Below are the hunting-season dates and bag limits for Alabama’s 2021-22 hunting seasons. As always, check with ADCNR’s official regulations booklet to verify all seasons and dates before you ever get in the woods. There are lots of Zones, lots of details to know. The regs should be available at sporting goods stores soon, and the regs can also be viewed and downloaded at outdooralabama.com.
Please always follow the regulations, and foremost, hunt safely.
Please share your successes from the Alabama woods this season by sending pictures and details to [email protected].
Deer Season
Special Youth, Either-Sex Deer: Zones A, B, C: Nov. 12-15 Zones D, E: Oct. 29 – Nov. 1
Muzzleloader/Air Rifle, Either-Sex:Zones A, B, C: Nov. 15-19 Zones D, E: Nov. 1-5
ZONE A Deer Dates
Archery Either-sex: Oct. 15 – Feb. 10
Gun Stalk Hunting Private and Leased Lands Either-sex: Nov. 20 – Feb. 10
Open Permit-Public Land Antlered Bucks:Nov. 20 – Dec. 10; Jan. 2 – Feb. 10 Either-sex:Dec. 11 – Jan. 1
Dog-Deer (counties where allowed)Either-sex:Nov. 20 – Jan. 15
Dog-Deer (open permit public land) Antlered Bucks:Nov. 20 – Dec. 10; Jan. 2-15 Either-sex:Dec. 11 – Jan. 1
ZONE B Deer Dates
Archery Antlered Bucks Only: Oct. 15-24; Either-sex: Oct. 25 – Feb. 10
Gun Stalk Hunting Private and Leased Lands Either-sex: Nov. 20 – Feb. 10
Open Permit-Public Land Antlered Bucks:Nov. 20 – Dec. 10; Jan. 2 – Feb. 10 Either-sex:Dec. 11 – Jan. 1
Dog-Deer (counties where allowed)Either-sex:Nov. 20 – Jan. 15
Dog-Deer (open permit public land) Antlered Bucks:Nov. 20 – Dec. 10; Jan. 2-15 Either-sex:Dec. 11 – Jan. 1
Zone C Deer Dates
Archery Either-sex: Oct. 15 – Feb. 10
Gun Stalk Hunting Private and Leased Lands Antlered Bucks:Nov. 29 – Dec. 17; Jan. 2 – Feb. 10 Either-sex: Nov. 20-28; Dec. 18 – Jan. 1
Open Permit-Public Land Antlered Bucks:Nov. 20 – Dec. 17; Jan. 2 – Feb. 10 Either-sex:Dec. 18 – Jan. 1
Dog-Deer (counties where allowed)Antlered Bucks: Nov. 29 – Dec. 17; Jan. 2-15 Either-sex:Nov. 20-28; Dec. 18 – Jan. 1
Dog-Deer (open permit public land) Antlered Bucks:Nov. 20 – Dec. 17; Jan. 2 – Jan. 15 Either-sex:Dec. 18 – Jan. 1
Zone D Deer Dates
Archery Either-sex: Oct. 1 – Jan. 15 Buck-only: Jan. 16-27
Gun Stalk Hunting Private and Leased Lands Antlered buck:Nov. 6-19; Nov. 29 – Dec. 17; Jan. 2-27 Either-sex: Nov. 20-28; Dec. 18 – Jan. 1
Open Permit-Public Land Antlered Bucks:Nov. 6 – Dec. 17; Jan. 2-27 Either-sex: Dec. 18 – Jan. 1
Dog-Deer (counties where allowed) Private and Leased Lands Antlered Bucks: Nov. 6-19; Nov. 29 – Dec. 17 Either-sex:Nov. 20-28; Dec. 18 – Jan. 1
Open Permit-Public Land Antlered Bucks:Nov. 6 – Dec. 17 Either-sex:Dec. 18 – Jan. 1
Zone E Deer Dates
Archery Either-sex: Oct. 1 – Jan. 15 Buck-only: Jan. 16-27
Gun Stalk Hunting Private and Leased Lands Either-sex: Nov. 6 – Jan. 15 Buck-only: Jan. 16-27
Open Permit-Public Land Antlered Bucks:Nov. 6 – Dec. 17; Jan. 2-27 Either-sex:Dec. 18 – Jan. 1
Dog-Deer (counties where allowed) Private and Leased Lands Either-sex:Nov. 6 – Jan. 1
Open Permit-Public Land Antlered Bucks:Nov. 6 – Dec. 17 Either-sex:Dec. 18 – Jan. 1
Turkey Season: Lots Of Changes
Limit: Gobblers only. Limit one gobbler a day, four total during combined fall and spring Alabama turkey seasons. No decoys the first 10 days.
Turkey Season Dates:
Zone 1: March 25 – May 8 Zone 2: April 1 – May 8 Zone 3: Nov. 20-28; Dec. 11 – Jan. 1; March 25 – May 8 Clarke, Clay, Covington, Monroe, Randolph and Talladega.
Special Youth Hunt: Saturday and Sunday the week prior to opening of spring season for a particular county.
Special Disabled Hunt: One day prior to all opening days. Participants must meet medical requirements of regulation 220-2-.109(2)(d).
Bankhead NF And Listed WMAs: April 8 – May 8 (daylight – 1 p.m.) Lauderdale, Freedom Hills, Black Warrior, Coon Gulf, Riverton CHA and Martin CHA. Remainder of National Forests and WMAs That Allow Turkey Hunting: April 1 – May 8 (daylight – 1 p.m.)
Dove Season Dates
North Zone: All counties except those listed below in South Zone Dates: Sept. 4 (noon) – Oct. 24; Nov. 20-28; Dec. 18 – Jan. 16 Daily limit: 15 birds
South Zone: Baldwin, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Mobile counties. Dates: Sept. 11 (noon) – Oct. 31; Nov. 20-28; Nov. 20-28; Dec. 18 – Jan. 16 Daily limit: 15 birds
Small Game Seasons
Bobwhite Quail Dates: Nov. 6 – Feb. 28 Daily Limit: 8 per day. Closed on Bankhead NF
Rabbit Dates: Sept. 11 – March 6 Daily Limit: 8 per day.
Squirrel Dates: Sept. 11 – March 6 Daily Limit: 8 per day. Bankhead NF closed for fox squirrels
Raccoon Dates: No closed season. Daily Limit: No bag limit. Five per party on open-permit public land.
Opossum Dates: No closed season. Daily Limit: No limit.
Woodcock Dates: Dec. 17 – Jan. 30 Daily Limit: 3 per day.
Snipe Dates: Nov. 13 – Feb. 27. Daily Limit: 8 per day.
Bobcat, Fox, Beaver, Nutria, Groundhog, Starlings, Crows and English Sparrows Dates: No Closed Season. Daily Limit: No bag limit; daylight hours only.
Coyote and Feral Swine: Daylight: No closed season.
Night Season: Need Special License 2021: July 1 – Nov. 1 2022: Feb. 11 – Nov. 1
Bullfrog & Pig Frog Dates: No closed season. Daily Limit: 20 frogs in aggregate per person from 12 noon to 12 noon the following day. May be hunted daytime or nighttime hours.
Bear, Mountain Lion and Ruffed Grouse No open season.
Waterfowl Seasons
With the exception of sandhill crane, shooting hours for all waterfowl species listed in this chart is one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
Special Teal Season Dates: Sept. 11-26 Daily Limit: 6 per day.
Special Youth, Active Military and Military Veteran’s Waterfowl Dates: Nov. 20 and Feb. 5
Duck Season, Coot and Merganser Dates: Nov. 26-27; Dec. 4 – Jan. 30 Duck Limit: Six ducks a day and may include no more than four mallard (no more than two of which may be hens), three wood ducks, one mottled duck, two black ducks, two redhead, one pintail, two canvasback and one scaup. Merganser Limit: Five a day, only two may be a hooded merganser. Coot Limit: 15 a day.
All Geese: Dates: Sept. 4 – Oct. 3 Oct. 16-30; Nov. 26-27; Dec. 4 – Jan. 30 Daily Goose Limit: The aggregate bag limit of five dark geese (Canada, white-fronted, brant) aggregate bag limit of five. Additionally, an aggregate bag limit of five light geese (snow, blue, Ross’s) may be harvested per day.
Clapper Rail, Virginia Rail, Sora and Gallinule Dates: Sept. 11-26; Nov. 26 – Jan. 18 Daily Limit: 15 per day.
Snipe Dates: Nov. 13 – Feb. 27 Daily Limit: 8 per day.
Sandhill Crane: By limited quota permit only. Must apply online at www.outdooralabama.com. Must be 16 years of age or older and an Alabama resident or Alabama lifetime hunting license holder to apply. Dates: Dec. 3 – Jan. 9; Jan. 17-31 Daily Limit: 3 per person per permit. Zone: Area north of Interstate 20 from the Georgia state line to the interchange with Interstate 65, then east of Interstate 65 to the interchange with Interstate 22, then north of Interstate 22 to the Mississippi state line. Excludes the remainder of the state, which is closed to sandhill hunting. Shooting Hours For Sandhill Cranes: Sunrise to sunset.
