Lauderdale WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
ADCNR's 2026-27 AREA Permit for Lauderdale WMA sets these deer seasons: archery Oct. 15-Feb. 10; youth Nov. 14-15; primitive weapons Nov. 16-20; gun Nov. 21-22, Nov. 26-29, Dec. 10-13 and Dec. 24-27 in every zone, plus Dec. 3-6 and Dec. 31-Jan. 3 in Zone A and Dec. 17-20 and Jan. 7-10 in Zone B; spring turkey is Mar. 27-May 3, gobblers only. The area is 19,795 acres of public hunting land in Lauderdale County, run by ADCNR in cooperation with the Forever Wild Land Trust, and TVA. Around it, hunters took an estimated 4,786 deer in Lauderdale County in the 2024-25 season, by ADCNR's hunter harvest survey.
Data updated October 2026. Seasons and rules: ADCNR's 2026-27 AREA Permit for the area. County harvest: ADCNR's hunter harvest survey, 2019-20 to 2024-25.
Lauderdale WMAOther ADCNR WMAsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 19,795 acres (measured on ADCNR's WMA boundary) |
|---|---|
| County | Lauderdale County |
| Deer hunts | Archery, Youth, Primitive Weapons and Gun |
| Archery deer | Oct. 15-Feb. 10 |
| Gun deer | Every zone: Nov. 21-22, Nov. 26-29, Dec. 10-13 and Dec. 24-27; Zone A: Dec. 3-6 and Dec. 31-Jan. 3; Zone B: Dec. 17-20 and Jan. 7-10 |
| Spring turkey | Mar. 27-May 3, gobblers only |
| Dogs for deer | No dog deer hunting |
| Deer check station | Mandatory on set dates (below) |
| Contact | Biologist – Michael Nelson (334) 893-5989 |
| Nearest towns | Waterloo (next to it), Cherokee (12 mi) and Florence (22 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 deer hunts on Lauderdale WMA?
No dog deer hunting and no buckshot on the area.
| Hunt | Dates, 2026-27 | Daily limit and rules |
|---|---|---|
| Zones A & B: Archery | Oct. 15-Feb. 10 | Two deer a day, two unantlered deer or one unantlered deer and one antlered buck. No hunting on days of youth gun deer hunt. Archery hunters must abide by all mandatory check station day requirements and gun deer hunt regulations when hunting on days of gun deer hunts. |
| Zones A & B: Youth | Nov. 14-15 | Two deer a day, two unantlered deer or one unantlered deer and one antlered buck |
| Zones A & B: Primitive Weapons | Nov. 16-20 | Two deer a day, two unantlered deer or one unantlered deer and one antlered buck |
| Zones A & B: Gun | Nov. 21-22, Nov. 26-29, Dec. 10-13, and Dec. 24-27 | Two deer a day, two unantlered deer or one unantlered deer and one antlered buck (Dec. 26 Bonus Buck Day, must be validated by WFF personnel at check station prior to leaving Area). |
| Zone A: Gun | Dec. 3-6 and Dec. 31-Jan. 3 | Two deer a day, two unantlered deer or one unantlered deer and one antlered buck. |
| Zone B: Gun | Dec. 17-20 and Jan. 7-10 | Two deer a day, two unantlered deer or one unantlered deer and one antlered buck (Jan. 9 Bonus Buck Day, must be validated by WFF personnel at check station prior to leaving Area). |
Zones A and B here are the hunting zones on the area's own map, not ADCNR's statewide deer zones; the permit's map shows where each lies.
Deer check station
All deer harvested must be submitted at check station for data collection on Nov. 14 and all Fridays and Saturdays (excluding Dec. 25) of gun hunts. The check station is open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Additionally, the results of all hunts must be recorded using the Outdoor Alabama App or Daily Permit and submitted at kiosk at the conclusion of every hunt day.
Source: ADCNR, Lauderdale WMA 2026-27 AREA Permit, read October 2026. The permit and Regulation 220-2-.55 are the final word.
When is turkey season on Lauderdale WMA?
- Youth: Mar. 20 – (Daylight until 1 p.m.) Gobblers only. Decoys allowed.
- Physically Disabled: Mar. 26 – (Daylight until 1 p.m.) Gobblers only. Decoys allowed.
- Regular: Mar. 27-May 3 (Daylight until 1 p.m.) Gobblers only. Decoys allowed.
- Bag limit: No more than 1 gobbler during the first 10 days of each season. No more than 2 gobblers total per hunter from Lauderdale WMA.
What else can you hunt on Lauderdale WMA?
| Game | 2026-27 season on the area |
|---|---|
| Waterfowl | State season. No hunting on days of youth, primitive weapons, or gun deer hunts. State bag limits. |
| Dove | No Open Season |
| Rabbit and squirrel | Sept. 12-Feb. 28 – No hunting on days of youth, primitive weapons, or gun deer hunts. Fox squirrel season closed during February. Bag limit: 8 squirrels per day. 8 rabbits per day. |
| Feral swine (special season) | Feb. 15-21 – No dogs allowed. Daylight hours only. No bag limit. |
| Crow | Sept. 1-Feb. 28 – No hunting on days of youth, primitive weapons, or gun deer hunts. No bag limit. |
| Quail | Nov. 7-Feb. 28 – No hunting on days of primitive weapons or gun deer hunts. Bag limit: 8 per day. |
| Woodcock | State season – No hunting on days of gun deer hunts. Bag limit: 3 per day. |
| Snipe | State season – No hunting on days of gun deer hunts. Bag limit: 8 per day. |
| Raccoon and opossum | Sept. 1-Feb. 28 – Nighttime hours only. No hunting on nights preceding or nights of youth, primitive weapons, or gun deer hunts. No bag limit. |
| Bobcat, coyote, opossum, feral swine, raccoon, fox | Open during any other scheduled WMA Hunting Season using weapons and ammunition approved for those hunts. No dogs allowed. Daylight hours only. No bag limit. |
| Furbearer trapping | Excluding feral swine: Oct. 31-Feb. 28 – Permits must be obtained from Area Biologist. |
What else should you know before hunting Lauderdale WMA?
- Lauderdale WMA is located within the high-risk zone of the chronic wasting disease (CWD) management zone.
- Hunters shall submit deer heads for CWD testing from all deer harvested at the WMA check station or drop-off sampling freezer locations or a scheduled DCNR mobile sampling location.
- No whole deer body parts shall be transported outside of high-risk zone (all of Lauderdale and Colbert counties and north of Hwy. 24/west of Hwy. 43 in Franklin County). Only meat that has been completely deboned; cleaned skull plates with attached antlers, if no visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; unattached bare antlers or sheds; raw capes, if no visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; upper canine teeth, if no root structure of other soft tissue is present; and finished taxidermy products or tanned hides can be transported outside of the high-risk zone.
Which county is Lauderdale WMA in, and what do hunters take there?
| County | Acres of the area in it | County deer, 2024-25 (estimate) | County turkeys, 2024-25 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lauderdale County | 19,795 | 4,786 | 1,193 |
Acres measured by FilledTag on ADCNR Wildlife Management Area boundaries, 2026-27 and the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries. County estimates: ADCNR Alabama Hunter Harvest 2024-2025 annual report, for the whole county, not the WMA; ADCNR does not publish harvest by WMA.
How do you get to Lauderdale WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: AL 20. Nearest towns: Waterloo (next to it), Cherokee (12 miles), Florence (22 miles) and St. Florian (22 miles).
The closest other Alabama WMAs with a page here: Riverton Community Hunting Area (2.1 miles), Freedom Hills WMA (10.6 miles), Seven-Mile Island WMA (16 miles) and Key Cave National Wildlife Refuge (18.2 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Lauderdale WMA in 2026-27?
ADCNR's 2026-27 AREA Permit for Lauderdale WMA sets these deer seasons: archery Oct. 15-Feb. 10; youth Nov. 14-15; primitive weapons Nov. 16-20; gun Nov. 21-22, Nov. 26-29, Dec. 10-13 and Dec. 24-27 in every zone, plus Dec. 3-6 and Dec. 31-Jan. 3 in Zone A and Dec. 17-20 and Jan. 7-10 in Zone B.
How many deer can you take a day on Lauderdale WMA?
Two deer a day, two unantlered deer or one unantlered deer and one antlered buck: archery Oct. 15-Feb. 10; youth Nov. 14-15; primitive weapons Nov. 16-20; gun Nov. 21-22, Nov. 26-29, Dec. 10-13 and Dec. 24-27; gun in Zone A Dec. 3-6 and Dec. 31-Jan. 3; gun in Zone B Dec. 17-20 and Jan. 7-10.
What county is Lauderdale WMA in?
All of it is in Lauderdale County (19,795 acres), measured on ADCNR's boundary.
Do you have to check deer at a check station on Lauderdale WMA?
All deer harvested must be submitted at check station for data collection on Nov. 14 and all Fridays and Saturdays (excluding Dec. 25) of gun hunts. The check station is open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Additionally, the results of all hunts must be recorded using the Outdoor Alabama App or Daily Permit and submitted at kiosk at the conclusion of every hunt day.
When is turkey season on Lauderdale WMA?
Youth hunt Mar. 20; physically disabled hunt Mar. 26; regular hunt Mar. 27-May 3, daylight until 1 p.m., gobblers only. No more than 1 gobbler during the first 10 days of each season. No more than 2 gobblers total per hunter from Lauderdale WMA.
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What you need to hunt an Alabama WMA
For deer or turkey, ADCNR asks for a Wildlife Management Area License and the right resident or nonresident all-game hunting license, and for every hunt a paper AREA Permit and daily permit unless you check in and out with the Outdoor Alabama WMA Check-In app. Hunters must wear hunter orange or fluorescent pink during gun deer hunts. Full rules: ADCNR WMA Regulation 220-2-.55.
Where these numbers come from
- Seasons, limits, check days and area notes: ADCNR's 2026-27 AREA Permit for each WMA (ADCNR Wildlife Management Areas and 2026-27 AREA Permits).
- Boundary and acres: ADCNR Wildlife Management Area boundaries, 2026-27. County harvest: ADCNR Alabama Hunter Harvest 2024-2025 annual report.
- Counties, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer. National forest and refuges: U.S. Forest Service land ownership; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundaries.
FilledTag is not part of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from ADCNR or measured from public maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
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