Alabama Dog Deer Hunting Rules

How dog deer hunting is limited in Alabama

Dog deer hunting in Alabama is limited county by county. 16 counties allow it only under a Department permit and 29 are stalk only; in many of them the rule covers only the part of the county described. National forest land is stalk only except in Calhoun, Clay and Talladega counties, and the Talladega National Forest now needs an individual permit and GPS collars.

• General rules: Dogs used for deer must wear a collar with the user's name, address and phone; no casting dogs from a public right-of-way without adjoining landowner permission within 50 ft; deer may be run with dogs (no guns) from Oct 1 to the gun deer opener only in counties with a dog deer season.
• National forests: USFS lands: stalk only, except dog hunting on USFS lands in Calhoun, Clay and Talladega (Talladega by permit) Thu-Fri to 2 p.m. and Sat-Sun; none Mon-Wed except Christmas/New Year's Day; none on Piney Woods/Ivory Mountain (Clay).
• Talladega National Forest permit: New for 2026-27: every individual dog deer hunter on Talladega National Forest lands in Talladega County needs a permit (youth 15 and under hunting with a permitted adult/group exempt); permit number on vehicles in 3 in. block numbers; GPS tracking and correction collars on all dogs; dogs must stay on permitted USFS land. Within 1 mile of the Talladega NF, written permission needed for dogs to cross private land (220-2-.112).
• Permit route: Individual permit (free application online or at District II office, Jacksonville).
• Note: Counties in the two lists may be restricted only in part (see the text).

From the Digest dog deer page, checked November 1, 2026.

Guides linked to dog deer hunting