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WFF District II county page
Cherokee County Hunting
Cherokee County hunting at a glance: zone lines from the ADCNR map, the dates that apply on private and open permit-public land, 4 public areas and the services close to Centre.
Photo: formulanone (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Open hunting ground inside Cherokee County
We count 4 public hunting areas in Cherokee County; Shoal Creek Ranger District covers the most ground at 119,572 acres. Roughly 11,025 acres (3.1%) of the county are public on the GIS layers. Talladega National Forest covers around 2,259 acres of the county.
| Area | Program | Acres | Game | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoal Creek Ranger District | Ranger district | 119,572 | deer, turkey | — |
| Little River Canyon National Preserve | National preserve | 15,641 | — | — |
| Little River WMA | WMA | 13,100 | turkey, ducks, deer | no deer dogs |
| Indian Mountain Complex (Forever Wild) | Forever Wild tract | 1,127 | deer, turkey, ducks | archery deer |
Where most Cherokee County public land sits
- At 119,572 acres, Shoal Creek Ranger District gives Cherokee County hunters its biggest block, shared with Cleburne County, Calhoun County and Clay County. Hunters go there for deer and turkey.
- Little River Canyon National Preserve counts as a national preserve with 15,641 acres on record.
- The WMA Little River Wildlife Management Area runs to 13,100 acres and crosses into DeKalb County. Game listed for it includes turkey, ducks, deer and doves. Notes on the record: no deer dogs. Phone for the area: (256) 846-3004.
- Indian Mountain Complex (Forever Wild) is a forever Wild tract of about 1,127 acres. The record names deer, turkey, ducks and hogs. Look out for archery deer.
A short drive beyond Cherokee County
- Choccolocco WMA22 miles out, 56,838 acres in Cleburne County
- Big Oak PDHA25 miles out, 1,839 acres in Cleburne County
- Mountain Longleaf NWR26 miles out, 9,070 acres in Calhoun County
- Fort McClellan Training Center – Clarke Range Complex30 miles out, Calhoun County
- Talladega NF41 miles out, 394,869 acres in Cleburne County and Clay County
Areas from our Alabama land list (ADCNR WMA area permit maps, the ADCNR Special Opportunity Areas page, ADCNR where to hunt, USFS, USFWS and Corps records); acres by kind from the ADCNR WMA, Forever Wild and SOA layers, USFS, USFWS, PAD-US (Corps, TVA, state parks) and NPS GIS layers (GIS measures, not official acreages). Checked November 1, 2026.
Cherokee County deer zone, dates and county rules
A zone boundary crosses Cherokee County, leaving Zone A (about 97%) and Zone E (about 3%) by map share. Zone E names Cherokee County in its description, limited to the described boundary. No county list exists for Zones A and B; the boundary runs along highways and rivers, so check the official map near it.
Cherokee County deer openers and closers
| Item | Zone A | Zone E |
|---|---|---|
| Archery opens | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 1, 2026 |
| Youth season | Nov 13–Nov 16 | Oct 30–Nov 2 |
| Muzzleloader window | Nov 16–Nov 20 | Nov 2–Nov 6 |
| Gun deer opens | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Dogs end, private land | Jan 15, 2027 | Jan 1, 2027 |
| Deer close | Feb 10, 2027 | Jan 27, 2027 |
The D and E rows start sooner than the rest of the state, with bows from October 1 and guns from November 7. The buck limit is three a season (one a day); one of those must have at least 4 points on an antler.
Cherokee County and deer dogs
Cherokee County is listed as stalk-only for deer.
Hunting over bait in Cherokee County
The Bait Privilege License, $18.95 for residents and $65.25 for nonresidents, covers deer and hog bait on private land in Cherokee County. Baiting is banned on every WMA, SOA and federal tract.
Zones and dates from the ADCNR deer zones and seasons and 2026-2027 Digest season tables; dog rules from the Digest dog deer section; bait from the ADCNR feeding and baiting rules. Checked November 1, 2026.
2026-27 calendar for Cherokee County
60 dated rows reach Cherokee County; zone rows are already matched to the county, and the last column compares each with today.
| Animal | Season type | Where | Start | Finish | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Deer Zone A | Oct 15, 2026 | Feb 10, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth gun | Deer Zone A | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 16, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Muzzleloader and air rifle | Deer Zone A | Nov 16, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, public land | Deer Zone A | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 11, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, private land | Deer Zone A | Nov 21, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, public land | Deer Zone A | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 11, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, private land | Deer Zone A | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 10, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, public land | Deer Zone A | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, public land | Deer Zone A | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, public land | Deer Zone A | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, public land | Deer Zone A | Jan 4, 2027 | Feb 10, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Deer Zone E | Oct 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth gun | Deer Zone E | Oct 30, 2026 | Nov 2, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Muzzleloader and air rifle | Deer Zone E | Nov 2, 2026 | Nov 6, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, public land | Deer Zone E | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 11, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, private land | Deer Zone E | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, public land | Deer Zone E | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 11, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, private land | Deer Zone E | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, public land | Deer Zone E | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, public land | Deer Zone E | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, public land | Deer Zone E | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 27, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late archery, bucks only | Deer Zone E | Jan 16, 2027 | Jan 27, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, private land | Deer Zone E | Jan 16, 2027 | Jan 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth | Turkey Zone 1 | Mar 13, 2027 | Mar 14, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring, hunters with disabilities | Turkey Zone 1 | Mar 19, 2027 | Mar 19, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring | Turkey Zone 1 | Mar 20, 2027 | May 3, 2027 | |
| Feral hogs | Feral swine | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Feral hogs | Night, with dogs | Statewide | May 8, 2027 | Aug 30, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Bobwhite quail | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Rabbits | Rabbits | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Squirrels | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Woodcock | Statewide | Dec 18, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Doves | Segment 1 | Dove North Zone | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 5, 2026 | |
| Doves | Segment 2 | Dove North Zone | Sep 6, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Doves | Segment 3 | Dove North Zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Doves | Segment 4 | Dove North Zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| Teal | Special teal season | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Youth and veteran day | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 21, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Ducks | Statewide | Nov 27, 2026 | Nov 28, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Ducks | Statewide | Dec 5, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Youth and veteran day | Statewide | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 6, 2027 | |
| Geese | Geese, segment 1 | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Geese | Geese, segment 2 | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 | |
| Geese | Geese, segment 3 | Statewide | Nov 27, 2026 | Nov 28, 2026 | |
| Geese | Geese, segment 4 | Statewide | Dec 5, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Coots | Coot season | Statewide | Nov 27, 2026 | Nov 28, 2026 | |
| Coots | Coot season | Statewide | Dec 5, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Mergansers | Merganser season | Statewide | Nov 27, 2026 | Nov 28, 2026 | |
| Mergansers | Merganser season | Statewide | Dec 5, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Coyote | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Foxes | Fox | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Raccoon | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Opossum | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Beaver, nutria, groundhog | Beaver, nutria, groundhog | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Bullfrogs and pig frogs | Bullfrog and pig frog | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Unprotected birds | Unprotected birds | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Rails and gallinules | Marsh birds | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Wilson's snipe | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Feb 21, 2027 | |
| Rails and gallinules | Marsh birds | Statewide | Nov 27, 2026 | Jan 26, 2027 |
From the ADCNR seasons and bag limits, the 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest and the 2026-27 Waterfowl Hunting Guide (Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources), checked November 1, 2026.
Cherokee County bird seasons and zones
Spring turkey around Cherokee County
The turkey zone list puts Cherokee County under Zone 1. Spring turkey dates: March 20 through May 3, 2027. ADCNR's 2025 turkey report shades Cherokee County in the 297-444 class, meaning hunters reported between 297 and 444 birds through Game Check; 18 other counties share that class. Across Alabama, reported gobblers fell from 18,263 (2024) to 17,049 (2025).
Cherokee County dove dates
Cherokee County is a North Zone dove county; the opener is a noon start.
| Segment | From and to |
|---|---|
| Segment 1 | Sep 5 |
| Segment 2 | Sep 6–Oct 18 |
| Segment 3 | Nov 21–Nov 29 |
| Segment 4 | Dec 12–Jan 17 |
Cherokee County duck hunting
For ducks and geese, Cherokee County follows the statewide zone.
Cherokee County and the crane zone
Cherokee County produced 135 sandhill cranes in 2024-25 (888 hours afield). Permits are drawn; the zone is North of I-20 from the Georgia line to I-65, east of I-65 to I-22, north of I-22 to the Mississippi line; rest of state closed.
| Segment | Dates |
|---|---|
| Crane season | Nov 27–Jan 3 |
| Crane season | Jan 11–Jan 25 |
Turkey zones and dates from the Digest turkey section; 2025 harvest class from the 2025 Alabama Wild Turkey Report; dove from the ADCNR dove zones; waterfowl from the 2026-27 Waterfowl Hunting Guide; cranes from the 2024-25 sandhill crane report. Checked November 1, 2026.
Cherokee County contacts, towns and shops
Cherokee County belongs to WFF District II, run from the office in Jacksonville ((256) 435-5422). About 15 miles separates mid-county from the nearest ADCNR office in Jacksonville. Doors are open Monday to Friday between 9 and 4, with CWD sampling of deer offered if you ring first.
Cherokee County communities
Of 7 Census places in Cherokee County, 5 are incorporated. Centre (3,845), Cedar Bluff (1,932) and Leesburg (1,006) are the largest. Census Vintage 2024 puts Cherokee County at 26,138 residents, 4.6% above the 2020 base.
- Centrepop. 3,845 · seat
Trade listings for Cherokee County hunters
Cherokee County listings: 1 taxidermist and 4 gear shops. For processors and guides and preserves, look across the line. ADCNR lists supply the HHH processors and CWD partners; other listings are directory entries not checked as open.
Cherokee County adjoining counties
| County | Deer | Turkey | Dove | Dogs | Centre to centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etowah County | Zone C/Zone A | 1 | North | No rule | 22 miles |
| Calhoun County | Zone A/Zone E | 1 | North | No rule | 23 miles |
| DeKalb County | Zone A | 1 | North | Stalk only | 28 miles |
| Cleburne County | Zone E/Zone A | 1 | North | Stalk only | 29 miles |
Offices from the ADCNR WFF district offices page; towns and places from the Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; services from ADCNR lists (Hunters Helping the Hungry, CWD sampling partners), store locators and Yellow Pages as tagged; neighbours from the Census county adjacency file. Checked November 1, 2026.
Cherokee County: ranges, lanes and trap fields
Cherokee County has 1 listed range, all clubs, shops or private grounds.
Etowah Public Shooting Range in Etowah County is the nearest state-run range, roughly 16 miles. Open it
Ranges from ADCNR’s range directory and range pages, operators’ own sites and directory listings, checked November 1, 2026.
First and last legal light in Cherokee County
Deer, turkey and other resident game may be hunted from 30 minutes before official sunrise to 30 minutes after official sunset; ducks, geese and doves stop at sunset.
| Date | Opener or close | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer | Migratory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2026 | Archery opens, A and C | 6:47 a.m. | 6:10 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 6:10 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer, A-C | 6:21 a.m. | 4:37 p.m. | 5:51 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | 5:51 a.m. to 4:37 p.m. |
| Nov 27, 2026 | Two weeks in | 6:26 a.m. | 4:35 p.m. | 5:56 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 5:56 a.m. to 4:35 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 6:44 a.m. | 4:37 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 4:37 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Mid-January | 6:48 a.m. | 4:55 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. |
| Feb 10, 2027 | Deer close, A-C | 6:33 a.m. | 5:20 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. |
| Mar 20, 2027 | Turkey opener | 6:48 a.m. | 6:54 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 6:54 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.
Cherokee County, answered
What day does deer hunting wrap up in Cherokee County?
February 10, 2027, the last stalk-hunting day on private land in Zone A.
Does Game Check data for Cherokee County deer appear anywhere public?
Not by county; ADCNR publishes no county deer harvest.
What was the 2025 turkey harvest class for Cherokee County?
297-444 birds reported through Game Check; ADCNR prints ranges, not exact county counts.
Does the stalk-only list include Cherokee County?
Yes, county-wide.
Are state parks around Cherokee County open for deer hunting?
Generally no; only the two state park SOAs hold draw hunts.
At what hour can dove hunters start shooting on opening day in Cherokee County?
At noon; later days run from a half hour before sunrise to sunset.
Does a 12-foot stand exempt a Cherokee County deer hunter from orange?
Yes; hunters in a stand 12 feet or higher are exempt.
What number rings the district office serving Cherokee County?
(256) 435-5422 in Jacksonville.
Is a donated-venison processor listed near Cherokee County?
See the Hunters Helping the Hungry tags in the services band; Buckstop Deer Processing is nearest overall.
Answers from the 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest, ADCNR seasons and bag limits, the hunter orange rule, Game Check rules, Code of Alabama 13A-12-1, the ADCNR deer page and the sources above. Checked November 1, 2026.
Before heading to Cherokee County woods
Near a zone line in Cherokee County, the ADCNR zone map decides which dates apply.
Sources: 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest, ADCNR hunting, Census and the sources in each section. Checked November 1, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Frank.Vassen (CC BY 2.0).