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Deer zones
Alabama Deer Zone C
Zone C for 2026-27: Oct 15 to Feb 10; boundary, counties, every season row and public land.
Photo: formulanone (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Zone C boundary and dates
Zone C spans parts of eleven north Alabama counties between Haleyville, Moulton and the Tennessee River; its 17 deer rows start Oct 15 and end Feb 10, 2027.
The legal line of Zone C
Those areas of Blount, Cullman, Etowah, Jefferson, Lawrence, Marion, Morgan, Marshall, St. Clair, Walker, and Winston Counties with the following boundaries: beginning at the Franklin County/Marion County line on AL Hwy. 13 south along AL Hwy. 13 to AL Hwy. 195 in Haleyville (Winston County); north along AL Hwy. 195 to Winston County Road 93; north along Winston County Road 93 to the Franklin County/Winston County; east along the Franklin County/Winston County line to the Lawrence County/Winston County line; north along the Franklin County/Lawrence County line to AL Hwy. 24; east along Alabama Hwy. 24 to intersection with AL Hwy. 157 in Moulton (Lawrence County); south along AL Hwy. 157 to Cullman County Road 1114; south along Cullman County Road 1114 to US Hwy. 278 in Jones Chapel (Cullman County); west along US Hwy. 278 to Helicon Road (Winston County Road 77); south along Helicon Road (Winston County Road 77) to Winston County Road 41 in Arley (Winston County); south along Winston County Road 41 to the Sipsey Fork; south along the Sipsey Fork to US Hwy. 69; north along US Hwy. 69 to I-65; south along I-65 to I-59; north along I-59 to US Hwy. 11; north along US Hwy. 11 to Etowah County/Dekalb County line; west along Etowah County/Dekalb County line to Dekalb County/ Marshall County line; north along Dekalb County/ Marshall County line to Marshall County/Jackson County line, north along Marshall County/ Jackson County line to Tennessee River; west along Tennessee River to the Colbert County/ Lawrence County line; south along the Colbert County/Lawrence County line to the Franklin County/Lawrence County line; south along the Franklin County/Lawrence County line to the Winston County/Franklin County line; west along the Winston County/Franklin County line continuing west along the Franklin County/Marion County line ending at AL Hwy.13. Excludes Zone D description below.
From the ADCNR deer season page and the Digest zone map, checked November 1, 2026.
All Zone C hunts
Zone C rows split by land type and by stalk or dog hunting.
| Species | Season | Zone or area | Opens | Closes | Days | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Zone C | Oct 15, 2026 | Feb 10, 2027 | 119 | Either sex |
| White-tailed deer | Youth gun | Zone C | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 16, 2026 | 4 | Either sex |
| White-tailed deer | Muzzleloader and air rifle | Zone C | Nov 16, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | 5 | Either sex |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, private land | Zone C | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | 9 | Either sex |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, private land | Zone C | Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 11, 2026 | 12 | Antlered bucks only |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, private land | Zone C | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | 21 | Either sex |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, private land | Zone C | Jan 2, 2027 | Feb 10, 2027 | 40 | Antlered bucks only |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, public land | Zone C | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 11, 2026 | 21 | Antlered bucks only |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, public land | Zone C | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | 21 | Either sex |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, public land | Zone C | Jan 2, 2027 | Feb 10, 2027 | 40 | Antlered bucks only |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, private land | Zone C | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | 9 | Either sex |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, private land | Zone C | Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 11, 2026 | 12 | Antlered bucks only |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, private land | Zone C | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | 21 | Either sex |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, private land | Zone C | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 15, 2027 | 14 | Antlered bucks only |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, public land | Zone C | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 11, 2026 | 21 | Antlered bucks only |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, public land | Zone C | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | 21 | Either sex |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, dogs, public land | Zone C | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 15, 2027 | 14 | Antlered bucks only |
| Feral hogs | Night season | Deer Zone C | Feb 11, 2027 | Not set | No limit | |
| Coyote | Night season | Deer Zone C | Feb 11, 2027 | Not set | No limit |
- Antlered rule: 1 per day; 3 per hunter for all seasons combined. One of the three must have at least 4 points (1 in. or longer) on one antler; main beam tip counts. Barbour County: every antlered buck must have 3+ points on one side (except on statewide youth days).
- Does: Zones A, B, D, E and CMZ: 2 unantlered, or 1 unantlered + 1 antlered, per day during unantlered (either-sex) gun, muzzleloader/air rifle, archery and youth dates. Zone C: 1 unantlered + 1 antlered per day. No season limit stated for unantlered deer.
From the Digest deer tables and the ADCNR deer page, checked November 1, 2026.
Zone C by county
The Zone C text lists Blount, Marshall, Morgan, Cullman, Etowah, Lawrence, St. Clair, Jefferson, Winston, Walker and Marion; only the areas inside the described roads and rivers are in the zone.
| County | Share in Zone C | Other zones | Dog deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blount County | 91% | A | – |
| Marshall County | 87% | A | Stalk only |
| Morgan County | 83% | D | Stalk only |
| Cullman County | 72% | A, D | – |
| Etowah County | 57% | A | – |
| Lawrence County | 37% | D | Stalk only |
| St. Clair County | 20% | A | – |
| Jefferson County | 17% | A | – |
| Winston County | 2% | D, A | Stalk only |
| Walker County | named | A | – |
| Marion County | named | A | Stalk only |
Zone C dog seasons close before the stalk season; county limits apply in 5 of its counties.
Counties from regs.json zones.deer_zones (map shading or zone text) and dog lists from the Digest dog deer page, checked November 1, 2026.
Zone C WMAs and public areas
Where to hunt public ground in Zone C: 8 areas.
| Area | Type | Counties | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bankhead NF | National Forest | Lawrence, Winston | 182,014 |
| Bankhead district | National Forest district | Lawrence, Winston | 182,014 |
| Black Warrior WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Lawrence, Winston | 91,263 |
| Mulberry Fork WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Tuscaloosa, Walker | 35,260 |
| Wheeler NWR | National Wildlife Refuge | Limestone, Morgan +1 | 34,427 |
| Sam R. Murphy WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Lamar, Marion | 16,372 |
| Mallard-Fox Creek WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Lawrence, Morgan | 1,742 |
| Lewis Smith PDHA | Physically Disabled Hunting Area | Walker | 10 |
From lands.json, checked November 1, 2026.
Zone C shooting hours
Deer may be hunted from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset; the times below are computed for Blount County on Zone C dates.
| Date | Zone date | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer and game | Migratory birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:50 a.m. | 6:14 p.m. | 6:20 a.m. to 6:44 p.m. | 6:20 a.m. to 6:14 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun opener | 6:24 a.m. | 4:41 p.m. | 5:54 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | 5:54 a.m. to 4:41 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 6:47 a.m. | 4:41 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 4:41 p.m. |
| Feb 10, 2027 | Last deer day | 6:37 a.m. | 5:24 p.m. | 6:07 a.m. to 5:54 p.m. | 6:07 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. |
Hours rule from the Digest; sunrise and sunset computed (NOAA solar formula, Central Time); checked November 1, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Zone C questions
What is the legal Zone C line?
Not by county lines. ADCNR writes it as: Those areas of Blount, Cullman, Etowah, Jefferson, Lawrence, Marion, Morgan, Marshall, St. Clair, Walker, and Winston Counties with the following.
Which part of Alabama is Zone C?
Look at parts of Blount, Marshall, Morgan, Cullman, Etowah, Lawrence, St. Clair, Jefferson, Winston, Walker and Marion.
What is the Zone C dog closing date?
Dogs stop on Jan 15, 2027.
How many unantlered deer a day in Zone C?
1 unantlered plus 1 antlered deer a day on either-sex dates.
When is Zone C public land either sex?
Yes: Nov 21 to Dec 11; Jan 2 to Feb 10 are antlered bucks only on open-permit public land (stalk).
When does night hog and coyote hunting start in Zone C?
Feb 11, 2027.
When can I start deer hunting in Zone C?
Archery opens Oct 15, 2026 and gun season Nov 21, 2026; the last day is Feb 10, 2027.
What is the buck limit in Zone C?
Same as statewide: 3 bucks, 1 a day.