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Alabama CWD Management Zone
Lauderdale, Colbert and Franklin: High Risk and Buffer zones, sampling weekends, carcass rules and test results.
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain)
Where Alabama draws its CWD zone
The CMZ is Alabama's answer to chronic wasting disease: three northwest counties with sampling weekends, carcass rules and no baiting or feeding.
- High Risk Zone: All of Lauderdale and Colbert, and Franklin County north of State Hwy 24 from the Mississippi line east to US 43 (and west of US 43).
- Buffer Zone: Remainder of Franklin County (south of Hwy 24 / east of US 43).
- History: First CWD-positive deer: west-central Lauderdale County, confirmed January 2022 (CMZ = Lauderdale + Colbert). Colbert detection Dec 2024 expanded the CMZ to all of Franklin. Seven confirmed cases statewide as of Dec 12, 2024 (CWD News).
- Legal text: The CWD Management Zone (CMZ) includes all of Lauderdale and Colbert Counties and a portion of Franklin County. (a) Within the CMZ, the High-Risk Zone (HRZ) includes all Lauderdale and Colbert County and the portion of Franklin County with the following boundaries: beginning at the intersection of the Alabama/Mississippi State line and State Hwy. 24; east along State Hwy. 24 to US Hwy. 43; north along US Hwy. 43 to the Franklin County/Colbert County Line. (b) Within the CMZ, the Buffer Zone (BZ) includes those portions of Franklin County with the following boundaries: beginning at the intersection of the Alabama/Mississippi State line and State Hwy. 24; south along the Alabama/Mississippi State line to the Franklin County/Marion County line; east along the Franklin County/Marion County line to the Franklin County/Winston line; east along the Franklin County/ Winston Line to the Franklin County/Lawrence County line; north along the Franklin County/Lawrence County line to Franklin County/Colbert County line; west along the Franklin County/Colbert County Line to US Hwy. 43; south along US Hwy. 43 to State Hwy. 24; west along State Hwy. 24 ending at the Alabama/Mississippi State line.
From the ADCNR Regulation Book, rule 220-2-.167 and the ADCNR CWD page, checked November 1, 2026.
CWD sampling weekends for 2026-27
| Zone | Weekend | Type |
|---|---|---|
| High Risk Zone | Nov 21 and Nov 22, 2026 | Mandatory |
| High Risk Zone | Jan 16 and Jan 17, 2027 | Mandatory |
| High Risk Zone | Feb 6 and Feb 7, 2027 | Mandatory |
| Buffer Zone | Feb 6 and Feb 7, 2027 | Mandatory |
| HRZ (alternate) | Dec 26 and Dec 27, 2026 | Alternate |
| HRZ (alternate) | Jan 23 and Jan 24, 2027 | Alternate |
| BZ (alternate) | Jan 23 and Jan 24, 2027 | Alternate |
All deer harvested in the HRZ/BZ on these weekends must be sampled (mobile stations or freezers); all deer from WMAs/SOAs/CHAs/refuges/PDHAs in the HRZ/BZ must be sampled every day. CWD Sampling Permits offered on HRZ dates marked on the sampling page.
From the ADCNR CWD sampling page, checked November 1, 2026.
CMZ rules for carcasses, feeding and extra deer
- Status: CWD first confirmed in a hunter-harvested deer from west-central Lauderdale County in January 2022; additional Lauderdale cases 2022-2024 and a Colbert County case in Dec 2024 (7 confirmed cases as of Dec 12, 2024 per CWD News). A Florida panhandle road-kill positive (Holmes Co., FL, June 2023) led to extra surveillance in SE Alabama. ADCNR posted a "Current Status of CWD" map image (Mar 17, 2026) without text.
- Mandatory sampling: HRZ: Nov 21-22, 2026 (gun opener), Jan 16-17, 2027, Feb 6-7, 2027. BZ: Feb 6-7, 2027. Alternates Dec 26-27, 2026 (HRZ) and Jan 23-24, 2027 (HRZ and BZ). All deer killed on WMAs/SOAs/CHAs/refuges/PDHAs in the HRZ/BZ must be sampled any day.
- CWD Sampling Permit: CWD Sampling Permit: 1 extra antlered deer in the CMZ per sample submitted on mandatory dates (max 2 per hunter), private/leased land, non-transferable; available at WMA check stations and mobile stations on scheduled days.
- Mobile stations: HRZ: North Alabama Deer Shack, Florence Frozen Meats, Fancher's Taxidermy & Deer Processing, Jaybird's Taxidermy and Processing. Buffer Zone station: Liberty Hill Deer Processing.
- Voluntary testing: Statewide freezer drop-off sites and WFF district offices (Mon-Fri 9-4, call ahead; Marengo office in Demopolis). Head with 4-6 in. of neck, bagged and tagged. Results in 3-4 weeks, posted by receipt number on the CWD Sampling Results page.
- Carcass movement: HRZ parts stay in the HRZ; BZ parts stay in the CMZ (deboned meat, clean skull plates/antlers, capes, canines, taxidermy and hides exempt).
- Importation: No whole cervid carcasses or parts from any other state, territory, province or country; only deboned meat, cleaned skull plates with bare antlers, bare antlers/sheds, capes without brain/spinal tissue, upper canines and finished taxidermy/hides (220-2-.25). Live cervid import banned.
- Disposal: Inside the CMZ, bury remains 2 ft deep or leave at the kill site; outside, household waste/landfill, burial or kill site. Processors and taxidermists are not disposal sites.
- Feeding and baiting: No baiting or supplemental feeding of wildlife anywhere in the CMZ (exceptions: normal agricultural/food-plot seed, feed inside an active hog trap, bird/squirrel feeders within 100 ft of a residence, feed permitted by the Commissioner; baiting stays legal in a new or expanded CMZ area until the end of that deer season).
- Cervid urine: Out-of-state natural cervid urine banned unless from certified facilities (220-2-.161).
- White-tailed deer (CWD Sampling Permit): 1 extra antlered deer in the CMZ for each CWD sample from the HRZ/BZ submitted on mandatory dates; max 2 extra per hunter; private/leased land only; non-transferable.
- White-tailed deer (CMZ private land): During gun deer season on privately owned or leased land in the CMZ: 2 unantlered deer per day (not WMAs, CHAs or open permit-public land).
From the ADCNR CWD pages and the Regulation Book, checked November 1, 2026.
CWD Management Zone season rows
| Species | Season | Zone or area | Opens | Closes | Days | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery | CWD Management Zone | Oct 15, 2026 | Feb 10, 2027 | 119 | Either sex |
| White-tailed deer | Youth gun | CWD Management Zone | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 16, 2026 | 4 | Either sex |
| White-tailed deer | Muzzleloader and air rifle | CWD Management Zone | Nov 16, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | 5 | Either sex |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, private land | CWD Management Zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 10, 2027 | 82 | Either sex |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, public land | CWD Management Zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 11, 2026 | 21 | Antlered bucks only |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, public land | CWD Management Zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Feb 10, 2027 | 61 | Either sex |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, private land | CWD Management Zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | 56 | Either sex |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, public land | CWD Management Zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 11, 2026 | 21 | Antlered bucks only |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, public land | CWD Management Zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | 35 | Either sex |
| Feral hogs | Night season | CWD Management Zone | Feb 11, 2027 | Not set | No limit | |
| Coyote | Night season | CWD Management Zone | Feb 11, 2027 | Not set | No limit |
From the Digest deer tables, checked November 1, 2026.
CWD test results in Alabama by season
Positives in the results table and the CWD News totals differ, so both are shown.
| Season | Not detected | Detected | Pending |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 1,893 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 2,764 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 2,999 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 2,825 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 2,672 | 5 | 0 |
| 2025-26 | 2,358 | 9 | 0 |
| 2026-27 | 45 | 0 | 11 |
| Season | CWD News |
|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 966 samples from deer harvested in the CMZ, all tested; one additional positive (second case, Lauderdale Co.). |
| 2022-23 | More than 3,500 samples statewide, over 1,100 in the CMZ; one positive (third case, Lauderdale Co., voluntary sample). |
| 2023-24 | As of Dec 15, 2023: more than 1,700 samples statewide, 420 in the CMZ; two more positives in northern Lauderdale Co. (total 5). |
| 2024-25 | As of Dec 12, 2024 two more Lauderdale cases from the Nov 23-24 mandatory weekend brought the total to seven; a Colbert County positive was announced Dec 23, 2024 (no new total stated). |
From the ADCNR CWD Sampling Results table and CWD News, checked November 1, 2026.
CWD questions
Can I take a deer carcass out of the CMZ?
HRZ parts stay in the HRZ; BZ parts stay in the CMZ (deboned meat, clean skull plates/antlers, capes, canines, taxidermy and hides exempt).
Where can I get a deer tested for CWD outside the CMZ?
Statewide freezer drop-off sites and WFF district offices (Mon-Fri 9-4, call ahead; Marengo office in Demopolis). Head with 4-6 in. of neck, bagged and tagged. Results in 3-4 weeks, posted by receipt number on the CWD Sampling Results page.
How many CWD cases has Alabama had?
CWD News counted seven confirmed cases as of December 12, 2024, then announced a Colbert County case on December 23, 2024; the results table shows 2 detections in 2021-22, 1 in 2023-24, 5 in 2024-25 and 9 in 2025-26.
Can I bring a deer carcass into Alabama from another state?
No whole cervid carcasses or parts from any other state, territory, province or country; only deboned meat, cleaned skull plates with bare antlers, bare antlers/sheds, capes without brain/spinal tissue, upper canines and finished taxidermy/hides (220-2-.25). Live cervid import banned.
Which three counties make up the Alabama CMZ?
Lauderdale, Colbert and Franklin. The High Risk Zone covers Lauderdale, Colbert and north-west Franklin; the rest of Franklin is the Buffer Zone.
When are the mandatory CWD sampling weekends?
HRZ: Nov 21-22, 2026 (gun opener), Jan 16-17, 2027, Feb 6-7, 2027. BZ: Feb 6-7, 2027. Alternates Dec 26-27, 2026 (HRZ) and Jan 23-24, 2027 (HRZ and BZ). All deer killed on WMAs/SOAs/CHAs/refuges/PDHAs in the HRZ/BZ must be sampled any day.
How does the CWD Sampling Permit add a buck?
CWD Sampling Permit: 1 extra antlered deer in the CMZ per sample submitted on mandatory dates (max 2 per hunter), private/leased land, non-transferable; available at WMA check stations and mobile stations on scheduled days.
Can I bait deer in the CMZ?
No. Baiting and supplemental feeding of wildlife are banned anywhere in the CMZ, on private land too, with narrow exceptions such as feed inside an active hog trap.