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Alabama Jackson County WMA unit
North Sauty Refuge (Jackson County WMA) hunting guide
Public Jackson County WMA unit in Jackson County, 5,009 acres, WFF District II.
Photo: Shannon McGee (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to North Sauty Refuge (Jackson County WMA)
Parking, trailheads and gates near North Sauty Refuge (Jackson County WMA)
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 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.
Paperwork and rules for North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA)
| Paperwork | Status |
|---|---|
| Hunting license | Required, 16+ |
| WMA license | $23.40 |
| AREA Permit | Free |
| Daily check-in | App or paper |
| Dog deer | Not allowed |
| Bait | Not allowed |
Expect to need three things beyond a hunting license on North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA): the WMA license ($23.40), the AREA Permit and a daily check-in. Small-game-only visits need the Wildlife Heritage License at $14.30 if you hold no resident hunting license. From May 1 until September 15, ADCNR closes the gates on most WMAs to vehicles. Stalk hunting only for deer, since the permit reads "No Dog Deer Hunting". ADCNR leaves WMA deer dates to the AREA Permit, and the bonus buck there (one a season) does not count toward the statewide three. Ducks rest here: North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA) is small game only. Each hunt day ends with a report: log the results in the app or on the paper daily permit and leave it at the kiosk. The Bait Privilege License covers private or leased land only, so no hunting over bait on North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA).
From the 2026-27 permit: TURKEY: (Youth) March 20 (Daylight until 1 p.m.) Gobblers only. Decoys Allowed. (Physically Disabled) March 26 (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.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around North Sauty Refuge (Jackson County WMA)
North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA): the record behind the page
North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA) covers 5,009 acres in Jackson County, the figure given by the ADCNR WMA table. Sorted by acres, North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA) comes 5th of 12 in Jackson County. It is ADCNR ground, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, WFF District II. ADCNR and its partners list it under the ADCNR Wildlife Management Area system.
The WMA table places it in Jackson County near Scottsboro. Land partners: Forever Wild Land Trust, TVA and USFWS. Jackson County holds 106,975 acres of public land on the GIS layers.
Hunted on North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA), per the source: Small game.
From the agency record (Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division); checked November 1, 2026.
North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA) zones, dogs and harvest class
| County rule | Jackson 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 | 445-612 |
| WFF district | II |
For A or B status in Jackson County, go by the ADCNR deer zone map; the line runs on highways and rivers. On North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA) itself, the area permit or draw schedule sets the deer days, so zone dates are background here. No dog deer hunting in the stalk-only parts of Jackson County. 2025 turkey class for Jackson County: 445-612. Alabama publishes no deer harvest by county.
ADCNR deer zones, turkey zones, dove zones, dog deer rules, CWD rules and the 2025 Alabama Wild Turkey Report; checked November 1, 2026.
North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA) and the closest public tracts
North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA) is pinned with its 8 nearest public neighbors; Sauta Cave NWR heads the table.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | County | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sauta Cave NWR | Wildlife refuge | 270 | Jackson | 0.8 mi | southwest |
| Mud Creek (Jackson Co. WMA) | WMA unit | 8,003 | Jackson | 16 mi | northeast |
| Mud Creek PDHA waterfowl blind | PDHA blind | – | Jackson | 18 mi | northeast |
| Coon Gulf Tract (Jackson Co. WMA) | WMA unit | 3,960 | Jackson | 21 mi | northeast |
| Forever Wild-Alabama Power PDHA | PDHA | 1,219 | Jackson | 21 mi | north |
| Crow Creek (Jackson Co. WMA) | WMA unit | 2,069 | Jackson | 22 mi | northeast |
| Crow Creek Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA) | WMA unit | 3,346 | Jackson | 22 mi | northeast |
| James D. Martin-Skyline WMA | WMA | 60,732 | Jackson | 22 mi | north |
Points: ADCNR WMA layer (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA): nearest towns, offices and shops
For fuel and a meal, Scottsboro is 4.5 mi out. Jackson County is served by the ADCNR WFF office in Jacksonville, (256) 435-5422.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottsboro | Jackson | 15,957 | 4.5 mi | east |
| Langston | Jackson | 272 | 5.7 mi | south |
| Pleasant Groves | Jackson | 435 | 8.9 mi | northwest |
| Woodville | Jackson | 755 | 9.1 mi | west |
| Hollywood | Jackson | 928 | 11 mi | northeast |
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.
Legal hours in North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA)
Mobile and Huntsville see sunrise many minutes apart in winter, so use the times worked out for North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA).
| Day | Marker | Sun up | Sun down | Game window | Migratory window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2026 | Archery opens, A and C | 6:48 a.m. | 6:11 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 6:41 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 6:11 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer, A-C | 6:23 a.m. | 4:37 p.m. | 5:53 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | 5:53 a.m. to 4:37 p.m. |
| Nov 27, 2026 | Ducks open | 6:29 a.m. | 4:35 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 4:35 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 6:47 a.m. | 4:36 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Mid-January | 6:51 a.m. | 4:54 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. |
| Feb 10, 2027 | Deer close, A-C | 6:36 a.m. | 5:21 p.m. | 6:06 a.m. to 5:51 p.m. | 6:06 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. |
| Mar 20, 2027 | Turkey opener | 6:49 a.m. | 6:55 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 7:25 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 6:55 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.
Alabama views around North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA)
Nearest ADCNR range to North Sauty Refuge (Jackson County WMA), plus others
Skyline WMA Shooting Range (public, license needed) is 16 miles from North Sauty Refuge (Jackson County WMA). After it come ranges within 30 miles.
From ADCNR’s range directory and range pages, operators’ pages and directory listings, checked November 1, 2026.
Quick answers on North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA)
Are deer dogs legal on North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA)?
No, stalk hunting only.
What deer zone is North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA) in?
For Jackson County, Zone A versus B depends on which side of the highway line you stand. Permit areas keep their own calendar.
Which game is listed for North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA)?
Sources name small game.
Can I hunt over bait on North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA)?
No. Bait hunting is legal only on private or leased land with the Bait Privilege License, never on public land.
Which tract is closest to North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA)?
Sauta Cave NWR (0.8 mi away). 9 more lie within 50 miles.
Who is in charge of North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA)?
Manager: Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. The permit names biologist Austin LeCroy, (256) 437-2788.
When is shooting light at North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA)?
On November 21, 2026, about 5:53 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. for deer (Jackson County centre).
Do I need hunter orange on North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA)?
Gun deer dates require it: 144 square inches above the waist, or a full-size cap; pink counts.
How large is North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA)?
5,009 acres, from the ADCNR WMA table.
Where exactly does North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA) lie?
Look in Jackson County; ADCNR places those counties in WFF District II. Scottsboro is the closest town with a page here, about 4.5 mi away.
What paperwork covers North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA)?
A hunting license, the $23.40 WMA license for deer, turkey or waterfowl, the free AREA Permit and a daily check-in by app or paper.
North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA) trip checklist
Permits, closures and draw notices on North Sauty Refuge (Jackson Co. WMA) can change; posted signs and the agency page have the final word.
Sources: source · source · source; regulations from the 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest. Checked November 1, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Tom Woodward (CC BY-SA 2.0); Tom Woodward (CC BY-SA 2.0); Jay (CC BY 2.0).