Home › Alabama › Public land › M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area
Field trial area · 2026-27 season
M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area for hunters
Rules, permits and dates for this Forever Wild field trial area in Hale County.
Photo: Nikky (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area
M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area on paper
By the ADCNR PDHA map layer, M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area measures 443 acres, all in Hale County. Within Hale County it is the 4th largest of 4 listed places. Management: ADCNR (State Lands Division (Forever Wild Land Trust)), WFF District III. Listed in the Forever Wild Land Trust; Physically Disabled Hunting Trail.
Across Hale County, public land maps out at 32,684 acres.
Game named for M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area: Deer.
From the agency record (Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, State Lands Division (Forever Wild Land Trust)); checked November 1, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area
M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area: application and reservations
Disabled hunters reserve days on M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area, and young hunters pre-register for their own hunts. Reservations rotate: two or three days weekly, no more than one booking per area each fortnight. Each station is a shooting house on a wildlife opening; bring a partner to assist if needed (no hunting for them). License cost for qualifying residents: $7.65 annual, $50.00 / $30.00 lifetime (new this year).
Young hunters must pre-register.
M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area: the county rules that apply
| Item | Hale County |
|---|---|
| Deer zone | A (map) |
| CWD zone | Outside |
| Turkey zone | 1 |
| Fall turkey | Closed |
| Dove zone | North |
| Dog deer | Stalk only |
| Waterfowl zone | Statewide |
| Alligator area | None |
| Turkeys, 2025 | 137-208 |
| WFF district | III |
Hale County has Zone A or Zone B ground. That line is drawn on highways and rivers, not county lines, so check the ADCNR deer zone map before you hunt near it. Zone dates are for private and open-permit public land; M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area runs on its own permit dates. Deer are stalk hunted in Hale County under the county list. ADCNR binned the 2025 Game Check turkey harvest in Hale County at 137-208 birds; county deer harvest is not published in Alabama.
ADCNR deer zones, turkey zones, dove zones, dog deer rules, CWD rules and the 2025 Alabama Wild Turkey Report; checked November 1, 2026.
Mapping M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area and nearby land
Rows run from nearest to farthest, beginning with David K. Nelson WMA (14 mi, southwest).
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | County | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David K. Nelson WMA | WMA | 8,308 | Sumter, Hale | 14 mi | southwest |
| Marengo PDHA | PDHA | 442 | Marengo | 21 mi | south |
| Oakmulgee WMA | WMA | 44,500 | Bibb, Hale | 26 mi | northeast |
| Oakmulgee Ranger District | Ranger district | 159,204 | Bibb, Perry | 31 mi | northeast |
| Black Warrior and Tombigbee Lakes (Corps) in Clarke County | Corps lake | – | Clarke, Greene | 31 mi | north |
| Old Cahawba Prairie Tract (Forever Wild) (4,586 acres) | Forever Wild tract | 4,586 | Dallas | 39 mi | southeast |
| Sipsey River Swamp South Zone (Forever Wild) | Forever Wild tract | 3,418 | Tuscaloosa | 40 mi | north |
| Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (Corps) | Corps lake | – | Greene, Pickens | 41 mi | northwest |
Points: ADCNR Physically Disabled Hunting Areas layer (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Where M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area hunters resupply
M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area lies 6.5 mi from Greensboro. The 2024 count puts Demopolis first at 6,724 residents. District office for Hale County: Northport ((205) 339-5716).
| Community | County | Residents | Straight line | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greensboro | Hale | 2,187 | 6.5 mi | northeast |
| Demopolis | Marengo | 6,724 | 13 mi | southwest |
| Eutaw | Greene | 2,655 | 19 mi | northwest |
| Marion | Perry | 2,702 | 21 mi | east |
| Moundville | Hale | 3,614 | 25 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.
M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area shooting light
Legal light for deer around M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area runs 30 minutes either side of sunrise and sunset; for ducks it starts 30 minutes before sunrise and ends at sunset.
| Date | Why it matters | Sunrise | Sunset | Game legal | Waterfowl legal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2026 | Archery opens, A and C | 6:53 a.m. | 6:19 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 6:49 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 6:19 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer, A-C | 6:26 a.m. | 4:48 p.m. | 5:56 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. | 5:56 a.m. to 4:48 p.m. |
| Nov 27, 2026 | Ducks open | 6:31 a.m. | 4:46 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 6:49 a.m. | 4:48 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 4:48 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Mid-January | 6:53 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
| Feb 10, 2027 | Deer close, A-C | 6:39 a.m. | 5:30 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. |
| Mar 20, 2027 | Turkey opener | 6:56 a.m. | 7:01 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 7:31 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 7:01 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.
M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area hunters: public range and clubs
Marengo Public Shooting Range is the nearest ADCNR shooting range to M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area, about 21 miles away. Beside it, two more within 30 miles.
From ADCNR’s range directory and range pages, operators’ pages and directory listings, checked November 1, 2026.
M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area photo row
Dates tied to M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area and its surroundings
Rows marked on site use this land as the venue; the others sit within about 10 miles. In all, 29 upcoming dates.
Scheduled
Past the first 20, another 9 follow on the calendar.
M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area answers from the sources
Who looks after M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area?
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, State Lands Division (Forever Wild Land Trust) is the managing agency. Northport has the nearest ADCNR office, 41 mi away.
Any backup ground near M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area?
Try David K. Nelson WMA, 14 mi straight line. 9 more lie within 50 miles.
Is blaze orange required at M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area?
In gun season, yes; orange or pink, 144 square inches or a full cap.
When does legal light start on M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area?
Half an hour either side of sunrise and sunset; November 21, 2026: 5:56 a.m. to 5:18 p.m..
In which county and district is M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area?
The record puts M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area in Hale County, WFF District III. Greensboro is the closest town with a page here, about 6.5 mi away.
Is M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area a big tract?
About 443 acres according to the ADCNR PDHA map layer.
What license lets me hunt M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area?
An approved disability application and a reservation, plus a hunting license.
Which Alabama deer zone covers M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area?
The ADCNR zone map decides A or B in Hale County, since the line is drawn on roads. Own-permit areas set separate dates.
Dogs for deer on M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area?
Shooting-house hunts only.
Is baiting legal on M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area?
No; public land is excluded from the bait privilege.
What species does M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area offer?
Deer, per the source.
Other photos on this page: Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0); Altairisfar (Jeffrey Reed) (CC BY-SA 3.0); LongitudeLatitude (CC BY 2.0).