Alabama deer hunting: 2026-27 zones, WMAs and county harvest
ADCNR's hunter harvest survey estimates Alabama hunters took 330,413 deer in the 2024-25 season; its separate estimates by sex are 144,828 bucks and 176,220 does. Alabama's 2026-27 archery season opens October 15, 2026 in Zones A, B, C and the CWD Management Zone and October 1 in Zones D and E; gun deer season opens November 21 in Zones A, B, C and the CWD zone and November 7 in Zones D and E (ADCNR deer season 2026-2027).
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: ADCNR's 2026-27 deer and turkey pages. Harvest: ADCNR's hunter harvest survey to 2024-25.
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When is deer season in each Alabama zone?
ADCNR splits Alabama into deer Zones A to E and a CWD Management Zone. Zone A is most of the state; Zone B is the southwest; Zone C takes in parts of 11 north Alabama counties; Zone D is parts of Cullman, Lawrence, Morgan and Winston counties around the Bankhead; Zone E is parts of Barbour and Russell counties and of Calhoun, Cherokee and Cleburne counties. The CWD Management Zone is all of Lauderdale and Colbert counties and part of Franklin County.
| Zone | Archery | Special youth gun | Special muzzleloader and air rifle | Gun, private or leased land | Gun, open permit public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone A | Oct. 15, 2026 to Feb. 10, 2027 | Nov. 13-16, 2026 | Nov. 16-20, 2026 | Nov. 21, 2026 to Feb. 10, 2027 | Antlered bucks only Nov. 21 to Dec. 11 and Jan. 4 to Feb. 10; either sex Dec. 12 to Jan. 3 |
| Zone B | Antlered bucks only Oct. 15-24; either sex Oct. 25, 2026 to Feb. 10, 2027 | Nov. 13-16, 2026 | Nov. 16-20, 2026 | Nov. 21, 2026 to Feb. 10, 2027 | Antlered bucks only Nov. 21 to Dec. 11 and Jan. 4 to Feb. 10; either sex Dec. 12 to Jan. 3 |
| Zone C | Oct. 15, 2026 to Feb. 10, 2027 | Nov. 13-16, 2026 | Nov. 16-20, 2026 | Either sex Nov. 21-29 and Dec. 12 to Jan. 1; antlered bucks only Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 and Jan. 2 to Feb. 10 | Antlered bucks only Nov. 21 to Dec. 11 and Jan. 2 to Feb. 10; either sex Dec. 12 to Jan. 1 |
| Zone D | Oct. 1, 2026 to Jan. 15, 2027; antlered bucks only Jan. 16-27 | Oct. 30 to Nov. 2, 2026 | Nov. 2-6, 2026 | Antlered bucks only Nov. 7-20, Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 and Jan. 2-27; either sex Nov. 21-29 and Dec. 12 to Jan. 1 | Antlered bucks only Nov. 7 to Dec. 11 and Jan. 2-27; either sex Dec. 12 to Jan. 1 |
| Zone E | Oct. 1, 2026 to Jan. 15, 2027; antlered bucks only Jan. 16-27 | Oct. 30 to Nov. 2, 2026 | Nov. 2-6, 2026 | Either sex Nov. 7, 2026 to Jan. 15, 2027; antlered bucks only Jan. 16-27 | Antlered bucks only Nov. 7 to Dec. 11 and Jan. 2-27; either sex Dec. 12 to Jan. 1 |
| CWD Management Zone | Oct. 15, 2026 to Feb. 10, 2027 | Nov. 13-16, 2026 | Nov. 16-20, 2026 | Nov. 21, 2026 to Feb. 10, 2027 | Antlered bucks only Nov. 21 to Dec. 11; either sex Dec. 12 to Feb. 10 |
Stalk hunting and dog deer hunting dates, and the counties where dogs are not allowed, are on ADCNR deer season 2026-2027; each county page here says which rule applies. WMAs set their own dates.
How many deer can you take in Alabama?
ADCNR allows one antlered buck a day and three antlered bucks a season across all seasons, and one of the three must have at least four antler points 1 inch or longer on one antler (Barbour County has its own three-point rule instead). During the unantlered deer gun, special muzzleloader and air rifle, archery and youth seasons, Zones A, B, D, E and the CWD zone allow two unantlered deer a day, or one unantlered deer and one antlered buck; Zone C allows one unantlered deer and one antlered buck a day. WMAs set their own limits on their AREA Permits.
Source: ADCNR deer season 2026-2027.
When is turkey season in Alabama?
Spring gobbler season runs March 20 to May 3, 2027 in turkey Zones 1 and 3 and March 27 to May 3 in Zone 2, one gobbler a day and four for the fall and spring seasons together. Zone 3 (Clarke, Clay, Covington, Monroe, Randolph and Talladega counties) also has a fall season, November 14-22 and December 12-27, 2026 (ADCNR turkey season 2026-2027).
Where can you hunt public land in Alabama?
34 WMAs, community hunting areas and tracts have a page here, each with its 2026-27 AREA Permit dates, rules and map. The largest are Black Warrior WMA (90,338 acres), James D. Martin-Skyline WMA (59,994 acres), Mobile-Tensaw Delta and W.L. Holland WMAs (54,306 acres) and Choccolocco WMA (51,516 acres). See every WMA.
Which Alabama counties have the most deer harvested?
Baldwin County (11,543), Jackson County (10,736), Dallas County (8,432), Bullock County (8,371) and Clarke County (8,213) had the highest estimates in 2024-25. See all 67 counties.
| Season | Deer (estimate) | Bucks | Does | On WMAs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 330,413 | 144,828 | 176,220 | 9,221 |
| 2023-24 | 314,496 | 147,880 | 158,212 | 8,862 |
| 2022-23 | 308,729 | 141,749 | 160,313 | 9,205 |
| 2021-22 | 301,122 | 134,113 | 160,172 | 7,697 |
| 2020-21 | 272,731 | 123,561 | 141,850 | 6,765 |
| 2019-20 | 218,358 | 94,034 | 118,418 | 6,161 |
| 2018-19 | 203,040 | 83,162 | 114,553 | 6,650 |
Source: ADCNR Alabama Hunter Harvest 2024-2025 annual report. Bucks and does are ADCNR's separate estimates, each with its own bounds, so they do not add up to the deer total.
Questions hunters ask
When does deer season open in Alabama in 2026?
Archery opens October 15, 2026 in Zones A, B, C and the CWD Management Zone and October 1 in Zones D and E. Gun deer season opens November 21 in Zones A, B, C and the CWD zone and November 7 in Zones D and E, and runs to February 10, 2027 in most of the state (ADCNR deer season 2026-2027).
How many bucks can you kill in Alabama?
Three antlered bucks a season across all seasons, one a day, and one of the three must have at least four antler points 1 inch or longer on one antler. Barbour County requires at least three points on one side instead. A bonus buck taken on certain WMA hunt days does not count against the three.
Where do the Alabama county harvest numbers come from?
From ADCNR's Alabama Hunter Harvest annual reports, a survey of licensed hunters that Responsive Management runs for ADCNR each year. They are estimates, printed with a lower and an upper bound; FilledTag copies them as published and adds bucks, does and fawns into a total. ADCNR does not publish deer harvest for each WMA.
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Where these numbers come from
- Seasons and limits: ADCNR deer season 2026-2027; ADCNR turkey season 2026-2027; each WMA's AREA Permit (ADCNR Wildlife Management Areas and 2026-27 AREA Permits).
- Harvest: ADCNR Alabama Hunter Harvest 2024-2025 annual report.
- Maps: ADCNR Wildlife Management Area boundaries, 2026-27; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries.
FilledTag is not part of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. ADCNR's hunting pages are the final word on every rule.