North Sauty and Crow Creek Waterfowl Refuges: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
ADCNR's 2026-27 AREA Permit for North Sauty and Crow Creek Waterfowl Refuges sets these deer seasons: archery Oct. 17-25 and Jan. 2-10; primitive weapons Nov. 16-20; there is no turkey season. Together the areas are 8,493 acres of public hunting land in Jackson County, run by ADCNR. Around them, hunters took an estimated 10,736 deer in Jackson 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.
North Sauty and Crow Creek Waterfowl RefugesOther ADCNR WMAsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 8,493 acres (measured on ADCNR's WMA boundary), in 2 parts |
|---|---|
| County | Jackson County |
| Deer hunts | Archery and Primitive Weapons |
| Archery deer | Oct. 17-25 and Jan. 2-10 |
| Turkey | No open season |
| Dogs for deer | No dog deer hunting |
| Deer check station | Mandatory on set dates (below) |
| Contact | Biologist – Austin LeCroy (256) 437-2788 |
| Nearest towns | Stevenson (next to it), Scottsboro (3 mi) and Langston (3 mi) |
The North Sauty and Crow Creek waterfowl refuges are on ADCNR's Jackson County AREA Permit. Deer hunting there is archery and primitive weapons only, and Sauta Cave National Wildlife Refuge is closed to deer hunting.
When are the 2026-27 deer hunts on North Sauty and Crow Creek Waterfowl Refuges?
No dog deer hunting and no buckshot on the area.
| Hunt | Dates, 2026-27 | Daily limit and rules |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | Oct. 17-25 and Jan. 2-10 | Two deer a day, one unantlered deer and one antlered buck. Gates will not be open for Jan. 2-10 hunts. Sauta Cave NWR Closed to Deer Hunting. |
| Primitive Weapons | Nov. 16-20 | Two deer a day, one unantlered deer and one antlered buck. |
- Use of airboats and air-cooled motors (go-devil type motors) prohibited on refuges between Nov. 1-Mar. 31
- Sauta Cave NWR - closed to deer hunting.
Deer check station
All deer harvested must be submitted at check station at Wannville office for data collection on: Oct. 17 & 24, Nov. 16 & 17, and Jan. 2 & 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, North Sauty and Crow Creek Waterfowl Refuges 2026-27 AREA Permit, read October 2026. The permit and Regulation 220-2-.55 are the final word.
When is turkey season on North Sauty and Crow Creek Waterfowl Refuges?
No open turkey season on North Sauty and Crow Creek Waterfowl Refuges in 2026-27.
What else can you hunt on North Sauty and Crow Creek Waterfowl Refuges?
| Game | 2026-27 season on the area |
|---|---|
| Waterfowl | No Open Season |
| Dove | Sept. 5-Oct. 18 (Opening day: 12:00 noon until sunset; remainder of season: 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset) Bag limit: 15 per day. |
| Rabbit and squirrel | Sept. 12-Oct. 16 and Feb. 2-28 No hunting on days of archery and primitive weapons deer hunts. Fox squirrel season closed during February. Bag limit: 8 squirrels per day. 8 rabbits per day. |
| Feral swine (special season) | Sept. 1-9 and May 1-8 – (Archery, Rimfre, and Shotguns with slugs only). Daylight hours only. No dogs allowed. No bag limit. |
| Quail | No Open Season |
| Bowfishing | Apr. 1-Aug. 31 – Nongame fish only. |
| Raccoon and opossum | Sept. 1-Oct. 16 – Nighttime hours only. 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-Jan. 31 – (water or land sets); Feb. 1-28 (water sets only). Trapping permits must be obtained from Area Biologist. |
Which county are North Sauty and Crow Creek Waterfowl Refuges in, and what do hunters take there?
| County | Acres of the area in it | County deer, 2024-25 (estimate) | County turkeys, 2024-25 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 8,493 | 10,736 | 1,157 |
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 North Sauty and Crow Creek Waterfowl Refuges?
Highways through the area: AL 2 and US 72. Nearest towns: Stevenson (next to it), Scottsboro (3 miles), Langston (3 miles) and Section (5 miles).
The closest other Alabama WMAs with a page here: Mud Creek, Raccoon Creek and Crow Creek WMAs (next to it), Coon Gulf Tract (1.2 miles), James D. Martin-Skyline WMA (1.9 miles) and Little River WMA (24.6 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on North Sauty and Crow Creek Waterfowl Refuges in 2026-27?
ADCNR's 2026-27 AREA Permit for North Sauty and Crow Creek Waterfowl Refuges sets these deer seasons: archery Oct. 17-25 and Jan. 2-10; primitive weapons Nov. 16-20.
How many deer can you take a day on North Sauty and Crow Creek Waterfowl Refuges?
Two deer a day, one unantlered deer and one antlered buck: archery Oct. 17-25 and Jan. 2-10; primitive weapons Nov. 16-20.
What county are North Sauty and Crow Creek Waterfowl Refuges in?
All of them are in Jackson County (8,493 acres), measured on ADCNR's boundary.
Do you have to check deer at a check station on North Sauty and Crow Creek Waterfowl Refuges?
All deer harvested must be submitted at check station at Wannville office for data collection on: Oct. 17 & 24, Nov. 16 & 17, and Jan. 2 & 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.
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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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