Title 9

If any person hunting deer by fire in the nighttime kills any horse, mare, colt or other domestic animal, he is liable to double damages in a civil action instituted by the owner of the property. (Code 1852, §1114; Code 1867, §1295; Code 1876, §1600; Code 1886, §1378; Code 1896, …

All game, birds or animals taken or killed in this state must at all times be carried or transported openly, and failure to do so shall constitute a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $10.00 nor more than $25.00. All game, birds or animals carried or transported in…

The Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources is hereby authorized on behalf of the State of Alabama to engage in the propagation of game birds, game and fur-bearing animals, and for this purpose the said Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources is authorized a…

(a) The Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources, upon the payment of a fee of $1.00, may issue an annual permit to any individual, association, partnership, firm, or corporation owning property in the State of Alabama permitting the permit holder to engage in the busin…

Consent of the State of Alabama is given to the acquisition by the United States by purchase, gift, devise or lease of such areas of land or water or of land and water in the State of Alabama as the United States may deem necessary for the establishment of migratory bird reservat…

Any person shall be strictly liable for civil damages who causes the injury or damage to any person or domestic animal as a result of using any trap or similar device on public land to take, capture, or kill any of the fur-bearing animals protected by the laws or regulations of t…

It shall be unlawful for anyone to trap on or from a state highway right-of-way unless the trapper has the permission of adjoining landowners. The provisions of this section shall not apply to Lawrence County. (Acts 1977, No. 801, p. 1381, §3; Acts 1979, No. 79-123, p. 154, §1.)

The provisions of Sections 9-11-264 and 9-11-265 shall not apply to Limestone County. (Acts 1978, No. 432, p. 440, § 1.)

All traps set in or beneath water must be checked at least once every 72 hours. All traps other than water sets must be checked at least once every 24 hours. It shall be unlawful for anyone to hang or suspend bait over or within 25 feet of a steel trap. (Acts 1977, No. 801, p. 13…

Any person licensed to trap fur-bearing animals in the State of Alabama shall file with the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries office in Montgomery a report listing by county the number and type of animals trapped during the preceding season and the names and addresses…

A violation of the provisions of Sections 9-11-265, 9-11-266 and 9-11-267 or failure to fully comply therewith shall constitute a misdemeanor and the person violating same or failing to comply therewith shall be punished by a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $200.00 for…

(a) The flattened musk turtle (sternotherus minor depressus) is a reptile unique to the State of Alabama. The Legislature finds the protection of this unique specie is required for its survival. (b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, it is unlawful for any indi…

No person shall willfully and knowingly prevent, obstruct, impede, disturb, or interfere with, or attempt to prevent, obstruct, impede, disturb, or interfere with any person in legally hunting or fishing pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Department of Conservation and …

Activities prohibited by this article shall include, but not be limited to the following: (a) Creating a visual, aural, olfactory, or physical stimulus intended to affect the natural behavior of the wild animal being hunted or fish for the purpose of fishing. (b) Affecting the co…

No person shall fail to obey the order of a peace officer to desist from conduct which violates this article. (Acts 1994, No. 94-321, p. 561, §3.)

This article applies only to activities on lands or waters upon which hunting or fishing may legally occur. This article does not apply to acts of a peace officer, owner of the lands or waters, or the tenant or other person acting under authority of the owner of the lands or wate…

Any person violating this article is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor. (Acts 1994, No. 94-321, p. 561, §5.)

This article is supplemental to all laws relating to hunting and fishing and shall be construed in pari materia with Chapter 15 of Title 35. (Acts 1994, No. 94-321, p. 561, §7; Acts 1996, No. 96-668, p. 1131, §1.)

The Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources with approval of the governor shall have authority to enter into agreements of reciprocity with conservation commissioners or directors or other proper officials of states bordering Alabama who have jurisdiction over waterfow…

The Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources with approval of the Governor is hereby authorized and empowered to make and enter into agreements from time to time with the proper authorities of the states of Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Mississippi whereby a valid hun…

The purpose of this article is to authorize the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources upon approval of the Governor to enter into such agreements with all states bordering on the State of Alabama, but is not intended that the benefits of such agreements should ex…

The waterfowl hunting rights and privileges which may be granted by or through such reciprocal agreements shall be exercised by all nonresidents of the State of Alabama in accordance with the laws of Alabama and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commissioner of Conserv…

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, through the Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources, is hereby authorized and directed to establish by proclamation such wildlife management areas as may be in the public interest and to enter into agreements with t…

The Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources is authorized to fix such boundaries and promulgate such special rules and regulations for the management and protection of wildlife management areas as may be necessary or desirable. Without limiting the generality of the fo…

The Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources is authorized to close to all hunting and fishing any land or water within the boundary of a wildlife management area which is not under a cooperative wildlife management agreement with the Department of Conservation and Natu…

The Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources and his designated agents or employees are authorized to search without warrant any automobile, wagon, truck or other vehicle or any hunting sack or hunting coat within any wildlife management area and to confiscate any prote…

The carrying or possession of firearms within any wildlife management area, except while in possession of a valid permit allowing this privilege, is prohibited; provided, that the provisions of this section shall not apply to any authorized law enforcement officer nor to any offi…

No dog shall be permitted except on leash within any wildlife management area except in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources, and whoever shall be the owner of any dog at large within any wildlife manageme…

Any person violating this article or any rule adopted by the Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources under the authority of this article shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor, punishable as provided by law, except that the minimum fine shall not be…

For the purpose of this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings, respectively, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: (1) WILDLIFE. Any wild mammal, wild bird, reptile or amphibian; and (2) PERSON. Such term includes an individual, firm, corporatio…

No person shall possess any wildlife in captivity for public exhibition purposes, except as provided in this article or any rule or regulation promulgated by the commissioner. (Acts 1971, No. 2246, p. 3602, §2.)

The Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources shall appoint a committee, not to exceed five in number, of recognized experts in the exhibition, conservation, preservation and humane care of public wildlife to study and recommend to him reasonable standards for the care a…

The Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources shall give due consideration to the recommendations of the committee appointed under Section 9-11-322 and shall issue regulations prescribing reasonable standards for the care and treatment of captive wildlife for public disp…

(a) The Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources, upon application of any person qualified by education or experience in the care and treatment of wildlife, may issue an annual permit to such person at a cost of $25.00, under such terms and conditions as he prescribes, …

Each permit issued under this article shall include a condition authorizing anyone designated by the Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources to enforce this article to enter upon and inspect the facilities where the wildlife covered by such permit is held in captivity.…

Anyone authorized by the Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources to enforce this article may, with or without a warrant, arrest any person who violates such provisions or standards in his presence or view and may execute any warrant or other process issued by any offic…

Anyone who knowingly violates any provision of this article or the standards adopted thereunder or the provisions of any permit shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $500.00 or imprisoned for not more than three months, or both. (Acts 1971, No. 2246, p. 3602, §6.)

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), this article shall not apply to a municipal, county, state, or other publicly owned zoo or wildlife exhibit or a privately owned traveling zoo, circus, or pet shop. (b) A municipal, county, state, or other publicly owned zoo or wildlife e…

A pen-raised quail is a quail which has been hatched from an egg laid by a quail confined in a pen or coop and has itself been wholly raised in a pen or coop by a duly licensed quail breeder holding a permit as provided by this article from the state Department of Conservation an…

Any person, firm or corporation may engage in the business of propagating pen-raised quail, commonly known as bobwhite quail, for restocking, propagation and other commercial purposes by complying with the provisions of this article and may thereafter sell either live quail or th…

A commercial quail breeder’s license must first be obtained from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources or its agents upon payment of $25.00 for each such license. Said license shall be valid from October 1 to September 30 next following. Such license must bea…

Before any sale may be made of the carcass of any bobwhite quail, the holder of a commercial quail breeder’s license shall obtain a proper marker or marking device as prescribed by a regulation promulgated by the Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources. (Acts 1959, No.…

(a) Before the carcass of a dead pen-raised quail shall be sold, the holder of the commercial quail breeder’s license shall plainly mark each such carcass sold with an authorized mark or marker. Any person selling or purchasing the carcass of a pen-raised quail not so marked shal…

Such pen-raised quail, when dressed and marked as provided in this article, when delivered into the hands and possession of the purchaser, his agent or common carrier or into the hands of a donee and prior to leaving the place of the licensed breeder by whatever method employed, …

When any such package containing a shipment of quail carcasses for which an invoice is required is to be shipped by rail, express or other carrier, public or private, the invoice shall be securely attached thereto or to the package containing the same in plain sight, and the same…

If such package or shipment of quail carcasses is kept in storage in any hotel, restaurant, cafe or boardinghouse or elsewhere, such invoice shall be kept attached thereto as aforesaid until the same shall have been prepared for consumption. (Acts 1959, No. 408, p. 1040, §7.)