Alabama Hunting News | October 2019

Alabama Hunting News | October 2019

Archery Deer Season Opens October 15

You've been waiting for it all year! Archery deer season opens Tuesday, October 15 (antlered bucks only for the first 10 days of archery season in Zone B). Please remember that hunters are required to report all deer harvests through Alabama’s Game Check system. You have 48 hours to report your harvest through the Outdoor AL mobile app or online at https://www.outdooralabama.com.

Fall 2019 CWD Public Information Meeting Schedule

This fall, the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) is hosting a series of public meetings throughout the state to provide information about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), WFF’s CWD surveillance efforts in Alabama and how hunters can assist.

CWD is a fatal disease affecting several species in the deer family (cervids). To date, CWD has been diagnosed in free-ranging or captive cervids in 25 states and three Canadian provinces. No cases of CWD have been found in Alabama.

In addition to providing CWD information, the meetings will also give hunters an opportunity to ask questions about the disease. Each meeting will run from 6-8 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The media is encouraged to attend.

Game Check Information Plays an Important Role in Alabama's Deer Management

Reporting your harvest information through Alabama’s Game Check system is not only mandatory, it plays and important role in the management of deer (buck and doe) and turkey in the state. Data collection through Game Check allows wildlife managers to monitor trends in the deer population’s physical condition, deer population numbers, deer harvest numbers, hunter success rates, and many other measures of a deer management program and effectiveness. Low participation rates and not collecting the right types of deer-related data often adds many unnecessary challenges to an already difficult task.  Please do your part in conserving Alabama’s deer herd by reporting your harvest through Game Check.

Watch this video to learn more!

Alabama’s Adult Mentored Hunting Program

Learning to hunt may seem out of reach for those who didn’t grow up with hunting as part of their family tradition. For those individuals, WFF created an Adult Mentored Hunting Program (AMH) to teach about consumptive outdoor recreation, put wild game on the dinner table and potentially revive or initiate that family tradition.

To be eligible to attend a three-day AMH event, participants are required to attend one of several one-day hunting workshops that are being offered at various Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) throughout the state this fall. Registration for the workshops is currently open.

The first workshop will take place at the Cahaba River WMA shooting range in Shelby County, Alabama, on October 26, 2019. The workshops are available to everyone ages 19 and up regardless of previous hunting experience. There is a $20 registration fee for the workshops.

Complacency Often Leads to Treestand, Firearms Accidents

WFF’s Hunter Education Program wants to teach old hunters new safety tricks. Actually, these are not new safety tricks, but experienced hunters seem to be failing to follow them, according to last year’s hunting accident reports.

During the 2018-2019 hunting seasons, 15 treestand accidents were reported, and more than half of those individuals were age-exempt from having to complete a hunter education course. Of the five who did take the hunter ed course, all under the age of 40, only one of those was wearing a full-body harness when the accident occurred.

MORE INFORMATION

• Seasons and Bag Limits
• Deer Season Map
• Where to Hunt
• WMA Maps and Permits
• Hunting and Fishing Digest
• Youth Hunt Dates Announced for Forever Wild Field Trial Area
• Physically Disabled Hunt Dates Announced for Field Trial Area
• Bait Privilege License Opens Opportunities for Deer Hunters
  

Hard Card Licenses New for 2019

For an additional $5 added to your license purchase, you can select from eight different cards that depict a variety of outdoors scenes. The art scenes include deer, turkey, freshwater fishing, saltwater fishing, wildlife heritage with an indigo bunting, sandhill crane and shooting sports. A deer and feral hog adorn the inaugural bait privilege license.

A total of 32 license privileges are eligible for purchase as a hard card, including annual hunting and fishing licenses for residents and non-residents, state duck stamp, Wildlife Heritage and bait privilege licenses. Trip licenses, lifetime licenses and no-cost privileges are not included in this feature.

Learn more!