Furbearers
Nutria hunting in Alabama
Dates, limits, licenses, legal hours and public land for nutria.
Photo: Maria Brindle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What Alabama allows for nutria
All year is nutria season in Alabama, but the hours, weapons and land rules below still apply. Nutria limit: No bag limit.
ADCNR summary for nutria
- Take: No limit.
- In short: Year-round.
From ADCNR page (as of Nov 1, 2026), checked November 1, 2026.
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Nutria opening and closing days
Nutria carry 2 statewide rows in the 2026-27 ADCNR tables.
| Window | Zone or area | Take | Begins | Through | Days | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver, nutria, groundhog | Statewide | No limit. | Whole year | Year-round | ||
| Nuisance trapping, trapping | Statewide | No limit. | Whole year | Year-round |
Footnotes for nutria
- No closed season (license year shown).
- Coyote and feral swine may be trapped by the landowner or agent; feral swine killed at the trap site.
From ADCNR page and ADCNR page, checked November 1, 2026.
Nutria bag and possession limits
The nutria limits below come from the Digest and the ADCNR season pages; possession rules are in the same table.
| Applies to | Rule |
|---|---|
| Opossum, beaver, nutria, groundhog, bobcat, coyote, fox, feral swine | No bag limit. |
From 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest p. 31, checked November 1, 2026.
Fur catcher rules for nutria
| Trapping row | Opens | Closes | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver, coyote, nutria, feral swine, raccoon and opossum | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | No closed season (license year shown). Coyote and feral swine may be trapped by the landowner or agent; feral swine killed at the trap site. |
The furbearer rule, 220-2-.30, names nutria among 12 species that licensed fur catchers may trap.
From ADCNR Regulation Book p. 51 and ADCNR page, checked November 1, 2026.
Weapons and field rules for nutria
| Row | May use | May not use |
|---|---|---|
| Predators and hogs | For nutria: Rifles any caliber; handguns; shotguns 10 ga or smaller; PCP air guns .25+; bows/crossbows; muzzleloaders any caliber; PCP arrow rifles; spear or sharpened blade; permitted raptors. | For nutria, not: lights/night vision except in the nighttime swine/coyote season with the license. |
- Traps, snares, poisons (nutria): No pitfalls, deadfalls, cages, nets, snares, poison or explosives for protected birds/animals (licensed fur catchers may trap furbearers under 220-2-.30).
- Floodwaters (nutria): No taking resident birds/animals taking refuge in floodwaters or on flood-created islands under 40 acres (waterfowl excepted).
Conservation Enforcement Officers may inspect game bags, vehicles and gear of nutria hunters.
From 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest p. 34, Code of Alabama 9-11-245 and ADCNR Regulation Book p. 45, checked November 1, 2026.
License costs for nutria
Residents 65 and older and everyone under 16 need no hunting license for nutria, but the bait and nighttime licenses have no exemptions.
| License | Who buys | Group | Fee | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Game | Resident | Age 16-64 | $23.40 | License year |
| Small Game, annual | Nonresident | Age 16+ | $134.10 | License year |
| Fur Catcher's | Resident | Trappers | $28.70 | Oct 2026–Sept 2027 |
| Fur Catcher's | Nonresident | Trappers | Varies | Oct 2026–Sept 2027 |
From the ADCNR license pages and the Digest license section, checked November 1, 2026.
Nutria: the harvest record
ADCNR has not published a nutria harvest table; only turkey, crane and CWD numbers exist.
From ADCNR page, checked November 1, 2026.
Nutria: sunrise, sunset and legal time
Times for nutria are worked out for the centre of four counties with the NOAA solar formula; the Digest prints only a Birmingham table and warns that other places differ.
ADCNR hour rule for nutria: 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. Fox at night with lights and dogs only; raccoon and opossum at night with lights and free-running dogs; coyote and feral swine at night only in the special nighttime season with the nighttime license (220-2-.07); bullfrog/pig frog day or night; alligator official sunset to official sunrise.
| Date | Season point | County | First sun | Last sun | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | Madison County | 6:49 a.m. | 4:39 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | Jefferson County | 6:48 a.m. | 4:43 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | Montgomery County | 6:42 a.m. | 4:44 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | Mobile County | 6:46 a.m. | 4:55 p.m. | 6:16 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | Madison County | 5:33 a.m. | 8:02 p.m. | 5:03 a.m. to 8:32 p.m. |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | Jefferson County | 5:37 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 5:07 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | Montgomery County | 5:38 a.m. | 7:54 p.m. | 5:08 a.m. to 8:24 p.m. |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | Mobile County | 5:50 a.m. | 7:58 p.m. | 5:20 a.m. to 8:28 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.
Questions about nutria in Alabama
Does Alabama allow nutria hunting on Sunday?
Sundays are open for nutria; the old Code 13A-12-1 was repealed effective April 21, 2015.
Does Game Check apply to nutria?
No Game Check entry is needed for nutria; WMA hunters do check in and out daily through the app or a paper permit.
What does a nonresident trapper pay?
A Fur Catcher’s License: $28.70 for residents (90 days residency proof); nonresidents pay the nonresident fee of their home state.
How long is nutria trapping open?
Trapping: Sep 1 to Aug 31. No closed season (license year shown). Coyote and feral swine may be trapped by the landowner or agent; feral swine killed at the trap site.
How many nutria can I take in Alabama?
For nutria the rule is no bag limit.
Is nutria season open all year in Alabama?
Yes; there is no closed season.
What are the legal methods for nutria?
For nutria, ADCNR permits rifles any caliber; handguns; shotguns 10 ga or smaller; PCP air guns .25+; bows/crossbows; muzzleloaders any caliber; PCP arrow rifles; spear or sharpened blade; permitted raptors.
Which license covers nutria hunting in Alabama?
For nutria: Small Game (resident, $23.40); Small Game, annual (nonresident, $134.10); Fur Catcher’s (resident, $28.70); Fur Catcher’s (nonresident, Varies).
Must I wear orange or pink when hunting nutria?
Yes, while gun deer dates are open in the area. During dates and in areas open to gun deer season (including youth deer and special muzzleloader/air rifle seasons), everyone hunting any species on private, leased and open permit-public land must wear an outer garment above the waist with at least 144 sq. in. of hunter orange or fluorescent pink, or a full-size hunter orange or fluorescent pink hat or cap.
When does legal shooting time start for nutria?
Hours for nutria work like this: 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. Fox at night with lights and dogs only; raccoon and opossum at night with lights and free-running dogs; coyote and feral swine at night only in the special nighttime season with the nighttime license (220-2-.07); bullfrog/pig frog day or night; alligator official sunset to official sunrise.