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Small game
Bobwhite quail hunting in Alabama
Seasons, bag limits, license prices and where to hunt bobwhite quail in 2026-27.
Photo: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren (CC BY 2.0)
Bobwhite Quail hunting overview
Alabama quail hunters get Nov 7 to Feb 28 in 2026-27, with 1 segment listed by ADCNR and the Digest. Limit for bobwhite quail: 8 per day, 8 in possession.
Bobwhite Quail: the key lines
- Limit: 8/day, 8 possession.
- Season shape: First Saturday in Nov. to last day of Feb.
- Keep in mind: Closed on Bankhead NF.
From ADCNR page (as of Nov 1, 2026), checked November 1, 2026.
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Every quail season row
Every county shares the same quail dates this season.
| Season | Zone | Bag | From | To | Days | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobwhite quail | Statewide | 8/day, 8 in possession. | Nov 7, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 114 |
Bobwhite Quail row details
- Rule: first Saturday in November through last day of February (dates computed).
- Closed on the Bankhead National Forest.
From ADCNR page, checked November 1, 2026.
The Alabama quail bag
Alabama sets the quail limit in these rows; a crippled bird or animal that is retrieved counts toward the bag (220-2-.13).
| Row | Limit |
|---|---|
| Bobwhite quail | Quail: 8 per day, 8 in possession. |
| General possession limit | No more than the daily bag of any game bird, game or furbearing animal in possession, except deer/turkey as above and game packaged or prepared for storage (220-2-.18). |
From ADCNR page and ADCNR Regulation Book p. 47, checked November 1, 2026.
Bobwhite Quail: licenses and closures
For bobwhite quail, residents 16 to 64 buy the small game license at $23.40; the Wildlife Heritage License adds WMA small game.
- Bobwhite quail (Bankhead National Forest): Closed on the Bankhead National Forest.
From 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest p. 42 and ADCNR page, checked November 1, 2026.
Bobwhite Quail: guns, bows and methods
| Rule | Legal arms | Banned |
|---|---|---|
| Small game | For bobwhite quail: Rimfire or air rifles; muzzleloaders any caliber; bows/crossbows; shotguns 10 ga or smaller with No. 4 shot or smaller; handguns; blowguns (breath-powered); slingshots. | – |
- Decoys (quail): No live decoys (except banded pen-raised quail as call birds in recovery pens). Turkey decoys only in spring turkey season (allowed all spring in 2026-27); no mechanical or electronic turkey decoys, including handheld or gun-mounted fanning/reaping decoys.
- Baiting (quail): No hunting over bait or a fed area until feed is gone 10 days, except deer and feral swine on private/leased land with a Bait Privilege License; bait over 100 yards and out of sight presumed not a lure on private land; no baiting on public land or in the CMZ.
Reasonable effort to retrieve a crippled quail is required, and it counts in the bag.
From 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest p. 34, ADCNR Regulation Book p. 45 and Code of Alabama 9-11-244, checked November 1, 2026.
Bobwhite Quail on WMAs, forests and refuges
41 public places carry a quail season in their 2026-27 permit or rule text; the biggest are below.
| Area | Type | Counties | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Warrior WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Lawrence, Winston | 91,263 |
| James D. Martin-Skyline WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Jackson | 60,732 |
| Choccolocco WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Cleburne | 56,838 |
| Oakmulgee WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Bibb, Hale +2 | 44,500 |
| Upper Delta WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Baldwin, Mobile | 42,451 |
| William R. Ireland, Sr.-Cahaba River WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Bibb, Shelby | 35,559 |
| Mulberry Fork WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Tuscaloosa, Walker | 35,260 |
| Wheeler NWR | National Wildlife Refuge | Limestone, Morgan +1 | 34,427 |
| Freedom Hills WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Colbert | 33,539 |
| Hollins WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Clay, Talladega | 28,802 |
| Barbour WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Barbour, Bullock | 28,214 |
| Jackson County Waterfowl Areas and Refuges (Jackson County WMA) | Wildlife Management Area | Jackson | 26,934 |
| Blue Spring WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Covington | 24,783 |
| Lauderdale WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Lauderdale | 20,344 |
| Coosa WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Coosa | 17,486 |
Limited-quota quail hunts
| Area | County | Hunt | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles F. Sykes – Cedar Creek SOA | Dallas | Woodcock & Quail | Jan 2-3 |
| Charles F. Sykes – Cedar Creek SOA | Dallas | Quail, Rabbit, Squirrel, & Raccoon | Feb 11-14, Feb 18-21 |
| Portland Landing SOA | Dallas | Quail, Rabbit & Squirrel | Regular – Feb 11-14, Feb 18-21 |
| Portland Landing SOA | Dallas | Quail, Rabbit & Squirrel | Mar 5-7 |
| Uchee Creek SOA | Russell | Quail, Rabbit & Squirrel | Feb 8-14, Feb 15-21 |
| Thigpen Hill SOA | Butler | Quail, Rabbit & Squirrel | Feb 10-14, Feb 15-21 |
| Thigpen Hill SOA | Butler | Quail, Rabbit & Squirrel | Feb 25-28, April 1-4, April 8-11, April 15-18, April 22-25, April 29-May 2 |
| Little River SF SOA | Escambia | Quail, Rabbit & Squirrel | Feb 8-14, Feb 15-21 |
| Blackwater River SOA | Baldwin | Quail, Rabbit & Squirrel | Feb 15-21, Feb 22-28 |
| Chalk Hill SOA | Tallapoosa | Quail, Rabbit & Squirrel | Feb 8-14, Feb 15-21 |
Each SOA draw gives the selected hunter a unit of their own for a few days.
From lands.json (ADCNR WMA AREA Permits, SOA page, federal rules) and the ADCNR SOA page, checked November 1, 2026.
Bobwhite Quail: licenses, stamps and permits
Residents 16-64 hunting land they do not own need a license; residents 65+ and all under 16 do not; resident landowners and immediate family (spouse, children, parents, brothers, sisters) on their own land, and resident tenants living on the land, do not. Nonresidents 16+ need licenses everywhere. Bait Privilege and Nighttime licenses: all ages, no exemptions. Duck stamps: residents 16-64, nonresidents 16+.
| Name | Residency | Category | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Game | Resident | Age 16-64 | $23.40 | License year |
| Small Game, annual | Nonresident | Age 16+ | $134.10 | License year |
| Small Game, 10-day | Nonresident | Age 16+ | $81.70 | 240 consecutive hours |
| Small Game, 3-day | Nonresident | Age 16+ | $59.10 | 72 consecutive hours |
| Wildlife Heritage | Resident | Any age | $14.30 | License year |
| Fowl preserve, 7-day | Resident | Preserve hunters | $10.00 | 7 days |
| Fowl preserve, 7-day | Nonresident | Preserve hunters | $10.00 | 7 days |
From the ADCNR license pages and the Digest license section, checked November 1, 2026.
Harvest figures for bobwhite quail
For bobwhite quail the data gap is complete: no harvest by year or county.
From ADCNR page, checked November 1, 2026.
When quail hunting starts and stops
Legal light for bobwhite quail on key dates, in Central Time, for north, central and south Alabama.
Bobwhite quail, legal time: Daylight hours only = 30 minutes before official sunrise to 30 minutes after official sunset (deer and all resident game birds and game animals), except where a night season exists.
| When | Event | Place | Sunrise | Sunset | Shooting hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 2026 | Season opens | Madison County | 6:12 a.m. | 4:48 p.m. | 5:42 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Season opens | Jefferson County | 6:11 a.m. | 4:52 p.m. | 5:41 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Season opens | Montgomery County | 6:06 a.m. | 4:51 p.m. | 5:36 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Season opens | Mobile County | 6:12 a.m. | 5:01 p.m. | 5:42 a.m. to 5:31 p.m. |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Closing day | Madison County | 6:18 a.m. | 5:40 p.m. | 5:48 a.m. to 6:10 p.m. |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Closing day | Jefferson County | 6:19 a.m. | 5:43 p.m. | 5:49 a.m. to 6:13 p.m. |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Closing day | Montgomery County | 6:15 a.m. | 5:41 p.m. | 5:45 a.m. to 6:11 p.m. |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Closing day | Mobile County | 6:22 a.m. | 5:50 p.m. | 5:52 a.m. to 6:20 p.m. |
Rules from the Digest shooting hours section; sunrise and sunset computed (NOAA solar formula, Central Time); checked November 1, 2026. Legal hours for all 67 counties.
Bobwhite Quail questions
Are bobwhite quail open on every national forest?
Closed on the Bankhead National Forest.
What are the 2026-27 quail dates in Alabama?
1 season row cover Nov 7 to Feb 28.
What is the quail limit in Alabama?
The quail limit reads: 8 per day, 8 in possession.
What license do I need for bobwhite quail in Alabama?
Look at Small Game (resident, $23.40); Small Game, annual (nonresident, $134.10); Small Game, 10-day (nonresident, $81.70); Small Game, 3-day (nonresident, $59.10).
Can I use a rifle on bobwhite quail in Alabama?
The quail weapons rule allows rimfire or air rifles; muzzleloaders any caliber; bows/crossbows; shotguns 10 ga or smaller with No. 4 shot or smaller; handguns; blowguns (breath-powered); slingshots.
What are the legal hours for bobwhite quail?
The quail rule on hours: Daylight hours only = 30 minutes before official sunrise to 30 minutes after official sunset (deer and all resident game birds and game animals), except where a night season exists.
What public places are open for bobwhite quail?
41 public places, including Black Warrior Wildlife Management Area, James D. Martin-Skyline Wildlife Management Area and Choccolocco Wildlife Management Area.
Is hunter orange required for bobwhite quail?
For bobwhite quail, follow the gun deer calendar: orange or pink is mandatory during those dates, and always on WMAs, CHAs, SOAs and PDHAs.
How do I check in a quail in Alabama?
The Alabama harvest report rules name deer, turkey, bobcat and otter pelts, alligators and migratory birds; bobwhite quail are not on that list, though WMA check-in still applies.
Are bobwhite quail open on Sundays?
Yes; Alabama repealed its Sunday law in 2015, so quail seasons run every day except where an area sets its own days.