Alabama deer season 2026-27
Alabama has one of the longest deer seasons in the country: archery from October 15 and gun season to February 10. Here are the dates that matter and the rifles that fit.
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Archery
Oct. 15, 2026 – Feb. 10, 2027
Zone A (Zone B opens bucks-only Oct. 15-24).
Zone A (Zone B opens bucks-only Oct. 15-24).
Special youth gun
Nov. 13–16, 2026
Zones A, B, C and CWD zone (Oct. 30 – Nov. 2 in Zones D and E).
Zones A, B, C and CWD zone (Oct. 30 – Nov. 2 in Zones D and E).
Muzzleloader & air rifle
Nov. 16–20, 2026
Private land and open-permit public land, stalk hunting.
Private land and open-permit public land, stalk hunting.
Gun season
Nov. 21, 2026 – Feb. 10, 2027
Private or leased land, Zones A, B, C and CWD zone. Opens Nov. 7 in Zones D and E.
Private or leased land, Zones A, B, C and CWD zone. Opens Nov. 7 in Zones D and E.
Zones
The state is split into Zones A through E plus the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone. Zone A covers most of north and central Alabama; Zone B the south-west, including Mobile and Baldwin counties; Zones C, D and E are smaller areas of north and east Alabama with their own dates. Zone lines follow roads and rivers, so check the Outdoor Alabama zone map for your land, or see your city page.
Which rifle
Black Belt and farm country. Big fields and long shots: a bolt-action 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 or .308 with a 3-9x or 4-12x scope.
Pine plantations and hardwood bottoms. Shots are shorter and the woods are thick. A .30-30 lever gun, a .350 Legend or a short-barreled .308 carries easily and hits hard.
Hogs too. Many Alabama deer hunters want one rifle for deer and hogs; see the hog hunting guide.
Deer rifles
All bolt actions →Ships to FFL
Springfield Armory
★ 4.9 (61)
$2125.76
Caliber: 7.62x51 NATO, .308 Win | Capacity: 10
Ships to FFL
Springfield Armory
★ 4.9 (49)
$2151.64
Caliber: 7.62x51 NATO, .308 Win | Capacity: 10
Ships to FFL
Mossberg
★ 4.8 (32)
$648.01
Caliber: 7.62x51 NATO, .308 Win | Capacity: 10
Ships to FFL
Mossberg
★ 5.0 (18)
$879.74
Caliber: .308 Win | Capacity: 5
Ships to FFL
Smith & Wesson
★ 4.8 (17)
$1617.46
Caliber: 7.62x51 NATO, .308 Win | Capacity: 10
Ships to FFL
Ruger
★ 4.5 (14)
$700.91
Caliber: .308 Win | Capacity: 3
Ships to FFL
Ships to FFL
Browning
★ 5.0 (5)
$1678.99
Caliber: .300 Win Mag | Capacity: 3
Ships to FFL
Sig Sauer
★ 4.4 (5)
$1954.99
Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor | Capacity: 5
Ships to FFL
Sig Sauer
★ 4.8 (4)
$1954.99
Caliber: 7.62x51 NATO, .308 Win | Capacity: 5
Ships to FFL
CZ
★ 4.8 (4)
$834.31
Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor | Capacity: 5
Ships to FFL
CZ
★ 5.0 (3)
$1155.16
Caliber: .300 Win Mag | Capacity: 3
Common questions
When does gun deer season open in Alabama for 2026?
November 21, 2026 in Zones A, B, C and the CWD Management Zone, and November 7 in Zones D and E. On private or leased land it runs to February 10, 2027.
What is the buck limit in Alabama?
Three antlered bucks per hunter across all seasons combined, one of which must have at least 4 points of 1 inch or longer on one antler. Barbour County has its own antler restriction.
How many does per day?
In Zones A, B, D, E and the CWD zone, two antlerless deer (or one antlerless and one buck) per day during the antlerless seasons; in Zone C, one antlerless and one buck.
Where is the CWD Management Zone?
All of Lauderdale and Colbert counties and part of Franklin County, in the north-west corner of the state. It has its own rules on baiting, sampling and moving carcasses.
What is a good all-round Alabama deer rifle?
A bolt-action .308, .270 or 6.5 Creedmoor handles Black Belt fields and pine plantations alike. For hardwood bottoms and thick cover, a lever gun or a .350 Legend is light and handy.
More Alabama guides
Source: Outdoor Alabama, 2026-2027 deer season. Always check the current regulations, your zone and any WMA permit before you hunt.