and Legal Firearms

1. Bag Limits: One gobbler per day; four gobbler bag limit during the combined fall and spring season.
2. Hunting Hours: On private land, you can hunt all day (daylight hours). On WMAs and National Forests, hunting must end at 1:00 p.m.
3. Shotguns: 10 gauge or smaller, using standard No. 2 shot or smaller.
4. Bows: Long bows, compound bows, or crossbows that comply with regulation 220-2-.03.
5. Rifles and Combinations: Possession of rifles, shotgun/rifle combinations (drilling), or buckshot and slugs is allowed when stalking both deer and turkey, provided that no one shoots or attempts to shoot turkey with a rifle or shotgun using buckshot or slugs.
6. Arrow Shooting Rifles: Pre-charged pneumatic rifles using arrows equipped with broadheads (minimum cutting diameter of 7/8 inch with 2 sharpened edges).
7. Decoys: Alabama has removed the previous restrictions on turkey decoys, so decoys can be used throughout the spring turkey season.
8. Mandatory Reporting: Remember to report your harvest through the Outdoor Alabama app or online Game Check system within 48 hours before processing the bird.

Alabama turkeys can get pressured quickly, especially around popular public hunting areas.

A good setup starts with finding where birds are roosting and where they want to go after leaving the roost. Check out spring turkey hunting tactics.

Alabama Dove Hunting Season

Dove hunting is one of the best ways to kick off Alabama’s fall hunting season.

For the 2026–27 season, Alabama’s dove season is split into zones and multiple segments. The North Zone opens September 5, while the South Zone opens September 12.

On opening day, shooting starts at noon and runs until sunset. After opening day, shooting hours move to one-half hour before sunrise until sunset. The daily limit is 15 doves.

When dove hunting, pay attention to where the first birds come from and where they go after feeding. Doves often follow fairly predictable flight lines between roosts, feeding fields, and water.

For Alabama dove hunters, the simple strategy is: scout the field before opening day, be ready for the noon opener, and hunt the flight paths rather than just sitting in the field like everyone else.

Alabama Feral Hog Seasons

Feral hog is another hunting opportunity. They have no bag limit and no closed season, so hunters can pursue them throughout the year.

But there’s an important difference between daytime and nighttime hog hunting. Night hunting is mainly a private-Land opportunity. This is where Alabama hog hunting gets interesting.

On privately owned or leased land, hunters need a valid annual resident or nonresident nighttime feral hog hunting license, in addition to any other license that may apply.

The nighttime season runs from 12:00 a.m. after the last day of gun deer season in that zone until 30 minutes before sunrise on the opening day of archery deer season.

There is also a separate May 9–August 31 nighttime season on private/leased land using dogs only; firearms are not allowed during that special dog-only period.

So don’t assume that “feral hogs have no closed season” means you can simply hunt them with a rifle at night anywhere in Alabama. The land type, time of day, hunting method, and season all matter.

And one rule applies everywhere: a live feral swine may not be released after capture.

Alabama Alligator Hunting Seasons

Alabama alligator hunting isn’t a “walk in and go” hunt. It’s a draw hunt, meaning you don’t just buy a license and head out like you might for deer or feral hogs. You need to apply through the limited permit system, and the hunts are split up across five Alligator Management Areas.

First thing you do is apply for an Alligator Harvest Permit. If you get selected, you can hunt and harvest during the season that matches your area.

Fees are different too. Under Alabama rules, the Alligator Harvest Permit runs $250 for residents and $1,000 for nonresidents. Besides, you’ll still need the regular Alabama hunting license.

And don’t assume the season is the same everywhere. Each of the five management areas has its own dates and rules, so you have to follow what applies to your specific zone.

If you’re new to this, here’s the best advice: scout in daylight first. Figure out where you can safely launch, where the boundaries are, and how you’re going to navigate once the sun goes down. This matters even more on Lake Eufaula, where some areas have extra boundary and access restrictions.

When you finally harvest a gator, don’t skip the last step. Tag it and report it the way your management area requires.

Alabama Small Game Season Rules

Most small game seasons run from fall through early spring, offering long seasons and high bag limits. While most seasons peak in the winter, there are year-round opportunities for certain species.

Legal Rules and Firearms

• Rifles: Must use rimfire ammunition (like .22 LR) or air-powered rifles.
• Shotguns: 10 gauge or smaller, using standard No. 4 shot or smaller.
• Other Gear: Handguns/pistols, longbows, compound bows, and crossbows are also legal.
• Hunter Orange Requirement: You are not required to wear hunter orange for small game.
• WMA Permit: You must have a valid WMA Map Permit (usually free or included with your license) for the specific area you are hunting.
• Dog Restrictions: During the spring months (starting in late March), using dogs for small game is often prohibited after 3:00 a.m.

Alabama Trapping Seasons

For Bobcat, Fox, Mink, Muskrat, Otter, and Striped Skunk: October 31 – February 28, 2027.

For Beaver, Coyote, Nutria, Feral Swine, Raccoon, and Opossum: No Closed Season!

*Please note that a permit may be obtained through your local district office for the trapping of nuisance furbearers outside the specified trapping season dates.

With these hunting season details in hand, you’re well-prepared to make the most of your time in the great outdoors during the Alabama hunting season.

How Much Do Hunting Licenses Cost in Alabama?

Alabama hunting licenses are valid from September 1 through August 31 of each year. To get a hunting license, residents must possess a current driver’s license or a non-driver’s ID issued by Alabama.

If you do not have these documents, you can still prove your residency by going in person to the Montgomery Office of Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries, Marine Resource Offices, License Commissioners, or Probate Offices in the area.

A hunting license can be purchased by using the online sales system or by going in person to any License Agent.

Fees may change each year. Check the license fee differences for residents and non-residents:

Alabama Hunting Regulations Key Takeaway

1. There are specific legal hunter orange requirements to follow. All hunters must wear a minimum of 144 square inches of hunter orange or a full-sized hunter orange hat.
2. Only hunter orange, commonly called blaze orange, is legal.  Various shades of red as well as camo orange are not legal.
3. Alabama offers liberal seasons and bag limits for various species, and hunters need to follow the specific season dates, hunting hours, and bag limits.
4. Hunter education is mandatory for license buyers aged 16 or older, with in-person and online options available.
5. It is illegal to hunt, trap, capture, injure, kill, or destroy any wild game on someone else’s land. Written permission from the landowner is required.
6. It is important to comply with Alabama hunting regulations for specific arms, ammunition, and equipment.

For more details on the Alabama hunting seasons and regulations, please see the official Alabama hunting season schedules.

Common FAQs About Alabama Hunting

Sum Up

Alabama gives hunters a lot of ways to spend time in the field, but the rules can change by deer zone, WMA, management area, and hunting method, so don’t rely on a statewide date alone.

Before heading out, always Know the dates. Know your zone. Then get out there and enjoy the hunt.

Whether you’re waiting for deer in a blind, calling in a spring gobbler, or spending a morning in a dove field, having the right gear can make your hunt more comfortable. Ready for your next hunt? Explore KALKAL Hunting Gear →

✨You May Also Like: 

• United States Hunting Season For 50 State Overview
• Georgia Hunting Seasons
• Tennessee Hunting Seasons
• Mississippi Hunting Seasons
• Florida Hunting Seasons