Alabama › Species › Mountain Lion
Protected, no open season
Mountain lion in Alabama: no open season
Why there is no mountain lion season, with the rule text and related hunts.
Photo: Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0)
Mountain Lion status in Alabama
Anyone looking for a mountain lion season in Alabama will not find one; the 2026-27 rules keep mountain lions closed statewide.
- ADCNR: No open season.
- Note: Game animal with no open season.
- No open season: No open season (designated game animal, 220-2-.06).
- Statewide rule: 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).
From ADCNR page, checked November 1, 2026.
Mountain Lion: the rules in full
The Alabama rules on mountain lions sit in the lists below, with the related closed species.
- 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.
- Mountain lion (cougar): Designated game animal with no open season.
From ADCNR Regulation Book p. 44 and ADCNR page, checked November 1, 2026.
Mountain Lion: fines and revocations
Penalties that apply when mountain lions are taken unlawfully, from the Code of Alabama.
| 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 |
Tips about mountain lions go to the GAMEWATCH line, 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.
Alabama protected wildlife list (mountain lion)
Alabama's protected wildlife, as the law lists it next to mountain lions.
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
Mountain Lion questions
How do I report illegal hunting in Alabama?
Call Operation Game Watch, 1-800-272-4263.
Which other species have no season in Alabama?
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.
Who sets the rules on mountain lions?
From the ADCNR season pages, the 2026-27 Digest, the ADCNR Regulation Book (Ala. Admin. Code ch. 220-2) and the Code of Alabama, all checked November 1, 2026.
Is any mountain lion hunting allowed in Alabama?
No: designated game animal with no open season.
How does Alabama treat an illegal mountain lion kill?
Yes. Misdemeanor: $250-$1,000 fine and up to 6 months jail (same for wild turkey taken illegally or in closed season).
Is there a legal alternative to mountain lion hunting in Alabama?
Open alternatives include bobcats (No closed season); coyotes (No closed season).
Is the mountain lion a game species in Alabama?
Alabama lists them as Game animals (220-2-.06); listing does not open a season.
Can a mountain lion be brought into Alabama alive?
No. The rule on listed animals covers mountain lions: 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.
Other photos on this page: Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0).