General Hunting Seasons & Bag Limits

TURKEY

• Gobblers only—one a day, five during combined fall and spring seasons.
• Special Youth Hunt—Saturday & Sunday prior to opening of the spring season, in accordance with rule 220-2-.119.
• Special Disabled Hunt—one day prior to all opening days. Participants must meet medical requirements of regulation 220-2-.109.
• Mandatory Harvest Record

FALL SEASON (decoys not permitted)
November 17 – January 1

• Clarke; Clay; Covington; Monroe; Randolph; and Talladega. No decoys permitted during fall turkey season.

SPRING SEASON (decoys permitted)
March 15 – April 30

• Autauga; Baldwin; Barbour; Bibb; Blount; Bullock; Butler; Calhoun; Chambers; Cherokee; Chilton; Choctaw; Clarke; Clay; Cleburne; Coffee; Conecuh; Coosa; Covington; Crenshaw; Cullman (except north of Lewis Smith Lake and north of Cullman County Road 437 and west of I-65); Dale; Dallas; DeKalb; Elmore; Escambia; Etowah; Fayette; Geneva (except south of AL Hwy. 52, east of AL Hwy. 167, west of Houston County line and north of the Florida line); Greene; Hale; Henry, Houston; Jackson; Jefferson; Lamar; Lee; Lowndes; Macon; Marengo; Marion; Marshall; Mobile (except south of I-10 from the Mississippi state line east to AL Hwy. 188 and south on AL Hwy. 188 to Coden, Alabama); Monroe; Montgomery; Perry; Pickens; Pike; Randolph; Russell; Shelby; St. Clair; Sumter; Talladega; Tallapoosa; Tuscaloosa; Walker; Washington; and Wilcox.

April 1 – April 30

• Colbert; Franklin; Lauderdale (west of US Hwy. 43); Lawrence (south of AL Hwy. 24); Limestone (north of US Hwy. 72); Madison; and Winston.

April 20 – April 24

• Cullman (north of Lewis Smith Lake and north of Cullman County Road 437 and west of I-65.); Lawrence (north and east of AL Hwy. 157 and west of AL Hwy. 33 and south of AL Hwy. 20); Lauderdale (east of US Hwy. 43); and Morgan (east of I-65).

No Open Season

• Morgan county is not open to turkey hunting west of I-65.

MOURNING & WHITE-WINGED DOVE

NORTH ZONE (All counties except those listed below in south zone.)

• 15 a day – 15 in possession (70 days)
• Split Season with Shooting Hours:
  • September 8 – October 7
    September 8: 12 O’clock noon until Sunset
    (Afternoon Shooting Only)
    September 9 – October 7: One-half hour before Sunrise until Sunset (All Day)
  • October 20 – November 3
    One-half hour before Sunrise until Sunset (All Day)
  • December 8 – January 1
    One-half hour before Sunrise until Sunset (All Day)

SOUTH ZONE

Baldwin; Barbour; Coffee; Covington; Dale; Escambia; Geneva; Henry; Houston; and Mobile.

• 15 a day – 15 in possession (70 days)
• Split Season with Shooting Hours:
  • September 22 – October 21
    September 22: 12 O’clock noon until Sunset (Afternoon Shooting Only)
    September 23 – October 21: One-half hour before Sunrise until Sunset (All Day)
  • November 22 – November 25
    One-half hour before Sunrise until Sunset (All Day)
  • December 1 – January 5
    One-half hour before Sunrise until Sunset (All Day)

BOBWHITE QUAIL

November 10 – February 28

• 12 a day — 12 in possession

RABBIT

October 1 – February 28

• 8 a day — 8 in possession
• No running of dogs during daytime or after 3:00 a.m. during and in areas of spring turkey season.

SQUIRREL

October 1 – February 28

• 8 a day – 8 in possession

RACCOON

September 1 – February 28

• Private Owned and Leased Lands: No Bag Limit
• Open Permit-Public Land: 5 Per Party
• No running of dogs during daytime or after 3:00 a.m. during and in areas of spring turkey season.

OPOSSUM

September 1 – February 28

• No Bag Limit
• No running of dogs during daytime or after 3:00 a.m. during and in areas of spring turkey season.

ALLIGATOR (2012)

• By Special Permit Only
• Must register on-line at www.outdooralabama.com between June 5 (8:00 a.m.) and July 13 (8:00 a.m.).
• Must be Alabama Resident to register.

Sunset August 16 – Sunrise August 18 and
Sunset August 23 – Sunrise August 25

• Mobile Delta (nighttime only)
• Dallas; Monroe (north of US Hwy. 84) and Wilcox (nighttime only)

Sunset August 10 – Sunrise August 26

• Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston, and Russell counties (nighttime only)

BEAVER, NUTRIA, AND GROUNDHOG

No Closed Season

• No Bag Limit — Daylight Hours Only

STARLINGS, CROWS & BLACKBIRDS

No Closed Season

• No Bag Limit — Daylight Hours Only

BEAR, MOUNTAIN LION & RUFFED GROUSE

No Open Season

WOODCOCK

December 18 – January 31

• 3 a day — 6 in possession
• Shooting Hours: One-half hour before Sunrise to Sunset.

SNIPE

November 14 – February 28

• 8 a day — 16 in possession
• Shooting Hours: One-half hour before Sunrise to Sunset.

RAIL, PURPLE GALLINULE &
COMMON MOORHENS

November 23 – January 27

• Note: At time of printing, federal guidelines were not final. See Alabama Waterfowl Hunting Guide.
• 15 a day — 15 in possession
• Shooting Hours: One-half hour before Sunrise to Sunset.

SPECIAL TEAL SEASON

September 8 – September 23

• Note: At time of printing, federal guidelines were not final. See Alabama Waterfowl Hunting Guide.
• 4 a day — 8 in possession
• Shooting Hours: One-half hour before Sunrise to Sunset.

SPECIAL EARLY
CANADA GOOSE SEASON

September 1 – September 15

• Note: At time of printing, federal guidelines were not final. See Alabama Waterfowl Hunting Guide.
• 5 a day — 10 in possession
• Shooting Hours: One-half hour before Sunrise to Sunset.

SPECIAL SNOW/
BLUE GOOSE SEASON

October 27 – November 11

• Monroe and Escambia Counties only
• Note: At time of printing, federal guidelines were not final. See Alabama Waterfowl Hunting Guide.
• 5 a day — 10 in possession
• Shooting Hours: One-half hour before Sunrise to Sunset.

DUCK, COOT, MERGANSER

November 23 – November 24

December 1 – January 27

• Note: At time of printing, federal guidelines were not final. See Alabama Waterfowl Hunting Guide.
• Shooting Hours: One-half hour before Sunrise to Sunset.

Duck

• 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, 1 Black Duck, 2 Redhead, 1 Pintail, 1 Canvasback, and 2 Scaup.
• The possession limit is twice the daily bag limit.

Coot

• 15 a day — 30 in possession

Merganser

• 5 a day, only 2 may be a Hooded Merganser.
• The possession limit is twice the daily bag limit.

GEESE

September 22 – October 9 (Canada Geese only)
November 23 – November 24 (All Geese)
December 1 – January 27 (All Geese)

• Statewide (including Southern James Bay Population Zone)
• Note: At time of printing, federal guidelines were not final. See Alabama Waterfowl Hunting Guide.
• All geese: the daily bag limit of 5 shall not include more than 2 Canada geese or 2 white-fronted geese. The possession limit of 5 shall include no more than 4 Canada geese and white-fronted geese in aggregate.
• Shooting Hours: One-half hour before Sunrise to Sunset.

SPECIAL YOUTH WATERFOWL HUNTING DAYS

February 9 – February 10

• Note: At time of printing, federal guidelines were not final. See Alabama Waterfowl Hunting Guide.
• Same shooting hours, bag limits, and legal arms and ammunition apply as did in regular waterfowl season, in accordance with Rule 220-2-.119.