Little River WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
ADCNR's 2026-27 AREA Permit for Little River WMA sets these deer seasons: archery Oct. 15-Feb. 10; youth Nov. 14-15; primitive weapons Nov. 16-20 and Dec. 14-18; gun Nov. 21-22, Nov. 26-29, Dec. 4-5, Dec. 10-13, Dec. 24-27 and Jan. 7-10; spring turkey is Mar. 20-May 3, gobblers only. The area is 12,198 acres of public hunting land in DeKalb and Cherokee counties, run by ADCNR in cooperation with the National Park Service, Alabama State Parks Division and the Forever Wild Land Trust. Around it, hunters took an estimated 3,608 deer in DeKalb 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.
Little River WMAOther ADCNR WMAsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 12,198 acres (measured on ADCNR's WMA boundary) |
|---|---|
| County | DeKalb County, Cherokee County |
| Deer hunts | Archery, Youth, Primitive Weapons and Gun |
| Archery deer | Oct. 15-Feb. 10 |
| Gun deer | Nov. 21-22, Nov. 26-29, Dec. 4-5, Dec. 10-13, Dec. 24-27 and Jan. 7-10 |
| Spring turkey | Mar. 20-May 3, gobblers only |
| Dogs for deer | No dog deer hunting |
| Deer check station | Mandatory on set dates (below) |
| Contact | Biologist – Brandon Howell (256) 846-3004 |
| Nearest towns | Fort Payne (4 mi), Valley Head (4 mi) and Mentone (5 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 deer hunts on Little River WMA?
No dog deer hunting and no buckshot on the area.
| Hunt | Dates, 2026-27 | Daily limit and rules |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | Oct. 15-Feb. 10 | One deer a day, either one unantlered deer or one antlered buck. No hunting on days of youth gun deer hunt. *Antlered buck restrictions apply. |
| Youth | Nov. 14-15 | One deer a day, either one unantlered deer or one antlered buck. *No antler restrictions apply. |
| Primitive Weapons | Nov. 16-20 and Dec. 14-18 | One deer a day, either one unantlered deer or one antlered buck. *Antlered buck restrictions apply. |
| Gun | Nov. 21-22, Nov. 26-29, and Dec. 4-5 | One deer a day, either one unantlered deer or one antlered buck. *Antlered buck restrictions apply. |
| Gun | Dec. 10-13, Dec. 24-27, and Jan. 7-10 | One antlered buck a day. *Antlered buck restrictions apply. |
- Archery hunters must abide by all mandatory check station day requirements and gun deer hunt regulations/antler restrictions when hunting on days of gun deer hunts.
- To be legal for harvest, antlered bucks must have at least (3) antler points (1 inch or longer) on at least one main beam.
Deer check station
All deer harvested must be submitted at check station for data collection on the following dates: Nov. 21, Nov. 27-28, Dec. 4-5, Dec. 11-12, Jan. 8-9. 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, Little River WMA 2026-27 AREA Permit, read October 2026. The permit and Regulation 220-2-.55 are the final word.
When is turkey season on Little River WMA?
- Youth: Mar. 13 (Daylight until 1 p.m.) Gobblers only. Decoys allowed.
- Physically Disabled: Mar. 19 (Daylight until 1 p.m.) Gobblers only. Decoys allowed.
- Regular: Mar. 20-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 Little River WMA.
What else can you hunt on Little River WMA?
| Game | 2026-27 season on the area |
|---|---|
| Waterfowl | State Season. State bag limits. No hunting on days of primitive weapons or gun deer hunts. |
| Dove | State Season. (Opening day: 12:00 noon to sunset, remainder of season - 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset). No hunting on days of youth, primitive weapons, or gun deer hunts. Bag limit: 15 per day. |
| 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) | Mar. 1-10 – Permitted firearms & archery equipment same as for gun deer hunts on the WMA. No buckshot. 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 youth, primitive weapons, or gun deer hunts. Bag limit: 8 per day. |
| Woodcock and snipe | No Open Season |
| 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 – Trapping permits must be obtained from Area Biologist. |
Which county is Little River 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County | 6,434 | 3,608 | 311 |
| Cherokee County | 5,765 | 5,707 | 550 |
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 Little River WMA?
Highways through the area: AL 35. Nearest towns: Fort Payne (4 miles), Valley Head (4 miles), Mentone (5 miles) and Hammondville (5 miles).
The closest other Alabama WMAs with a page here: Coon Gulf Tract (18.7 miles), Mud Creek, Raccoon Creek and Crow Creek WMAs (21.9 miles), North Sauty and Crow Creek Waterfowl Refuges (24.6 miles) and James D. Martin-Skyline WMA (28.5 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Little River WMA in 2026-27?
ADCNR's 2026-27 AREA Permit for Little River WMA sets these deer seasons: archery Oct. 15-Feb. 10; youth Nov. 14-15; primitive weapons Nov. 16-20 and Dec. 14-18; gun Nov. 21-22, Nov. 26-29, Dec. 4-5, Dec. 10-13, Dec. 24-27 and Jan. 7-10.
How many deer can you take a day on Little River WMA?
It depends on the hunt. One deer a day, either one unantlered deer or one antlered buck: archery Oct. 15-Feb. 10; youth Nov. 14-15; primitive weapons Nov. 16-20 and Dec. 14-18; gun Nov. 21-22, Nov. 26-29 and Dec. 4-5. One antlered buck a day: gun Dec. 10-13, Dec. 24-27 and Jan. 7-10. To be legal for harvest, antlered bucks must have at least (3) antler points (1 inch or longer) on at least one main beam.
What county is Little River WMA in?
DeKalb County (6,434 acres) and Cherokee County (5,765 acres), measured on ADCNR's boundary.
Do you have to check deer at a check station on Little River WMA?
All deer harvested must be submitted at check station for data collection on the following dates: Nov. 21, Nov. 27-28, Dec. 4-5, Dec. 11-12, Jan. 8-9. 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 Little River WMA?
Youth hunt Mar. 13; physically disabled hunt Mar. 19; regular hunt Mar. 20-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 Little River 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.
Alabama hunting All Alabama WMAs DeKalb County deer harvest Cherokee County deer harvest