Alabama · Deer · 2026–27 Edition
Alabama Deer Season 2026–27: Dates, Zones & Bag Limits
01 — Zones at a glance
| Zone | Earliest opener | Latest close |
|---|---|---|
| Zone A | Oct 15, 2026 | Feb 10, 2027 |
| Zone B | Oct 15, 2026 | Feb 10, 2027 |
| Zone C | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 10, 2027 |
| Zone D | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 27, 2027 |
| Zone E | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 27, 2027 |
Each zone runs its own mix of archery, gun and muzzleloader windows, often split further by management unit — see the full table below for the exact dates by method.
02 — Seasons by method
| Method | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | Zone A, Zone C & CMZ (either-sex) | Oct 15 – Feb 10 |
| Archery — antlered only | Zone B | Oct 15 – Oct 24 |
| Archery — either-sex | Zone B | Oct 25 – Feb 10 |
| Archery — either-sex | Zones D & E | Oct 1 – Jan 15 |
| Archery — antlered only | Zones D & E | Jan 16 – Jan 27 |
| Special youth gun (either-sex) | Zones A, B, C & CMZ | Nov 13 – Nov 16 |
| Special youth gun (either-sex) | Zones D & E | Oct 30 – Nov 2 |
| Muzzleloader & air rifle (either-sex) | Zones A, B, C & CMZ | Nov 16 – Nov 20 |
| Muzzleloader & air rifle (either-sex) | Zones D & E | Nov 2 – Nov 6 |
| Gun (Private Land, either-sex) | Zones A, B & CMZ | Nov 21 – Feb 10 |
| Gun (Public Land, stalk — antlered only) | Zones A & B | Nov 21 – Dec 11 |
| Gun (Public Land, stalk — either-sex) | Zones A & B | Dec 12 – Jan 3 |
| Gun (Public Land, stalk — antlered only) | Zones A & B | Jan 4 – Feb 10 |
| Gun (Public Land, stalk — antlered only) | CMZ | Nov 21 – Dec 11 |
| Gun (Public Land, stalk — either-sex) | CMZ | Dec 12 – Feb 10 |
| Gun (Private Land, stalk — either-sex) | Zone C | Nov 21 – Nov 29 |
| Gun (Private Land, stalk — antlered only) | Zone C | Nov 30 – Dec 11 |
| Gun (Private Land, stalk — either-sex) | Zone C | Dec 12 – Jan 1 |
| Gun (Private Land, stalk — antlered only) | Zone C | Jan 2 – Feb 10 |
| Gun (Public Land, stalk — antlered only) | Zone C | Nov 21 – Dec 11 |
| Gun (Public Land, stalk — either-sex) | Zone C | Dec 12 – Jan 1 |
| Gun (Public Land, stalk — antlered only) | Zone C | Jan 2 – Feb 10 |
| Gun (Private Land, stalk — antlered only) | Zones D & E | Nov 7 – Nov 20 |
| Gun (Private Land, stalk — either-sex) | Zones D & E | Nov 21 – Nov 29 |
| Gun (Private Land, stalk — antlered only) | Zones D & E | Nov 30 – Dec 11 |
| Gun (Private Land, stalk — either-sex) | Zones D & E | Dec 12 – Jan 1 |
| Gun (Private Land, stalk — antlered only) | Zone D | Jan 2 – Jan 27 |
| Gun (Private Land, stalk — either-sex) | Zone E | Jan 2 – Jan 15 |
| Gun (Private Land, stalk — antlered only) | Zone E | Jan 16 – Jan 27 |
| Gun (Public Land, stalk — antlered only) | Zones D & E | Nov 7 – Dec 11 |
| Gun (Public Land, stalk — either-sex) | Zones D & E | Dec 12 – Jan 1 |
| Gun (Public Land, stalk — antlered only) | Zones D & E | Jan 2 – Jan 27 |
03 — Bag limits
| Antlered (statewide) | 1 per day, 3 white-tailed bucks per season combined across all seasons; one of the three must have ≥4 antler points ≥1" long on one antler (Barbour Co. requires only ≥3 points on one side). |
|---|---|
| Unantlered — Zones A, B, D, E & CMZ | 2 unantlered deer per day, OR 1 unantlered deer + 1 antlered buck per day. |
| Unantlered — Zone C | 1 unantlered deer + 1 antlered buck per day (no two-unantlered option). |
04 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (October 1, 2026) 06:41 — 18:31
Rule: 'Daylight hours only' — official sunrise to official sunset, per Alabama Admin. Code r. 220-2-.07 (Legal Hunting Hours for Game Animals). NO half-hour margin either side: unlike most neighboring states (and unlike Alabama's own migratory-bird rule for dove, which does add a half hour before sunrise), the game-animal rule that covers deer stops exactly at sunrise and sunset with no extension. Do not assume the half-hour rule carries over from dove season on this project.. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Alabama sun times for any other date.
05 — License
An Alabama hunting license and deer permit are required. Costs, age rules and where to buy are on our license page below.
Alabama hunting license cost & deer permits →
Where to hunt public land in Alabama — WMAs by county & access rules →
06 — Scouting gear
Scouting a property before Alabama's opener usually means glassing terrain and running a trail camera through the summer and early fall.
- Hunting binoculars on Amazon →
- Trail cameras on Amazon →
- Trail camera SD cards — class, capacity & format explained →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These are category links, not a single named pick — we run no product tests of our own.
07 — FAQ
When does deer season start in Alabama?
The earliest 2026–27 opener is October 1, 2026 — Archery — either-sex, limited to Zones D & E. Other weapons and zones start later — see the table above.
When does deer season end in Alabama?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is February 10, 2027. Individual methods and zones close on their own dates.
When does bow season start for deer in Alabama?
Archery — either-sex opens October 1, 2026 (Zones D & E). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
When does rifle season start for deer in Alabama?
Special youth gun (either-sex) opens October 30, 2026 (Zones D & E). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
When does muzzleloader season start for deer in Alabama?
Muzzleloader & air rifle (either-sex) opens November 2, 2026 (Zones D & E). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
When does Zone A deer season open in Alabama?
The earliest Zone A opener is Oct 15, 2026, and the zone runs through Feb 10, 2027. Method and management-unit dates inside Zone A vary — see the zone table and the full seasons table above.
When does Zone B deer season open in Alabama?
The earliest Zone B opener is Oct 15, 2026, and the zone runs through Feb 10, 2027. Method and management-unit dates inside Zone B vary — see the zone table and the full seasons table above.
When does Zone C deer season open in Alabama?
The earliest Zone C opener is Nov 21, 2026, and the zone runs through Feb 10, 2027. Method and management-unit dates inside Zone C vary — see the zone table and the full seasons table above.
When does Zone D deer season open in Alabama?
The earliest Zone D opener is Jan 2, 2027, and the zone runs through Jan 27, 2027. Method and management-unit dates inside Zone D vary — see the zone table and the full seasons table above.
When does Zone E deer season open in Alabama?
The earliest Zone E opener is Jan 2, 2027, and the zone runs through Jan 27, 2027. Method and management-unit dates inside Zone E vary — see the zone table and the full seasons table above.
How many deer can you shoot in Alabama?
2026–27 bag limits: Antlered (statewide) — 1 per day, 3 white-tailed bucks per season combined across all seasons; one of the three must have ≥4 antler points ≥1" long on one antler (Barbour Co. requires only ≥3 points on one side). Unantlered — Zones A, B, D, E & CMZ — 2 unantlered deer per day, OR 1 unantlered deer + 1 antlered buck per day. Unantlered — Zone C — 1 unantlered deer + 1 antlered buck per day (no two-unantlered option). Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting deer in Alabama?
On opening day (October 1, 2026) legal light runs 06:41 to 18:31. The rule is: 'Daylight hours only' — official sunrise to official sunset, per Alabama Admin. Code r. 220-2-.07 (Legal Hunting Hours for Game Animals). NO half-hour margin either side: unlike most neighboring states (and unlike Alabama's own migratory-bird rule for dove, which does add a half hour before sunrise), the game-animal rule that covers deer stops exactly at sunrise and sunset with no extension. Do not assume the half-hour rule carries over from dove season on this project. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Alabama sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt deer on my own land in Alabama without a license?
Alabama resident landowners — plus their immediate family, and tenants with their resident families — may hunt the land without a hunting license. The Baiting Privilege License, required to hunt deer or feral swine over bait, still applies to every hunter regardless of this exemption.
Verified · Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (WFF) · Last verified 2026-08-16
Publisher's note. Alabama splits deer season across Zones A–E plus the CWD Management Zone (CMZ), and within Gun season further splits by land type (private vs. open-permit public land, stalk hunting) and by antlered-only vs. either-sex windows. The outer season boundaries in the previous version of this file were all correct, but they hid the either-sex/antlered-only split inside Gun season — the rows below now carry that split for the two main stalk-hunting methods (Private Land and Public Land), because whether antlerless deer are legal on a given day is the single fact a hunter needs and cannot be inferred from a date range alone. DOG HUNTING IS NOT ENUMERATED: private- and public-land dog hunting run their own either-sex/antlered-only windows, similar in shape to the stalk-hunting windows above but not identical in every zone (they typically end earlier, around mid-January instead of Feb. 10) — confirm dog-hunting dates for your zone in the current Alabama regulations before hunting with dogs. Zone C's daily unantlered bag limit is stricter than every other zone (see bagLimits). RE-VERIFIED 2026-09-01, fetched directly from outdooralabama.com (no block). Spot checks across the 32 method rows match: Zone A 'ARCHERY - STALK HUNTING: October 15, 2026 - February 10, 2027 - Either Sex', Special Muzzleloader and Air Rifle 'November 16-20, 2026 - Either Sex', and the special youth season 'Statewide ... November 13-16 and in Zones D and E October 30-November 2'. The per-day rule is why this file carries two separate unantlered rows, and the page states it in full: 'During the Unantlered Deer Gun, Special Muzzleloader and Air Rifle, Archery, and Special Youth (under 16) Seasons, in Zones A, B, D, E and CMZ two unantlered deer or one unantlered deer and one antlered buck may be taken per day. In Zone C one unantlered deer and one antlered buck may be taken per day.' Not modelled, and regulated separately on the page: the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone (Rule 220-2-.167) with its own sampling, transport and feeding rules, and the dog-hunting restrictions for Colbert and Lauderdale counties.