Deer gun season begins Saturday in parts of the state. In July, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced the creation of two new deer hunting zones: zones D and E. Today in Zones D and E it is black powder musket and air rifle season. Deer gun season in those two new zones begins Saturday. In most of the state — zones A, B and C — it is still bow season. Gun season begins Nov. 21 in the rest of the state with special muzzleloader and air rifle seasons beginning on Nov. 16.
Zone D includes parts of Cullman, Franklin, Lawrence and Winston counties in North Central Alabama. Zone E includes areas in Barbour, Calhoun, Cleburne and Russell counties. Archery season for zones D and E opened back on Oct. 1. Gun deer season for antlered bucks will open in both zones on Nov. 7. Antlered bucks can be taken in zones D and E through Jan. 27, 2021. The unantlered deer harvest dates differ between zones D and E, and both zones close to unantlered deer harvest earlier in January.
Be very aware of where in the state you are at all times because different rules can and do apply. Some counties have as many as three of the state’s five hunting zones. Hunting deer with guns is legal and allowable in zones D and E but is banned if you hike outside of those two smaller zones.
Archery season in zone B goes from Oct. 15 to Feb. 10 for antlered bucks. For either sex from Oct. 25 to Feb. 10. Gun season in zone B is from Nov. 21 to Feb. 10.
You must purchase a license to hunt in the state of Alabama, and you must report any and all deer taken to the state. The game check app can be installed on your smartphone. Wildlife biologists use the data to set future hunting zones and harvest limits.
“The creation of these new deer zones highlights the hard work of our wildlife managers and the importance of harvest data provided by Alabama’s hunters,” said Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “The Department strives to offer the best hunting opportunities available.”
Whitetail deer are the largest game species in the state with a harvestable wild population. Hunting for whitetail deer is the most popular of the hunting sports in Alabama. Hunting and fishing are a fun activity the whole family can enjoy, while social distancing due to the coronavirus global pandemic.
This will be the second year that Alabama has offered sandhill crane hunting. A select group of four hundred hunters won crane hunting privileges in a drawing in October. The state banned crane hunting a lifetime ago because the popular game species had dwindled so dramatically, Their comeback, like the restoration of deer, American alligators, and bald eagles has been a conservation success story. Eighty years ago all three species were threatened almost to the point of extinction in the state of Alabama.
ADCNR is once again offering hard card licenses for the 2020-2021 season. For an additional $5 fee, purchasers can select from six new designs including white-tailed deer, wild turkey, wood duck, crappie, redfish and a “We the People” design featuring the Second Amendment.
Alabama is rich in natural diversity with more than 1.3 million acres of public hunting land and some of the most liberal seasons and bag limits in the nation. Public land hunting opportunities in the state include Wildlife Management Areas, Special Opportunity Areas, Physically Disabled Hunting Areas, Forever Wild land, U.S. Forest Service land, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land, Tennessee Valley Authority land and several National Wildlife Refuges.
While hunting is one of the safest outdoor recreational activities, each year unnecessary and completely avoidable hunting accidents happen and some are fatal. ADCNR reminds hunters to practice hunter safety including routine treestand maintenance and safety checks, always using a full-body safety harness when hunting from a treestand, wearing hunter orange and practicing firearm safety. Guns and alcohol do not mix well.
For additional hunter safety tips, visit the hunter education section of outdooralabama.com.
(original reporting by Outdoor Alabama and WSFA contributed to this report.)
