After CWD Detection, Some Alabama Hunters Provided Incentives to Take More Deer

CWD detection has resulted in new rules and incentives for Alabama hunters in parts of the state. (Photo by Jim Cumming)

An update to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) chronic wasting disease (CWD) zone rule allows hunters in Franklin County, Alabama, to use bait for the remainder of the deer season. Hunters in Colbert, Lauderdale and Franklin counties will also be provided with an opportunity to harvest an additional antlered deer with a valid CWD Sampling Permit issued by the ADCNR.

According to outdooralabama.com, hunters who submit deer for mandatory CWD testing from within the CWD Management Zone (CMZ) on scheduled dates will receive a permit to harvest one additional antlered deer per submission (up to two extra permits) within the CMZ. The permits are only available at designated WMA check stations and mobile sampling locations. They are non-transferable.

The next testing weekend is January 11-12, 2025, and includes Lauderdale, Colbert, and Franklin counties. Deer carcasses must be kept within the High-Risk Zone (HRZ) and hunters cannot transport them outside the CMZ.

After a deer in Colbert County tested positive for CWD in December 2024, the CMZ was expanded to include Lauderdale, Colbert and Franklin counties. Since the detection, the daily bag limit for antlerless deer was increased to two per day on privately owned or leased land within the CMZ for the rest of the gun season, which ends February 10, 2025.

Baiting for white-tailed deer is allowed in Franklin County with a valid baiting license, but it is not permitted in Lauderdale or Colbert counties.

For the latest information on CWD and upcoming mandatory testing dates, visit here.