Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
ADCNR's 2026-27 AREA Permit for Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs sets these deer seasons: archery Oct. 15-Nov. 20; there is no turkey season. Together the areas are 13,219 acres of public hunting land in Limestone, Lawrence and Morgan counties, run by ADCNR in cooperation with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Around them, hunters took an estimated 4,297 deer in Limestone 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.
Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAsOther ADCNR WMAsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 13,219 acres (measured on ADCNR's WMA boundary), in 2 parts |
|---|---|
| County | Limestone County, Lawrence County, Morgan County |
| Deer hunts | Archery |
| Archery deer | Oct. 15-Nov. 20 |
| Turkey | No open season |
| Dogs for deer | Not listed on the permit |
| Deer check station | No mandatory check days; record every hunt in the app or on the daily permit |
| Contact | Biologist – Drew Able (256) 278-0681 |
| Nearest towns | Hillsboro (3 mi), Trinity (3 mi) and Decatur (3 mi) |
Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs share one AREA Permit. Waterfowl blinds in the Swan Creek dewatering unit go by limited quota permit.
When are the 2026-27 deer hunts on Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs?
| Hunt | Dates, 2026-27 | Daily limit and rules |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | Oct. 15-Nov. 20 | Two deer a day, two unantlered deer, or one unantlered deer and one antlered buck. |
Deer check station
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, Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs 2026-27 AREA Permit, read October 2026. The permit and Regulation 220-2-.55 are the final word.
When is turkey season on Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs?
No open turkey season on Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs in 2026-27.
What else can you hunt on Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs?
| Game | 2026-27 season on the area |
|---|---|
| Rail | State Season. Bag Limit: 15 per day. |
| Waterfowl | Special Teal: Sept. 12-20 – (Dewatering Unit open 7 days/week) State bag limit. 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset. Youth / Active Military / Veterans: Nov. 21, 2026, and Feb. 6, 2027 – State bag limits. Duck, Coot, Merganser: Nov. 27-28 and Dec. 5-Jan. 31 – State bag limits. All Geese: Sept. 5-Oct. 4, Oct. 17-31, Nov. 27-28 and Dec. 5-Jan. 31 – State bag limits. DEWATERING UNIT (DWU)- All limited quota walk-In and boat blind locations within the Swan Creek WMA DWU will be permitted through a limited quota permit system determined by random drawing prior to the hunts. 1/2 hour before sunrise until 12:00 noon. All hunters must exit the DWU no later than 1:30 PM. REMAINDER OF WMAs - Open daily during State Season. 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset. |
| Sandhill crane | Nov. 27-Jan. 3, Jan. 11-25 – Sunrise to sunset. By limited quota permit only. |
| Dove | State season. 12:00 noon to sunset each day of the season NO MORNING HUNTING: . Bag Limit: 15 per day. |
| Rabbit and squirrel | Sept. 12-Feb. 28 – Fox squirrel season closed during February. Bag limit: 8 squirrels per day. 8 rabbits per day. |
| Crow | Sept. 1-Feb. 28 – No bag limit. Closed during regular waterfowl season. |
| Quail | No Open Season. |
| Woodcock | State Season – Bag limit: 3 per day. |
| Snipe | State Season – Bag limit: 8 per day. |
| Raccoon and opossum | Sept. 1-Feb. 28 – Nighttime hours only. No bag limit. |
| Bobcat, coyote, opossum, feral swine, raccoon, fox, beaver | 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. |
| Bowfishing | Mar. 1-Aug. 31. Nongame fish only. |
What else should you know before hunting Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs?
- Waterfowl hunting: DEWATERING UNIT: All limited quota walk-in and boat blind locations within the Swan Creek WMA DWU will be permitted through a limited quota permit system determined by random computerized drawing prior to opening day for weekend hunts or in-person drawings on Tuesdays for weekday hunts. REMAINDER OF WMAs: Open daily during State Season.
Which county are Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs in, and what do hunters take there?
| County | Acres of the area in it | County deer, 2024-25 (estimate) | County turkeys, 2024-25 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limestone County | 8,705 | 4,297 | 0 |
| Lawrence County | 3,286 | 5,027 | 310 |
| Morgan County | 1,228 | 933 | 80 |
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 Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs?
Highways within 5 miles: AL 3, US 31, I-65 and AL 20. Nearest towns: Hillsboro (3 miles), Trinity (3 miles), Decatur (3 miles) and Mooresville (4 miles).
The closest other Alabama WMAs with a page here: Black Warrior WMA (19.3 miles), Seven-Mile Island WMA (29.5 miles), Key Cave National Wildlife Refuge (33.6 miles) and Freedom Hills WMA (40.1 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs in 2026-27?
ADCNR's 2026-27 AREA Permit for Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs sets these deer seasons: archery Oct. 15-Nov. 20.
How many deer can you take a day on Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs?
Two deer a day, two unantlered deer, or one unantlered deer and one antlered buck: archery Oct. 15-Nov. 20.
What county are Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs in?
Limestone County (8,705 acres), Lawrence County (3,286 acres) and Morgan County (1,228 acres), measured on ADCNR's boundary.
Do you have to check deer at a check station on Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs?
No mandatory check station days are set for Swan Creek and Mallard-Fox Creek WMAs. 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.
Alabama hunting All Alabama WMAs Limestone County deer harvest Lawrence County deer harvest Morgan County deer harvest