Alabama Deer Season 2026–27

Alabama's 2026–27 deer season runs from October 1, 2026, to February 10, 2027, depending on your zone. Gun season opens Saturday, November 21, 2026, in Zones A, B, C and the CWD Management Zone, and two weeks earlier, on November 7, in Zones D and E. The last day is February 10, 2027, for Zones A, B, C and the CMZ, and January 27, 2027, for Zones D and E. All dates come from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) 2026–2027 deer season page.

Alabama Deer Season 2026–27 at a Glance

Within those windows, some days are either sex and some are antlered bucks only. That depends on your zone and whether you hunt private or public land, so check the tables below before you take a doe.

Which Alabama Deer Zone Am I In?

Most of the state is in Zone A. Zone B covers southwest and south Alabama, south and west of a line that follows US 80, the Alabama River, I-65 and I-85 toward the Wiregrass. Zone C covers parts of 11 north-central counties: Blount, Cullman, Etowah, Jefferson, Lawrence, Marion, Morgan, Marshall, St. Clair, Walker and Winston. Zone D is a smaller area of Cullman, Lawrence, Morgan and Winston counties. Zone E covers parts of Barbour and Russell counties along the Chattahoochee, plus parts of Calhoun, Cherokee and Cleburne in east Alabama. The CWD Management Zone (CMZ) covers the northwest corner of the state. Zone lines follow roads and rivers, not county lines, so confirm your property on the ADCNR zone map.

Gun Season on Private Land, by Zone

These are stalk-hunting dates. Dog deer hunting is allowed only in certain counties and usually ends sooner, on Jan. 15 in Zones A, B, C and the CMZ, and Jan. 1 in Zones D and E. Check the county list on the ADCNR deer season page.

Gun Season on Open Permit Public Land

Public land runs on a tighter calendar. In Zones A and B, it's bucks only Nov. 21 – Dec. 11, either sex Dec. 12 – Jan. 3, then bucks only again Jan. 4 – Feb. 10. In Zone C, either-sex days run Dec. 12 – Jan. 1. In Zones D and E, it's bucks only Nov. 7 – Dec. 11, either sex Dec. 12 – Jan. 1, and bucks only Jan. 2–27. In the CMZ, it's bucks only Nov. 21 – Dec. 11 and either sex Dec. 12 – Feb. 10. Wildlife management areas (WMAs) have their own hunt dates and rules, so check with ADCNR before you go.

Alabama Youth Deer Season 2026

Hunters under 16 get their own gun season on private land and open permit public land (not WMAs): Nov. 13–16, 2026, in Zones A, B, C and the CMZ, and Oct. 30 – Nov. 2, 2026, in Zones D and E. Both are either sex. In Barbour County, any antlered buck is legal during the youth dates. The rest of the season, Barbour County bucks need at least three points on one side. It's the best weekend of the year to take a young hunter out before the woods fill up on opening day.

Bag Limits and Antler Rules

• Antlered bucks: one per day, statewide.
• Season buck limit: three per hunter across all seasons. One of the three must have at least four points, 1 inch or longer, on one antler.
• Barbour County: antlered bucks must have at least three points on one side, except on the youth dates.
• Does: in Zones A, B, D, E and the CMZ, two unantlered deer a day, or one unantlered deer and one antlered buck. In Zone C, one unantlered deer and one antlered buck a day.

Full details are on the ADCNR deer season page.

Don't Forget Game Check

Every deer has to be recorded on your harvest record (paper or the Outdoor AL app) before you move it, then reported through Game Check within 48 hours or before you hand it off to a processor or anyone else. You can report in the Outdoor AL app, online, or by calling 1-800-888-7690, according to ADCNR's Game Check page.

Hunting Northwest Alabama? CWD Testing Dates

Deer harvested in the CWD High-Risk Zone (all of Lauderdale and Colbert counties and the part of Franklin County north of AL 24) must be sampled on these mandatory weekends: Nov. 21–22, 2026 (opening weekend of gun season), Jan. 16–17, 2027 and Feb. 6–7, 2027, according to ADCNR's CWD testing announcement.

When Is the Rut in Alabama?

Alabama has one of the longest, most spread-out ruts in the country. Biologists link it to the restocking decades ago that brought in deer from many different places. The ADCNR rut map, built from herd health data collected from 1995 to 2019, shows peak breeding anywhere from Nov. 10–23 to Jan. 25 – Feb. 8, depending on where you hunt. Much of central Alabama, including Montgomery, Dallas, Lee and Pike counties, peaks around Jan. 9–24, while Mobile and Baldwin counties peak around Jan. 25 – Feb. 8, according to a county breakdown of that map by Trail Pro Intel. Calhoun and Cleburne counties in east Alabama run earliest, around Nov. 24 – Dec. 8.

That means a lot of Alabama's best buck movement happens late in the season, long after most other states have closed. See how Alabama compares with Georgia, Florida and South Carolina in our Southeast deer rut dates 2026 guide.

Planning Around Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is Nov. 26, 2026, so the Zone A, B and C gun opener on Nov. 21 lands the Saturday before. Zone C and Zone D private land also have either-sex days Nov. 21–29, right over the holiday. If you're traveling to hunt Florida or Georgia that week, check our Thanksgiving week hunting guide for what's open across the Southeast.

Alabama Deer Season FAQ

When does deer season start in Alabama in 2026?

Archery opens Oct. 1, 2026, in Zones D and E and Oct. 15 everywhere else. Gun season opens Nov. 7 in Zones D and E and Nov. 21 in Zones A, B, C and the CMZ.

When does Alabama rifle season start?

Alabama calls it gun deer season. It opens Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026, in Zones A, B, C and the CMZ, and Nov. 7, 2026, in Zones D and E.

When does deer season end in Alabama?

Feb. 10, 2027, in Zones A, B, C and the CMZ, and Jan. 27, 2027, in Zones D and E. Public land and dog hunting dates can end sooner.

When is youth deer season in Alabama?

Nov. 13–16, 2026, in Zones A, B, C and the CMZ, and Oct. 30 – Nov. 2, 2026, in Zones D and E, for hunters under 16.

How many deer can you kill in Alabama?

One antlered buck a day and three per season, with one of the three having at least four points on one side. Most zones also allow two does a day; Zone C allows one doe and one buck a day.

Do I have to report my deer in Alabama?

Yes. Every deer must be reported through Game Check within 48 hours, using the Outdoor AL app, the website or 1-800-888-7690.

Gear Up for the Season

Every Hunt One More® design is built around faith, service and time in the field. Grab The Lord Is My Guide® tees and hoodies for those frosty January sits, and put a Hunt One More decal on the truck before opening day.

Trust the process. Trust the hunt. And when the sun's going down, hunt one more.

Keep Reading on Camp Talk

• Georgia Deer Season 2026–27
• Southeast Deer Rut Dates 2026
• Thanksgiving Hunting 2026: What's Open
• Florida Hunting Season Dates 2026–27
• Late-Season Whitetail Hunting

Season dates come from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' 2026–2027 deer season page. This guide is for planning only. Always confirm current regulations, license requirements and bag limits with ADCNR before you hunt.