Alabama
What are the key dates for Alabama 2024-25 hunting season including for deer, turkey and waterfowl
The Alabama hunting seasons are about to get started in some cases with others coming in 2025.
The first season to get started is dove, which started on Sept. 7. Waterfowl, squirrel and rabbits seasons start on Sept. 14. Here are the key dates for the 2024-25 hunting seasons in Alabama, with notes on restrictions and bag limits.
Key dates for 2024-25 Alabama hunting seasons
Fishing
The licenses for the 2023-24 season expired on August 31 and 2024-25 fishing licenses went on sale Sept. 1.
MORE ON LICENSES: With fishing season underway, here’s how you can get a fishing license in Alabama
STATE PARKS: Alabama has 21 state parks, here are the 10 that have the most visitors
When is deer hunting season in Alabama?
While the specific dates depend on what zone are you reside or are trying to hunt in here are the approximate dates for around the state. For more on each zone, including what zone you are in, click here.
- Bow and Arrow: October 15, 2024 to February 10, 2025
- Private or leased land (Deer stalking): Nov. 23 to Feb. 10, certain restrictions differ between zones
- Open, permit public land (Deer stalking): Nov. 23 to Feb. 10, certain restrictions differ between zones
- Private or leased land (Dog deer hunting): Nov. 23 to Jan. 15, certain restrictions differ between zones
- Open, permit public land (Dog deer hunting): Nov. 23 to Jan. 15, certain restrictions differ between zones
When is waterfowl hunting season in Alabama?
For specifics on seasons or bag limits and other regulations, click here.
- Youth and military dates: Nov 23. and Feb. 8
- Rail, Sora and Gallinule: Sept. 14-29 and Nov. 29 to Jan. 21
- Special Teal season: Sept. 14 to Sept. 29
- Duck, Coot Merganser: Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 and Dec. 6 to Jan. 31
- Geese: Sept. 7 to October 6, Oct. 19 to Nov. 2, Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 and Dec. 6 to Jan. 31
When is turkey hunting season in Alabama?
While it depends on the zone like deer hunting, turkey season runs from March 25 to May 8, with youth and special hunts the two days before. For more on zones and special hunts or specific dates, click here.
- Zone 1: March 25 to May 8
- Zone 2: April 1 to May 8
- Zone 3: Fall season is Nov. 16-24 and Dec. 14-29. Spring season is March 25-May 8
When is squirrel hunting season in Alabama?
Squirrel season is Sept. 14-March 2 in Alabama. There is a limit of eight a day and eight in possession.
When is rabbit hunting season in Alabama?
Rabbit season also runs from Sept. 14-March 2 in Alabama. There is a limit of eight a day and eight in possession.
When is raccoon hunting season in Alabama?
There is no closed season in Alabama for hunting raccoons and they can be hunted during the day or night. On private land there is no bag limit, but on open permit or public land there is a limit of five per party. Dogs can’t be used during daytime on open land or after 3 p.m. during spring turkey season.
When is opossum hunting season in Alabama?
There is no closed season in Alabama to hunt opossum and no bag limit. Dogs can’t be used during day time on open land or after 3 p.m. during spring turkey seasons.
When is beaver, nutria and groundhog hunting season in Alabama?
There is no closed season in Alabama to hunt beaver, nutria and groundhog and no bag limit. They can only be hunted during daytime hours.
When are starlings, crows, and house sparrows hunting seasons in Alabama?
There is no closed season in Alabama to hunt starlings, crows and house sparrows and no bag limit, they can only be hunted during the daytime hours.
When is snipe hunting season in Alabama?
The hunting season lasts from Nov. 9-Feb. 23 with a limit of eight per day. The hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
When are mink, muskrat, otter and striped skunk hunting seasons in Alabama?
The season runs from Oct. 26-Feb. 28 for mink, muskrat, otter and striped skunk. They can only be hunted via trapping.
When is dove hunting season in Alabama?
Dove season lasts in the north zone from Sept. 7-Jan 19, with some gaps. In the south, it lasts from Sept. 14-Jan. 19. Click here for zones and specific dates.
When is sandhill crane season in Alabama?
The season has two periods, the first is from Nov. 29-Jan. 5 and the second from Jan. 13-Jan. 26. The hunt is by limited quote permit only, click here for more.
When is bobcat, coyote, fox and feral swine season in Alabama?
There is no closed seasons on bobcats, coyote, foxes or feral swine but there are restrictions based on the time of year and location, click here for more.
When is bullfrog and pig frog hunting season in Alabama?
There is no closed season for bullfrogs or pig frogs and they can be hunted anytime of day. There is a limit of 20 frogs per person from noon to noon the next day.
When is Alligator hunting season in Alabama?
Alligator season is by special permit only and the registration opened on June 4, 2024. For more on alligator season in Alabama, click here.
What animals in Alabama are not allowed to be hunted?
According to Outdoor Alabama, there is no open season in Alabama for bears, mountain lions or ruffed grouse.
Alabama
Seth McLaughlin Brings Alabama's Tennessee Victory Cigar Tradition to the Ohio State Sideline
Seth McLaughlin wasn’t able to play against Tennessee on Saturday night.
But that didn’t mean he couldn’t celebrate his team’s dominating 42-17 win the way he used to when he suited up for the Alabama Crimson Tide as an undergraduate student.
The cigar he had with him was not random or a prop. It was part of a tradition he learned in Tuscaloosa.
— Chase Brown (@chaseabrown__) December 22, 2024
As the legend has it, in 1961 one of Bear Bryant’s trainers lit up a stogie following a Tide win which had ended a five-game slide to the Volunteers. This created a tradition maintained over the next two decades – which eventually spread to the opposite sideline.
The Volunteers have been participating in the victory cigar tradition since the early 1980s. It has spread from the sideline into the stands and tailgates. Earlier this season, the Volunteers beat the Crimson Tide in Knoxville, creating a plume of smoke above Neyland Stadium.
Tennessee students light up cigars after an SEC conference game between Tennessee and Alabama in Neyland Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. © Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
So it was appropriate that McLaughlin, now with the Buckeyes following his Rimington Award-winning season in Columbus found a way to pay homage to his first alma mater while celebrating with his second one.
Former Alabama center Seth McLaughlin is smoking a cigar on the Ohio State sideline as time expires and the Buckeyes beat Tennessee.
— Sidelines – Bama (@SSN_Alabama) December 22, 2024
Ohio State plays Oregon in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Alabama
Colorado LB Nikhai Hill-Green to transfer to Alabama football. What it means for Crimson Tide
An all-conference linebacker is joining Alabama football for the 2025 season.
Nikhai Hill-Green, a former Michigan and Charlotte linebacker who was second-team All-Big 12 at Colorado in 2024, told On3 he would transfer to the Crimson Tide for his final season of eligibility.
Hill-Green is the seventh player to join Alabama ahead of 2025 along with Cal long snapper David Bird, Colorado School of Mines punter Blake Doud, Florida defensive lineman Kelby Collins, Utah cornerback Cameron Calhoun, Texas A&M offensive lineman Kam Dewberry and Miami wide receiver Isaiah Horton.
Hill-Green is the third transfer commitment Saturday along with Horton and Dewberry.
What Alabama football gets in Colorado LB Nikhai Hill-Green
Hill-Green is coming off his most productive collegiate season yet.
The former four-star linebacker out of Baltimore was the Buffaloes’ second-leading tackler with 82, adding 11.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks, four pass deflections and two interceptions.
Hill-Green had a 13-tackle performance against Kansas State. He also had back-to-back games against Texas Tech and Utah where he had an interception.
Hill-Green improved upon his productive 2023 season at Charlotte where he had 73 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, two sacks and three pass deflections.
Hill-Green originally signed with Michigan in the 2020 class and played two seasons with the Wolverines.
Alabama football depth chart: Where does Nikhai Hill-Green fit?
Alabama’s linebacker room is about to get a lot younger.
The Crimson Tide added four linebackers in the 2025 recruiting class: Ohio four-star Justin Hill, Georgia four-star Darrell Johnson, Georgia four-star Luke Metz and California four-star Abduall Sanders Jr.
It’s a room currently in a bit of a transition period, one that will not have Que Robinson and Justin Jefferson in 2025 while Jihaad Campbell and Deontae Lawson are both NFL draft eligible.
Depending on the status of Campbell and Lawson, Alabama could be looking to fill two linebacker spots next to Wolf Qua Russaw. And other than the four freshmen, Alabama’s room does not have many options with players expected to return such as Justin Okoronkwo, Jeremiah Alexander and Cayden Jones.
Hill-Green is a plug-and-play starter, likely at the Mike, one that gives Alabama a chance to develop younger members of the room instead of throwing them into the fire as freshmen.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Alabama
Projecting Alabama's upcoming backfield for the 2025 season
Justice Haynes is leaving, Jam Miller is staying, but what about the rest of Alabama’s backfield? Barring any more offseason transition, the Crimson Tide will still have five running backs who were rated as four-star talents coming out of high school
While talent shouldn’t be an issue, Miller is the only member of that bunch with extended in-game reps. Heading into this month’s ReliaQuest Bowl, the rising senior’s 209 career carries are more than three times as many as the rest of the Tide’s current backs combined.
Still, Alabama feels good about its upcoming backfield, even after Haynes’ departure. While the Tide might pounce if the right back hits the portal, the position is low on its list of offseason priorities. With that said, here’s a look at how next year’s backfield could shape up.
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