Home › Alabama › Public land › Barbour WMA
Barbour County · WMA
Barbour Wildlife Management Area hunting
Hunting access on public ground in Barbour County and 1 neighboring county, about 28,214 acres.
Photo: Olin Gilbert (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Barbour Wildlife Management Area
Hunting rules on Barbour WMA
| Need | Detail |
|---|---|
| Hunting license | Required, 16+ |
| WMA license | $23.40 |
| AREA Permit | Free |
| Daily check-in | App or paper |
| Dog deer | Not allowed |
| Bait | Not allowed |
| Table type | Big and small game |
For deer, turkey or ducks on Barbour WMA, add the WMA license ($23.40) to your hunting license, then check in by app or daily permit every hunt day. Small game other than waterfowl is covered by the Wildlife Heritage License ($14.30), which resident hunting licenses already include. Most WMA gates close from May 1 to September 15; walking in stays legal. The AREA Permit marks Barbour WMA as no dog deer hunting. Deer days on a WMA come from its permit, including bonus-buck dates that add one buck a season beyond the usual three. Check out with your results every day, by app or by paper slip at the kiosk. Hunting deer or hogs over bait is a private-land privilege in Alabama and does not extend to Barbour WMA.
Data collection, from the permit: All deer harvested must be submitted at check station for data collection on the following dates: Nov. 14, and Fridays and Saturdays of all other gun hunt dates.The check station is open from 9:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m.
Sources: source, source, source, source (Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources). Checked November 1, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Barbour Wildlife Management Area
The Barbour WMA file
Size on record: 28,214 acres, per the ADCNR WMA table; the ground lies in Barbour and Bullock counties. Among 2 sized records in Barbour County, it places 1st. ADCNR, through the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, manages it (WFF District IV). It is part of the ADCNR Wildlife Management Area system.
Look for it in Barbour and Bullock Counties near Clayton. ADCNR runs it in cooperation with Forever Wild Land Trust. 43,156 acres of Barbour County are mapped as public land.
The record names this game: Turkey, Waterfowl, Deer, Doves, Rabbits, Squirrels, Crows, Quail, Woodcock, Snipe, Raccoon, Opossum, Bobcat, Coyote, Feral hogs, Foxes, Furbearer trapping.
- Wild turkey
- Ducks
- Canada goose
- White-tailed deer
- Mourning dove
- Rabbits
- Squirrels
- Crows
- Bobwhite quail
- Woodcock
From the agency record (Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division); checked November 1, 2026.
Barbour WMA: the county rules that apply
| Zone or rule | Barbour County | Bullock County |
|---|---|---|
| Deer zone | E, B (map) | B (map) |
| CWD zone | Outside | Outside |
| Turkey zone | 1 | 1 |
| Fall turkey | Closed | Closed |
| Dove zone | North | North |
| Dog deer | Allowed | Allowed |
| Waterfowl zone | Statewide | Statewide |
| Alligator area | Southeast | None |
| Turkeys, 2025 | 297-444 | 209-296 |
| WFF district | IV | IV |
Zone E is listed for the county around Barbour WMA; the boundary runs on highways and rivers. The A/B boundary through Barbour County and Bullock County follows US 80, the Alabama River, I-65, I-85 and other roads, so the ADCNR deer zone map is the reference. The permit for Barbour WMA overrides the zone calendar for deer. ADCNR sets a 3-point (one side) minimum for bucks in Barbour County. The season limit is three antlered deer (one per day), and one must show 4 or more points on one antler. Turkey reports for Barbour County in 2025: 297-444 birds (ADCNR class). Deer harvest by county is not released.
ADCNR deer zones, turkey zones, dove zones, dog deer rules, CWD rules and the 2025 Alabama Wild Turkey Report; checked November 1, 2026.
When Barbour WMA is open to hunt
2026-27 windows that reach Barbour WMA, with an open-or-closed badge.
| Quarry | Season | Where | Opening | Closing | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild turkey | Spring youth | WMA group | Mar 13, 2027 | Mar 13, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring, hunters with disabilities | WMA group | Mar 19, 2027 | Mar 19, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring | WMA group | Mar 20, 2027 | May 3, 2027 | |
| Doves | Segment 1 | North Zone | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 5, 2026 | |
| Doves | Segment 2 | North Zone | Sep 6, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Doves | Segment 3 | North Zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Doves | Segment 4 | North Zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 17, 2027 |
The AREA Permit carries the Barbour WMA deer and small game calendar; this table covers the group turkey dates and dove field dates.
From the ADCNR seasons and bag limits, the 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest and the 2026-27 Waterfowl Hunting Guide; checked November 1, 2026. All Alabama seasons.
Doves on Barbour WMA
Dove fields on Barbour WMA: 4, with 59 acres in browntop millet, sunflowers and peas.
| Name | Crops | Acres | Preparation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smithfield 1 | Browntop Millet and Sunflowers | 25 | Mow, disk strips and top sow wheat |
| Smithfield 2 | Sunflowers and Peas | 6 | Mow and disk strips |
| Powerline Field | Sunflowers and Browntop Millet | 20 | Mow, disk strips, and top sow Wheat |
| Emmit Field | Browntop Millet | 8 | Mow and disk strips |
Dates on the dove list: State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then ½ hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only) No hunting on days of youth and gun deer hunts.
ADCNR WMA Dove Field Information; checked November 1, 2026.
Barbour WMA waterfowl dates
Barbour WMA follows the single statewide waterfowl calendar.
| Species | Segment | Open | Close |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teal | Special teal season | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 |
| Ducks | Youth and veteran day | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 21, 2026 |
| Ducks | Ducks | Nov 27, 2026 | Nov 28, 2026 |
| Ducks | Ducks | Dec 5, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Ducks | Youth and veteran day | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 6, 2027 |
| Geese | Geese, segment 1 | Sep 5, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
| Geese | Geese, segment 2 | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Geese | Geese, segment 3 | Nov 27, 2026 | Nov 28, 2026 |
| Geese | Geese, segment 4 | Dec 5, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Coots | Coot season | Nov 27, 2026 | Nov 28, 2026 |
| Coots | Coot season | Dec 5, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Mergansers | Merganser season | Nov 27, 2026 | Nov 28, 2026 |
| Mergansers | Merganser season | Dec 5, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
2026-27 Waterfowl Hunting Guide; checked November 1, 2026.
Barbour WMA on the map with its neighbors
Rows run from nearest to farthest, beginning with Eufaula NWR (Alabama portion) (20 mi, east).
| Neighbor | Category | Acreage | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eufaula NWR (Alabama portion) | Wildlife refuge | 7,631 | Barbour, Russell | 20 mi | east |
| Walter F. George Lake (Corps) | Corps lake | – | Barbour, Henry | 21 mi | east |
| Pike County Pocosin Complex (Forever Wild) | Forever Wild tract | 332 | Pike | 29 mi | southwest |
| Uchee Creek SOA | SOA | 4,734 | Russell | 30 mi | north |
| Tuskegee National Forest | National forest | 11,347 | Macon | 35 mi | north |
| Tuskegee Ranger District | Ranger district | 11,347 | Macon | 35 mi | north |
| Macon State Forest PDHA | PDHA | 190 | Macon | 36 mi | north |
| Fort Novosel | Military land | 57,036 | Dale, Coffee | 44 mi | southwest |
Points: ADCNR WMA layer (polygon centroid of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Supplies and help around Barbour WMA
The nearest town page is Clayton, 6.7 mi from Barbour WMA. Eufaula (12,363 residents) has the most services, 17 mi away. The WFF district office for this county is at 3520 Plaza Dr., Enterprise.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton | Barbour | 2,192 | 6.7 mi | south |
| Midway | Bullock | 402 | 8.5 mi | northwest |
| Eufaula | Barbour | 12,363 | 17 mi | east |
| Union Springs | Bullock | 3,157 | 20 mi | northwest |
| Abbeville | Henry | 2,370 | 30 mi | south |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024); offices and businesses from services.json (ADCNR offices and business listings, chain stores left out); straight-line miles. Checked November 1, 2026.
Barbour WMA shooting hours on key dates
ADCNR prints one sunrise and sunset table for downtown Birmingham and warns that other places can differ by 10 minutes or more, so the times below are worked out for Barbour WMA.
| Date | Opener or close | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer | Migratory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2026 | Archery opens, A and C | 6:44 a.m. | 6:11 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 6:41 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 6:11 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer, A-C | 6:15 a.m. | 4:40 p.m. | 5:45 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 5:45 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. |
| Nov 27, 2026 | Ducks open | 6:20 a.m. | 4:39 p.m. | 5:50 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 5:50 a.m. to 4:39 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 6:38 a.m. | 4:41 p.m. | 6:08 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | 6:08 a.m. to 4:41 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Mid-January | 6:42 a.m. | 4:59 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 5:29 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. |
| Feb 10, 2027 | Deer close, A-C | 6:29 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 5:53 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. |
| Mar 20, 2027 | Turkey opener | 6:47 a.m. | 6:53 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 6:53 p.m. |
Hours rules from the 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location (NOAA solar formula, Central Time), checked against the Digest’s Birmingham table; checked November 1, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Landscape and game photos for Barbour WMA
Barbour Wildlife Management Area range and nearby clubs
Sight in on the area itself at Barbour County WMA Shooting Range, one of ADCNR’s 12 public ranges.
From ADCNR’s range directory and range pages, operators’ pages and directory listings, checked November 1, 2026.
Barbour WMA questions and answers
What time can I start hunting Barbour WMA?
For deer on November 21, 2026: 5:45 a.m. until 5:10 p.m..
How do I place Barbour WMA on a map?
Barbour WMA lies in Barbour and Bullock counties, in WFF District IV. Clayton is the closest town with a page here, about 6.7 mi away.
Is Barbour WMA a big tract?
The figure on file is 28,214 acres (the ADCNR WMA table).
Which permits apply on Barbour WMA?
The WMA set: license, $23.40 WMA license, AREA Permit, daily sign-in.
Deer zone for Barbour WMA?
Named zone: Zone E; Barbour County and Bullock County also has Zone A or B ground, and that line follows roads and rivers, so check the ADCNR zone map. Area permits override zone dates on managed areas.
Does Barbour WMA allow dog hunting for deer?
Not here. No dog deer hunting per the permit.
Bait and feeders on Barbour WMA?
No. ADCNR bans hunting with bait on WMAs, SOAs and federal land.
Which animals may be hunted on Barbour WMA?
The record lists turkey, waterfowl, deer, doves, rabbits, squirrels, crows, quail, woodcock, snipe, raccoon, opossum, bobcat, coyote, feral hogs, foxes and furbearer trapping.
Who manages Barbour WMA?
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. Call 334-529-3222 (Adam Pritchett, area manager).
When can I hunt gobblers on Barbour WMA?
Season: Mar 20, 2027 to May 3, 2027, daylight to 1 p.m.
Is there other public hunting land close to Barbour WMA?
Eufaula NWR (Alabama portion) sits 20 mi away. 9 more lie within 50 miles.
Other photos on this page: Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0); Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0); Tony Alter (CC BY 2.0).