Alabama › Species › Appalachian Cottontail
Protected, no open season
Appalachian cottontail in Alabama: protected
Protected or closed in Alabama; status, law and penalties from ADCNR sources.
Photo: Jim, the Photographer (CC BY 2.0)
No season for Appalachian cottontails
For Appalachian cottontails the answer is short: no dates, no limit and no license that covers taking one in Alabama.
- ADCNR: No season.
- Methods: Taking prohibited without permit.
- Note: Protected nongame mammal (220-2-.92).
From ADCNR Regulation Book p. 127, checked November 1, 2026.
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Legal lists that cover Appalachian cottontails
Where Appalachian cottontails appear in Alabama law, alongside the other species with no open season.
- Game animals (220-2-.06): bear, beaver, coyote, deer, opossum, eastern cottontail, swamp rabbit, raccoon, squirrel, nutria, fox, mountain lion (cougar), groundhog, bobcat, red wolf, feral swine (wild hog) and alligator. No open season for bear, mountain lion or red wolf; alligator only by limited-quota permit.
- Protected nongame mammals: Brazilian free-tailed, eastern small-footed, gray, Indiana, little brown, northern long-eared, northern yellow, Rafinesque's big-eared, southeastern and tricolored bats; southeastern pocket gopher; West Indian manatee; Alabama beach, meadow jumping and Perdido Key beach mice; pygmy and smoky shrews; Appalachian cottontail; marsh rabbit; spotted skunk; long-tailed weasel; Allegheny woodrat. Take, possession or sale needs a permit.
From ADCNR Regulation Book p. 44 and ADCNR Regulation Book p. 127, checked November 1, 2026.
What an illegal cottontail costs
Penalty rows for anyone who takes Appalachian cottontails illegally.
| Violation | Penalty | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Closed season / illegal take | Misdemeanor: $250-$1,000 fine and up to 6 months jail (same for wild turkey taken illegally or in closed season). | § 9-11-236 |
| Night hunting | Class B misdemeanor: $2,000-$3,000 first offense, up to 6 months jail, mandatory 3-year revocation of hunting privileges. | § 9-11-235 |
| Hunting without permission (day) | First offense at least $1,000 and possible 1-year license revocation; later offenses at least $2,000, 1-year revocation and 10-30 days jail. | § 9-11-241 |
| Hunting without a license | Residents: Class C misdemeanor, $75-$250; lending/transferring a license same. Nonresident penalties in 9-11-51(c). | § 9-11-51 |
Report illegal cottontail take to Operation Game Watch: 1-800-272-4263.
From Code of Alabama 9-11-236, Code of Alabama 9-11-235, Code of Alabama 9-11-241, Code of Alabama 9-11-51 and 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest p. 52, checked November 1, 2026.
Other protected species beside Appalachian cottontails
Protected species and groups in Alabama, Appalachian cottontails among them.
- Black bear: No open season. Hunting, wounding, killing, trapping or attempting to in closed season, or selling/transporting bears or parts, is a Class A misdemeanor: first offense $2,000-$5,000 and/or up to 1 year; later $3,500-$5,000 and 6 months-1 year; 3-year revocation of hunting and fishing licenses; vehicles and weapons may be confiscated. Incidental take during lawful activity excepted; legally taken out-of-state bears may be possessed.
- Mountain lion (cougar): Designated game animal with no open season.
- Ruffed grouse: Resident game bird with no open season.
- Red wolf: Designated game animal (220-2-.06); no season in the 2026-27 sources.
- American alligator: Unlawful to possess, take or kill alligators, skins, meat, eggs or parts except as provided (limited-quota hunting season, nuisance control hunters, licensed farms).
- Protected nongame reptiles, amphibians and fishes: Rule 220-2-.92 lists protected fishes (e.g., Alabama sturgeon, Gulf sturgeon, many darters), amphibians (e.g., eastern hellbender, Red Hills salamander, gopher frogs) and reptiles; possession of more than one box turtle and sale of eastern diamondback rattlesnakes are restricted.
- Live cervids and listed exotics: No import of live deer, elk or other cervids; no possession, sale, import or release of listed animals (mongoose, wild rabbits/hares, out-of-state coyote, fox, raccoon, skunk, wild rodents, wild turkey strains, bear, mountain lion, bobcat, pronghorn, nondomestic pigs/peccaries/bovids except bison). Release of any turkey into the wild prohibited.
From the ADCNR Regulation Book and the ADCNR closed-season page, checked November 1, 2026.
Appalachian Cottontail, answered
How does Alabama classify Appalachian cottontails?
They are in the Game animals (220-2-.06) group of the Alabama rules, which still gives them no season.
What open seasons sit close to Appalachian cottontails?
Related species with seasons: rabbits (Sep 12–Feb 28); squirrels (Sep 12–Feb 28).
What number reports a poacher in Alabama?
Operation Game Watch: Report violations and live-deer transport: 1-800-272-4263 (GAMEWATCH).
Is it legal to own a cottontail in Alabama?
Not without a permit; Appalachian cottontails are protected and the hunting sources list no way to take or hold one.
Which documents cover Appalachian cottontails?
Sources are listed under each section; all were checked November 1, 2026.
Is anything else closed all year?
No open season for black bear, mountain lion or ruffed grouse. Taking a black bear in closed season is a Class A misdemeanor (Code 9-11-481). Red wolves have no season either, and rule 220-2-.92 protects nongame species such as the marsh rabbit, Appalachian cottontail, spotted skunk and long-tailed weasel.
Under what rule are Appalachian cottontails protected?
The protected nongame list in 220-2-.92 includes Appalachian cottontails, so taking one without a permit is illegal.
Does Alabama have an open season for Appalachian cottontails?
No, not in 2026-27. Protected nongame mammal (220-2-.92).
Other photos on this page: Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0).