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Migratory game birds
Sandhill crane hunting in Alabama
Seasons, bag limits, license prices and where to hunt sandhill cranes in 2026-27.
Photo: USFWS/Southeast (Public domain)
Sandhill Crane hunting overview
Alabama crane hunters get Nov 27 to Jan 25 in 2026-27, with 2 segments listed by ADCNR and the Digest. Limit for sandhill cranes: 3 per permit holder per season (daily, season and possession).
Sandhill Crane: the key lines
- Limit: 3 per permit.
- Season shape: Nov 27-Jan 3 and Jan 11-25 in the north crane zone; 750 permits by draw.
- Keep in mind: 2024-25: 442 cranes harvested by 718 permittees.
From ADCNR page and 2024-25 sandhill crane harvest report p. 2 (as of Nov 1, 2026), checked November 1, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
Every crane season row
Every county shares the same crane dates this season.
| Season | Zone | Bag | From | To | Days | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandhill crane (limited quota permit) | North Alabama crane zone | See limits | Nov 27, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | 38 | |
| Sandhill crane (limited quota permit) | North Alabama crane zone | See limits | Jan 11, 2027 | Jan 25, 2027 | 15 |
Sandhill Crane row details
- Residents and AL lifetime license holders 16+; 750 permits drawn (3 tags each, 2,250 tags); $20 permit plus processing fee; ID test required; post-season survey due 2027-02-10.
From ADCNR page, checked November 1, 2026.
The Alabama crane bag
Alabama sets the crane limit in these rows; a crippled bird or animal that is retrieved counts toward the bag (220-2-.13).
| Row | Limit |
|---|---|
| Sandhill crane | 3 per permit holder per season (daily, season and possession). |
From ADCNR page, checked November 1, 2026.
Crane zone, permits and harvest
North of I-20 from the Georgia line to I-65, east of I-65 to I-22, north of I-22 to the Mississippi line; rest of state closed.
| County | Taken | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Morgan County | 197 | 1,482 |
| Limestone County | 45 | 740 |
| Jackson County | 46 | 2,070 |
| Cherokee County | 135 | 888 |
Cranes were harvested in 8 of the 22 counties in the zone; the report text names these four (Figures 2-3 maps not transcribed).
From ADCNR page and 2024-25 sandhill crane harvest report p. 2, checked November 1, 2026.
Sandhill Crane: guns, bows and methods
| Rule | Legal arms | Banned |
|---|---|---|
| Migratory birds | For sandhill cranes: Shotguns 10 ga or smaller plugged to 3 shells with No. 2 shot or smaller; waterfowl with steel or other USFWS-approved nontoxic shot (T or smaller per the waterfowl guide); bows/crossbows; permitted raptors. | For sandhill cranes, not: lead shot in possession while waterfowl hunting; rifles, pistols; unplugged guns. |
- Electronic calls (crane): Electrically amplified turkey, dove or waterfowl calls are illegal (possession in the field too); electronic crow and predator calls allowed.
- Decoys (crane): 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 (crane): 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 crane 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.
Where to hunt sandhill cranes on public ground
3 public places carry a crane season in their 2026-27 permit or rule text; the biggest are below.
| Area | Type | Counties | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swan Creek WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Limestone | 8,870 |
| Seven-Mile Island WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Lauderdale | 4,685 |
| Mallard-Fox Creek WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Lawrence, Morgan | 1,742 |
From lands.json (ADCNR WMA AREA Permits, SOA page, federal rules) and the ADCNR SOA page, checked November 1, 2026.
Sandhill Crane: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandhill crane permit | Resident | Drawn residents/AL lifetime holders 16+ | $20.00 plus processing fee | 2026-27 season |
| Small Game | Resident | Age 16-64 | $23.40 | License year |
| Small Game, annual | Nonresident | Age 16+ | $134.10 | License year |
| HIP certification | Both | Migratory bird hunters | Free | License year |
From the ADCNR license pages and the Digest license section, checked November 1, 2026.
When crane hunting starts and stops
Legal light for sandhill cranes on key dates, in Central Time, for north, central and south Alabama.
Sandhill cranes, legal time: Sunrise to sunset.
| When | Event | Place | Sunrise | Sunset | Shooting hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 27, 2026 | Season opens | Madison County | 6:31 a.m. | 4:37 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 4:37 p.m. |
| Nov 27, 2026 | Season opens | Jefferson County | 6:30 a.m. | 4:41 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 4:41 p.m. |
| Nov 27, 2026 | Season opens | Montgomery County | 6:24 a.m. | 4:41 p.m. | 6:24 a.m. to 4:41 p.m. |
| Nov 27, 2026 | Season opens | Mobile County | 6:29 a.m. | 4:52 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 4:52 p.m. |
| Jan 25, 2027 | Closing day | Madison County | 6:49 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. |
| Jan 25, 2027 | Closing day | Jefferson County | 6:48 a.m. | 5:10 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. |
| Jan 25, 2027 | Closing day | Montgomery County | 6:43 a.m. | 5:10 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. |
| Jan 25, 2027 | Closing day | Mobile County | 6:48 a.m. | 5:21 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:21 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.
Sandhill Crane questions
How do I check in a crane in Alabama?
No harvest report, but a HIP certification for migratory birds, sandhill cranes included. Crane permit holders fill in the permit before moving a bird and return the post-season survey by February 10, 2027.
Are sandhill cranes open on Sundays?
Yes; Alabama repealed its Sunday law in 2015, so crane seasons run every day except where an area sets its own days.
Who can hunt sandhill cranes in Alabama?
750 permits with 3 tags each (2,250 tags) are drawn for residents and Alabama lifetime license holders 16 and older; the application ran September 1-29, 2026, and drawn hunters pass an ID test and buy the $20 permit.
Where is the Alabama crane zone?
North of I-20 from the Georgia line to I-65, east of I-65 to I-22, north of I-22 to the Mississippi line; rest of state closed. The 2024-25 harvest report says 22 counties lie within the zone but does not list them; counties not compiled.
What are the 2026-27 crane dates in Alabama?
2 season rows cover Nov 27 to Jan 25.
What is the crane limit in Alabama?
The crane limit reads: 3 per permit holder per season (daily, season and possession).
What license do I need for sandhill cranes in Alabama?
Look at Sandhill crane permit (resident, $20.00 plus processing fee); Small Game (resident, $23.40); Small Game, annual (nonresident, $134.10); HIP certification (both, Free).
Can I use a rifle on sandhill cranes in Alabama?
The crane weapons rule allows shotguns 10 ga or smaller plugged to 3 shells with No. 2 shot or smaller; waterfowl with steel or other USFWS-approved nontoxic shot (T or smaller per the waterfowl guide); bows/crossbows; permitted raptors.
What are the legal hours for sandhill cranes?
The crane rule on hours: Sunrise to sunset.
What public places are open for sandhill cranes?
3 public places, including Swan Creek Wildlife Management Area, Seven-Mile Island Wildlife Management Area and Mallard-Fox Creek Wildlife Management Area.
Is hunter orange required for sandhill cranes?
Alabama does not require orange of crane hunters during gun deer dates, because turkey and migratory bird hunters are exempt; WMA hunters other than migratory bird hunters must wear it at all times.