Alabama › Species › Ruffed Grouse
Protected, no open season
Ruffed grouse in Alabama: no open season
Ruffed Grouse status for 2026-27, checked against the Digest and the Regulation Book.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain)
Why there is no grouse season
The Alabama rules treat the grouse as a species with no open season, so the 2026-27 calendar carries no grouse season at all.
- ADCNR: No open season.
- No open season: No open season (resident game bird, 220-2-.04).
- Agency page: 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.
What the regulations say about ruffed grouse
The rows below are the Alabama laws that name ruffed grouse or the groups they belong to.
- Resident game birds (220-2-.04(1)): bobwhite quail, ruffed grouse and wild turkey. No open season for ruffed grouse.
- Ruffed grouse: Resident game bird with no open season.
From ADCNR Regulation Book p. 44 and ADCNR page, checked November 1, 2026.
Open game related to ruffed grouse
What can be hunted instead of ruffed grouse.
| Species | Season | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Bobwhite Quail | Nov 7–Feb 28 | Quail: 8 per day, 8 in possession. |
| Wild Turkey | Nov 14–May 3 | Gobblers only. 1 per day; 4 per season (fall + spring combined). |
| Woodcock | Dec 18–Jan 31 | 3 per day. |
From the ADCNR season pages, checked November 1, 2026.
Alabama penalties for ruffed grouse
What breaking the grouse rules can cost, by statute.
| 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 |
For a grouse violation, the ADCNR line is 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.
Ruffed Grouse and the protected list
Alabama protects ruffed grouse along with the species below; each line is the rule as the sources give it.
- 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.
- 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.
Questions about ruffed grouse in Alabama
How do I report a wildlife violation in Alabama?
ADCNR runs Operation Game Watch at 1-800-272-4263 (GAMEWATCH).
What does Alabama say about possessing ruffed grouse?
The rules give hunters no route to hold ruffed grouse; protected species need permits.
Where can I read the grouse rule?
ADCNR, through the 2026-27 Digest and its Regulation Book; this page was checked November 1, 2026.
Which game has no open 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.
What law covers ruffed grouse taken out of season?
Misdemeanor: $250-$1,000 fine and up to 6 months jail (same for wild turkey taken illegally or in closed season). (Code of Alabama 9-11-236)
Is any grouse hunting allowed in Alabama?
No; the status for ruffed grouse is no open season. Resident game bird with no open season.
Which list puts ruffed grouse in Alabama law?
Resident game birds (220-2-.04(1)), according to the Regulation Book, but with no open season.
Which seasons are open for species like ruffed grouse?
These have seasons this year: bobwhite quail (Nov 7–Feb 28); wild turkeys (Nov 14–May 3); woodcock (Dec 18–Jan 31).
Other photos on this page: Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0).