Alabama Deer Season & Hunting Regulations
Alabama deer hunting is exceptional with an estimated 1.2 million whitetail deer in the state. The natural diversity in the south provides more than 1.3 acres of public hunting ground. There are many wildlife management areas to hunt as well as private and leased land.
Many hunting opportunities are available in the state of Alabama the Beautiful. Below are the Alabama deer hunting seasons, dates and other resources about hunting in Alabama.
Alabama Deer Season 2022-2023
Deer season bag limits: three antlered deer per season, limited to one per day.
During the unanterled season, hunters may take one unanterled deer each day.
Here is a brief summary of the main hunting seasons in Alabama:
Archery: Oct 1 – Feb 10, 2023
Special Youth Gun: Nov 11 – 14
Muzzleloader and Air Rifle: Oct 31 – Nov 19
Modern Firearms: Nov 19 – Feb 10, 2023
Dog deer hunting: Nov 5 – Jan 1, 2023
These season dates can vary by zone, so check the detailed chart below:
Alabama deer hunting zones
Alabama deer hunting is broken down into many different zones. Each zone has different regulations on harvests. Here is a detailed chart with the different hunting zones, dates and limits.
CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE MANAGEMENT ZONE (CMZ) |
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Hunting Type |
Land type |
Season date |
Sex |
Bow and Arrow-Stalk Hunting |
|
October 15, 2022 – February 10, 2023 |
Either Sex |
Special Youth Gun |
|
November 11-14, 2022 |
Either Sex |
Special Muzzleloader and Air Rifle |
Privately Owned or Leased Land and USFS Stalk Hunting Only (No Dogs) |
November 14-18, 2022 |
Either Sex |
Gun Deer-Stalk Hunting |
On Privately Owned or Leased Land Only |
November 19, 2022 – February 10, 2023 |
Either Sex |
On Open Permit Public Land |
November 19 – December 9, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
|
December 10, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
|
January 2 – February 10, 2023 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
Gun Deer-Dog Deer Hunting |
On Privately Owned or Leased Land Only |
November 19, 2022 – January 15, 2023 |
Either Sex |
On Open Permit Public Lands Where Allowed |
November 19 – December 9, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
|
December 10, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
|
January 2-15, 2023 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
ZONE A |
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Bow and Arrow-Stalk Hunting |
|
October 15, 2022 – February 10, 2023 |
Either Sex |
Special Youth Gun |
|
November 11-14, 2022 |
Either Sex |
Special Muzzleloader and Air Rifle |
Privately Owned or Leased Land and USFS Stalk Hunting Only (No Dogs) |
November 14-18, 2022 |
Either Sex |
Gun Deer-Stalk Hunting |
On Privately Owned or Leased Land Only |
November 19, 2022 – February 10, 2023 |
Either Sex |
On Open Permit Public Land |
November 19 – December 9, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
|
December 10, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
|
January 2 – February 10, 2023 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
Gun Deer-Dog Deer Hunting |
On Privately Owned or Leased Land Only |
November 19, 2022 – January 15, 2023 |
Either Sex |
On Open Permit Public Lands Where Allowed |
November 19 – December 9, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
|
December 10, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
|
January 2-15, 2023 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
ZONE B |
|||
Bow and Arrow-Stalk Hunting |
|
October 15-24, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
October 25, 2022 – February 10, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
Special Youth Gun |
|
November 11-14, 2022 |
Either Sex |
Special Muzzleloader and Air Rifle |
Privately Owned or Leased Land and USFS Stalk Hunting Only (No Dogs) |
November 14-18, 2022 |
Either Sex |
Gun Deer-Stalk Hunting |
On Privately Owned or Leased Land Only |
November 19, 2022 – February 10, 2023 |
Either Sex |
On Open Permit Public Land |
November 19 – December 9, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
|
December 10, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
|
January 2 – February 10, 2023 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
Gun Deer-Dog Deer Hunting |
On Privately Owned or Leased Land Only |
November 19, 2022 – January 15, 2023 |
Either Sex |
On Open Permit Public Lands Where Allowed |
November 19 – December 9, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
|
December 10, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
|
January 2-15, 2023 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
ZONE C |
|||
Bow and Arrow-Stalk Hunting |
|
October 15, 2022 – February 10, 2023 |
Either Sex |
Special Youth Gun |
|
November 11-14, 2022 |
Either Sex |
Special Muzzleloader and Air Rifle |
Privately Owned or Leased Land and USFS Stalk Hunting Only (No Dogs) |
November 14-18, 2022 |
Either Sex |
Gun Deer-Stalk Hunting |
On Privately Owned or Leased Land Only |
November 19-27, 2022 |
Either Sex |
|
November 28 – December 16, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
|
December 17, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
|
January 2 – February 10, 2023 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
On Open Permit Public Land |
November 19 – December 16, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
|
December 17, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
|
January 2 – February 10, 2023 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
Gun Deer-Dog Deer Hunting |
On Privately Owned or Leased Land Only |
November 19-27, 2022 |
Either Sex |
|
November 28 – December 16, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
|
December 17, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
|
January 2-15, 2023 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
On Open Permit Public Lands Where Allowed |
November 19 – December 16, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
|
December 17, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
|
January 2-15, 2023 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
ZONE D |
|||
Bow and Arrow-Stalk Hunting |
|
October 1, 2022 – January 15, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
January 16-27, 2023 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
Special Youth Gun |
|
October 28-31, 2022 |
Either Sex |
Special Muzzleloader and Air Rifle |
Privately Owned or Leased Land and USFS Stalk Hunting Only (No Dogs) |
October 31 – November 4, 2022 |
Either Sex |
Gun Deer-Stalk Hunting |
On Privately Owned or Leased Land Only |
November 5 – 18, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
November 19-27, 2022 |
Either Sex |
|
|
November 28 – December 16, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
|
December 17, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
|
January 2-27, 2023 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
On Open Permit Public Land |
November 5 – December 16, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
|
December 17, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
|
January 2-27, 2023 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
Gun Deer-Dog Deer Hunting |
On Privately Owned or Leased Land Only |
November 5-18, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
November 19-27, 2022 |
Either Sex |
|
|
November 28 – December 16, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
|
December 17, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
On Open Permit Public Lands Where Allowed |
November 5 – December 16, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
|
December 17, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
ZONE E |
|||
Bow and Arrow-Stalk Hunting |
|
October 1, 2022 – January 15, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
January 16-27, 2023 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
Special Youth Gun |
|
October 28-31, 2022 |
Either Sex |
Special Muzzleloader and Air Rifle |
Privately Owned or Leased Land and USFS Stalk Hunting Only (No Dogs) |
October 31 – November 4, 2022 |
Either Sex |
Gun Deer-Stalk Hunting |
On Privately Owned or Leased Land Only |
November 5, 2022 – January 15, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
January 16-27, 2023 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
On Open Permit Public Land |
November 5 – December 16, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
|
December 17, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
|
January 2-27, 2023 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
Gun Deer-Dog Deer Hunting |
On Privately Owned or Leased Land Only |
November 5, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
On Open Permit Public Lands Where Allowed |
November 5 – December 16, 2022 |
Antlered Bucks Only |
|
|
December 17, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
Either Sex |
|
Attached is a map of Alabama deer hunting zones. The hunting zones in Alabama are broken into 6 zones. Chronic waste zone, Zone A, Zone B, Zone C, Zone D, Zone E.
Alabama Hunting License 2022-2023
You will need a hunting license for hunting any wildlife in the state of Alabama if you are between the ages of 16-64. Once you turn 65, you don’t need a hunting license.
Here are the 2022-2023 costs for Alabama hunting license:
Resident All Game – $30.25
Resident Small Game – $20.05
Nonresident All Game – $350.15
Nonresident Small Game – $216.20
Hunting licenses are valid valid 9/1/2022 – 8/31/2023.
What are the duck hunting season dates in Alabama?
Duck hunting season dates are:
November 25 – November 26
December 3 – January 29
Bag limit: 6 ducks a day — may include no more than 4 Mallards (no more than 2 of which may be female), 3 Wood Ducks, 1 Mottled Duck, 2 Black Duck, 2 Redhead, 1 Pintail, 2 Canvasback, and 1 Scaup
Geese hunting season dates are:
September 3 – October 2
October 15 – October 29
November 25 – November 26
December 3 – January 29
What species can you hunt in Alabama?
There are many different species of animals to hunt in Alabama including: white-tailed deer, wild turkey, doves, quail, hogs, ducks, rabbits, squirrel and more.
What is the largest typical deer in Alabama?
The largest typical buck scored in Alabama was 186 3/8″ found by George P. Mann in Lee County in 1986. The typical deer had 20 points.
Can you bait deer in Alabama?
Yes, it is legal to bait deer in the state of Alabama with the purchase of a baiting privilege license. The cost of the license is $15 for residents and $51 for nonresidents. This applies to the person who purchases the license, not to anyone else hunting the property being baited. Each person hunting over a baited property, must get a baiting privilege license.
For more information on Alabama deer hunting, visit the official site.
