Deer Hunting

Important Notes:

• All deer and turkey hunters are required to report their harvest using Game Check and have a deer / turkey harvest record (either paper or app form) in possession. See Game Check & Harvest Record for more information.
• All persons hunting on private lands of another must have written permission from the landowner with few exceptions.
• Legal hunting hours for deer are 30 minutes before official sunrise time until 30 minutes after official sunset time.
• All required hunting and fishing licenses and waterfowl stamps must be in possession when hunting or fishing (either paper or digital form).
• For hunter orange requirement (see below) and definition of open permit – public land (see Hunting Laws & Regulations). Consult Wildlife Management Area Permit for special rules and regulations and seasons before hunting State Wildlife Management Areas.
• Any party controlling hunting rights may, by choice, be more restrictive on seasons and bag limits than those stipulated below.
• Hunting with the aid of bait is prohibited on public lands (including WMA, SOA, USFWS, USFS, TVA, Corp. of Engineers and public and private land within the CWD CMZ).
• For the CWD sample drop-off locations — see below.

Deer

Antlered Bucks

Male deer with one or more antlers visible above natural hairline – Statewide – one a day.

White-Tailed Buck Limit

Three per hunter during all combined seasons. One of the three must have at least 4 antler points 1" or longer on one antler (except for Barbour County). A point is defined as an antler projection of at least one inch in length from base to tip. Main beam tip shall be counted as a point regardless of length.

Exceptions:

1. Barbour County Antler Restriction – antlered bucks must have a minimum of three points on one side, (except on the statewide special youth deer hunting dates during which any antlered buck may be taken).
2. Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Bonus Buck – One per hunter during all combined bonus buck hunt dates will be allowed to be harvested from a selected collection of WMAs on specific WMA hunt dates depicted on the AREA Permits that will not count towards the hunter's State three buck limit. On specified WMAs within the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone (CMZ) on specific WMA hunt dates depicted on the AREA Permits, one bonus buck per hunter per bonus buck hunt date will be allowed to be harvested that will not count towards the hunter’s State three buck limit. All bonus bucks must be validated at WMA check station by WFF personnel.
3. CWD Sampling Permit – See Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone Rule - Regulation 220-2-.167(2).

White-tailed Unantlered Deer Limit

During the Unantlered Deer Gun, Special Muzzleloader and Air Rifle, Archery, and Special Youth (under 16) Seasons, in Zones A, B, D, E & 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. See Special Exceptions below for selected areas.

Special Youth (Under 16) Deer Hunting

Statewide, (includes all Privately Owned, Leased Lands and Open Permit – Public Lands (except Wildlife Management Areas) in Zones A, B, C and CMZ) November 13–16 and in Zones D & E October 30–November 2. Dog deer hunting in those counties or parts of counties where and how it is allowed during the regular dog deer hunting season. Same legal arms and ammunition apply as in Deer gun season, in accordance with Rule 220-2-.119. See the current Wildlife Management Area Permits for youth deer hunting dates and other information about WMA hunting.

Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone (CMZ):

All deer season dates and bag limits in the CMZ with the exception of Wildlife Management Areas and community hunting areas are the same as those listed for CMZ zone.

Dog Deer Hunting restrictions for Colbert and Lauderdale Counties are stated in Note 1 on the Deer Seasons & Limits page.

See Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone Rule 220-2-.167 for CWD sampling requirements, restrictions on transport and disposal of deer carcasses and heads, restrictions on feeding and baiting of wildlife, and other applicable requirements and restrictions for CWD Management.