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WMA · WFF District III · AL
David K. Nelson Wildlife Management Area hunting
What the sources say about this wildlife management area across Sumter County and 3 other counties, with the zone rules that reach it.
Photo: Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0)
Getting to David K. Nelson Wildlife Management Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near David K. Nelson Wildlife Management Area
- Parking areaParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
David K. Nelson WMA in numbers and names
The ADCNR WMA table puts David K. Nelson WMA at 8,308 acres in Sumter, Hale and 2 other counties. ADCNR manages it through its Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, in WFF District III. Program: ADCNR Wildlife Management Area system. Per the WMA list it lies in Sumter, Hale, Marengo and Greene Counties near Demopolis.
Cooperators on the permit: US Army Corps of Engineers. GIS counts 2,869 public acres in Sumter County.
Listed game on David K. Nelson WMA: 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.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around David K. Nelson Wildlife Management Area
David K. Nelson WMA permit requirements
| Requirement | Here |
|---|---|
| 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 | Waterfowl, big game, and small game |
A $23.40 WMA license, the free AREA Permit map and a daily permit (or the Outdoor Alabama app check-in) are the paperwork for big game and waterfowl on David K. Nelson WMA. Squirrel, rabbit and other small game on a WMA ride on the $14.30 Wildlife Heritage License, part of every resident hunting license. Statewide gate closures run May 1 through September 15 on most WMAs, with foot traffic still allowed. No dog deer hunting: that line is printed on the David K. Nelson WMA AREA Permit. Area permits set WMA deer dates; the single bonus buck is validated at the WMA check station and not counted in the statewide limit. The kiosk takes the paper daily permit with your results at the end of each day; the app works too. Leave the feed at home; bait is illegal for hunting on David K. Nelson WMA and every other public tract.
AREA Permit wording: TURKEY: (Youth) March 13 (Daylight until 1 p.m.) Gobblers only. Decoys Allowed. (Physically Disabled) March 19 (Daylight until 1 p.m.) Gobblers only. Decoys Allowed.
Sources: source, source, source, source (Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources). Checked November 1, 2026.
David K. Nelson WMA openers and closers
Today's status sits in the last column for each David K. Nelson WMA row.
| Species | Season | Applies | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
WMA turkey hunting ends at 1 p.m. daily, and the David K. Nelson WMA permit sets every other date.
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 David K. Nelson WMA
5 acres across 1 field are planted for doves on David K. Nelson WMA, led by browntop millet and corn.
| Field | Crops | Acres | Preparation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field 1 | Browntop Millet and Corn | 5 | Cut, burned, and disk strips, and plant wheat. |
ADCNR hunting dates: State season – (12:00 noon until sunset) No hunting on days of, youth, primitive weapons, or gun deer hunts.
ADCNR WMA Dove Field Information; checked November 1, 2026.
Deer zone and dog rules near David K. Nelson WMA
| Rule | Sumter County | Hale County | Marengo County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer zone | A/B (map) | A (map) | B (map) |
| CWD zone | Outside | Outside | Outside |
| Turkey zone | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Fall turkey | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Dove zone | North | North | North |
| Dog deer | Allowed | Stalk only | Permit only |
| Waterfowl zone | Statewide | Statewide | Statewide |
| Alligator area | None | None | West Central |
| Turkeys, 2025 | 297-444 | 137-208 | 297-444 |
| WFF district | III | III | V |
ADCNR gives no county list for Zones A and B. Shading on the ADCNR deer zone map puts Sumter County, Hale County and Marengo County in one or both. Use zone dates for land around David K. Nelson WMA, the permit dates on it. Marengo County is on the permit-only list for dog deer hunting, often for part of the county; open-permit public land there is closed to dogs. Stalk hunting only, no deer dogs: Hale County, at least in part. Alabama caps antlered deer at three a season and one a day; one buck needs a 4-point side. For 2025, Sumter County sat in the 297-444 turkey class on the ADCNR map; deer totals by county do not exist publicly.
ADCNR deer zones, turkey zones, dove zones, dog deer rules, CWD rules and the 2025 Alabama Wild Turkey Report; checked November 1, 2026.
David K. Nelson WMA on the map with its neighbors
Point the truck southeast for 13 mi and you reach Marengo PDHA.
| Place | Type | Acres | County | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marengo PDHA | PDHA | 442 | Marengo | 13 mi | southeast |
| M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area (443 acres) | Field trial area | 443 | Hale | 14 mi | northeast |
| Oakmulgee WMA | WMA | 44,500 | Bibb, Hale | 39 mi | northeast |
| Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (Corps) | Corps lake | – | Greene, Pickens | 41 mi | northwest |
| Black Warrior and Tombigbee Lakes (Corps) in Clarke County | Corps lake | – | Clarke, Greene | 42 mi | northeast |
| Oakmulgee Ranger District | Ranger district | 159,204 | Bibb, Perry | 44 mi | northeast |
| Alabama River Lakes (Corps) | Corps lake | – | Wilcox, Dallas | 44 mi | southeast |
| Old Cahawba Prairie Tract (Forever Wild) (4,586 acres) | Forever Wild tract | 4,586 | Dallas | 45 mi | east |
Points: ADCNR WMA layer (polygon centroid of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Waterfowl at David K. Nelson WMA
Alabama runs one statewide duck zone, so the 2026-27 dates below apply to David K. Nelson WMA unless its own permit narrows them.
| Species | Season | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Towns and ADCNR offices near David K. Nelson WMA
Demopolis sits 3.4 mi from David K. Nelson WMA in a straight line. For permits and questions, the Northport district office ((205) 339-5716) covers Sumter County.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demopolis | Marengo | 6,724 | 3.4 mi | southeast |
| Linden | Marengo | 1,815 | 16 mi | south |
| Livingston | Sumter | 3,138 | 19 mi | west |
| Greensboro | Hale | 2,187 | 20 mi | northeast |
| Eutaw | Greene | 2,655 | 22 mi | north |
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.
First and last legal light in David K. Nelson WMA
Migratory birds run from half an hour before sunrise to sunset; game animals get the extra half hour after sunset, unless a night season applies.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer hours | Bird hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2026 | Archery opens, A and C | 6:56 a.m. | 6:21 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 6:51 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 6:21 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer, A-C | 6:28 a.m. | 4:50 p.m. | 5:58 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. | 5:58 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. |
| Nov 27, 2026 | Ducks open | 6:33 a.m. | 4:48 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 4:48 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 6:50 a.m. | 4:51 p.m. | 6:20 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. | 6:20 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Mid-January | 6:55 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 6:25 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 6:25 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. |
| Feb 10, 2027 | Deer close, A-C | 6:41 a.m. | 5:33 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 6:03 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. |
| Mar 20, 2027 | Turkey opener | 6:58 a.m. | 7:04 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 7:34 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 7:04 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.
Where David K. Nelson Wildlife Management Area hunters zero a rifle
From David K. Nelson Wildlife Management Area, Marengo Public Shooting Range is the closest state-run range (12 miles). Ranges within 30 miles take the remaining cards.
From ADCNR’s range directory and range pages, operators’ pages and directory listings, checked November 1, 2026.
Landscape and game photos for David K. Nelson WMA
David K. Nelson Wildlife Management Area, the nearby calendar
About 10 straight-line miles out from the area there is 1 upcoming date.
On the calendar
| Date | Event | Mi | Location | Sign-up or details | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 5, 2026 | Demopolis Ducks Unlimited Annual Steak Dinner and Auction · DU chapter dinner | 3 | Demopolis: Demopolis Civic Center | Buy tickets | Source |
David K. Nelson WMA: short answers
Which office handles David K. Nelson WMA?
It is managed by Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. The nearest ADCNR office is in Northport, (205) 339-5716.
What does David K. Nelson WMA hold for hunters?
Turkey, waterfowl, deer, doves, rabbits, squirrels, crows, quail, woodcock, snipe, raccoon, opossum, bobcat, coyote, feral hogs, foxes and furbearer trapping.
What is the nearest other public land to David K. Nelson WMA?
Marengo PDHA, about 13 mi southeast. 9 more lie within 50 miles.
What are the turkey dates for David K. Nelson WMA?
Plan on Mar 20, 2027 to May 3, 2027, daylight to 1 p.m.
Dove fields at David K. Nelson WMA?
1 dove field (5 acres planted).
Must I wear orange on David K. Nelson WMA?
Orange or pink, 144 square inches above the waist or a full cap, while gun deer hunting is open.
How do I place David K. Nelson WMA on a map?
It sits in Sumter, Hale and 2 other counties (WFF District III). Demopolis is the closest town with a page here, about 3.4 mi away.
Shooting hours near David K. Nelson WMA?
About 5:58 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. for game on November 21, 2026; ducks stop at sunset.
Which licenses or permits does David K. Nelson WMA require?
Hunting license, WMA license ($23.40), free area map permit, and a check-in each day you hunt.
How large is David K. Nelson WMA?
8,308 acres; the number comes from the ADCNR WMA table.
Can I hunt deer with dogs on David K. Nelson WMA?
No dogs for deer, per the AREA Permit.
Other photos on this page: Adrien Lamarre, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Public domain); Altairisfar (Jeffrey Reed) (CC BY-SA 3.0); Renee Grayson (CC BY 2.0).