Interested in a hunting adventure? Look no further than Alabama, where the extended hunting season and large number of turkeys make for a thrilling adventure. The Alabama Turkey season provides a range of possibilities to bag a gobbler, whether you’re an experienced hunter or a novice. The prospects of a successful hunt are high since the bulk of turkeys are taken during the spring season and because both the fall and spring seasons have hefty bag limits of five gobblers each. Although decoys are only allowed in the spring, the longer season gives you plenty of time to manoeuvre.
Alabama Turkey Hunting Season
Alabama has more wild turkeys due to conservation efforts that began in the early 1900s. Their initiatives have opened countless hunting opportunities. Controlled burning, wildlife openings, and timber harvesting have helped the turkey rebound. Most turkeys are harvested in Alabama’s lengthy spring. Hunters may take one gobbler per day throughout the fall and spring seasons, while decoys are only allowed in spring with limited usage limitations.
Below here are Schedule for the latest Turkey Season in Alabama.
ZONE-1
| Alabama Turkey Season | Start Date | End Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone-1 | Saturday, March 25, 2023 | Monday, May 08, 2023 | Decoys allowed April 4 |
Counties: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Butler, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Cleburne, Coffee, Conecuh, Coosa, Crenshaw, Cullman (except north of Lewis Smith Lake and north of Cullman County Road 437 and west of Interstate 65), Dale, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Escambia, Et
ZONE 2
| Alabama Turkey Season | Start Date | End Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone-2 | Saturday, April 01, 2023 | Monday, May 08, 2023 | Decoys allowed April 11 |
Counties: Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan, and Winston. Colbert, Cullman (north of Lewis Smith Lake, north of Cullman County Road 437, and west of Interstate 65).
ZONE 3
| Alabama Turkey Season | Start Date | End Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone-3 | Sunday, November 19, 2023 | Monday, November 27, 2023 | No decoys allowed |
| Zone-3 | Sunday, December 10, 2023 | Sunday, January 01, 2023 | No decoys allowed |
| Zone-3 | Saturday, March 25, 2023 | Monday, May 08, 2023 | Decoys allowed April 4 |
Counties: Covington, Monroe, Randolph, Clarke, Clay, Talladega, and Covington.
Note:
| Type of Hunt | Gobbler Limit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gobblers Only | One per day, four bag limit | During combined fall and spring season |
| Special Youth Hunt (Decoys Allowed) | Saturday & Sunday the week prior to opening of spring season | |
| Special Disabled Hunt (Decoys Allowed) | One day prior to all regular season opening days. Participants must meet medical requirements of regulation 220-2-.109(2)(d) |
Bag Limit
| Alabama Turkey Bag Limit | Note |
|---|---|
| The daily limit is one gobbler. | There is a total of 4 gobblers that may be taken in the autumn and spring seasons combined. |
| No more than two gobblers may be taken from any Wildlife Management Area, Conservation and Hunting Area, or National Forest Ranger District. | N/A |
| For the first ten days of each season, only one gobbler may be taken from each WMA, CHA, and National Forest Ranger District. | N/A |
License Requirements
| License Required | Description |
|---|---|
| All Game Hunting License | unless exempt |
| Harvest Record | paper form or on the app |
| Wildlife Management License and map permit | IF hunting on a WMA |
| Harvest Reporting | 48 hours to report turkey harvest through Game Check |
U.S. Forest Service Ranger & WMA Districts
| Area | Start Date | End Date | Time Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bankhead Ranger District; WMAs - Lauderdale, Freedom Hills, Black Warrior, Coon Gulf, Riverton CHA and Martin CHA | Saturday, April 08, 2023 | Monday, May 08, 2023 | daylight - 1 p.m. |
| REMAINDER OF NATIONAL FORESTS DISTRICTS (Talladega Ranger District, Shoal Creek Ranger District, Oakmulgee Ranger District, Tuskegee Ranger District and Conecuh Ranger District) and WMAs THAT ALLOW TURKEY HUNTING | Saturday, April 01, 2023 | Monday, May 08, 2023 | daylight - 1 p.m. |
Hunting Regulations for Turkey in AL
- Before going out to hunt for deer or turkeys, you must have a harvest record, whether it be on paper or an app. Additionally, it is against the law to transfer any deer or turkey before noting the harvest on the harvest record and to fail to report any deer or turkey taken via Game Check.
- Except for turkey, all lawful game animals and birds may be hunted from elevated tree stands only with a bow and arrow or handgun.
- Hunting migrating birds or turkeys without using live decoys is not permitted.
- Hunting is not permitted when using electronic dove, turkey, or waterfowl calls. However, they can summon predators when that species is being hunted.
- Those decoys used for turkey hunting that include mechanical or electrical components capable of creating sound or movement or that can be controlled to do so, including any that are portable or linked to weapons like fans or reapers, are forbidden. After the first ten days of the spring turkey season, as well as during the special spring hunts for disabled people and youngsters, legal turkey decoys are permitted.
- It is against the law to import, possess, sell, or offer to sell live any species of mongoose, wild rabbit or hare, deer, raccoon, fox, skunk, coyote, wild turkey, wild rodents, wild goat, sheep, antelope, or other exotic game from any region outside of Alabama, as well as any fish from the genera Clarias, Serrasalmus, or Mylopharyngodon.
- Any turkey, domestic or wild, may not be released into a state’s wild region.
For entire regulations you may read our Latest Alabama Hunting seasons article.
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What is dates for the Alabama youth turkey season in Zone 2 ?
The youth turkey season in Zone 2 of Alabama will take place from March 25–26, 2023. During the youth turkey season, decoys are allowed. Hunters should double-check the dates for each year because the youth turkey hunting days are typically conducted on the Saturday and Sunday before the start of the spring turkey season.