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How to use Hunting & Outdoors for the Bankhead Forest and Black Warrior WMA

Hunting & Outdoors gathers the Bankhead National Forest and Black Warrior Wildlife Management Area boundaries, 2026-2027 seasons, weather alerts and official contacts on one page. It is an aid, not a license, permit, map or rule: the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Forest Service publish the rules that apply.

Open Hunting & Outdoors

Step by step

  1. Step 1: Open Hunting & Outdoors. No account is needed.
  2. Step 2: Study the map. It shows the Bankhead Ranger District, the Black Warrior WMA, the Sipsey Wilderness and the WMA checking stations.
  3. Step 3: To see where you stand, choose “Use my location”. The page tells you which areas you appear to be in and the rules that apply there, plus the nearest checking station. Your position is compared on your device and is never sent or stored.
  4. Step 4: Read “Seasons at a glance” for the 2026-2027 Black Warrior WMA gun deer dates by zone, and the permits list.
  5. Step 5: Choose “All seasons and rules” for turkey, waterfowl, small game and statewide deer. Each item has a link to its source.
  6. Step 6: Check the live weather alerts for Winston, Lawrence and Cullman counties. If the alert feed cannot be read the page says so; check weather.gov before you go.
  7. Step 7: Use the links for closures, burns and fire restrictions, which the agencies post without a feed, and the offices and official map links.
  8. Step 8: Read the “Before you go” notice. Boundaries are simplified and can be off by tens of yards, so near a line use the official map, signs and your own GPS. Tell someone your plan, because mobile coverage is poor in the forest.
  9. Step 9: On the iPhone app, the Hunting & Outdoors release adds an offline map and alerts.
Open Hunting & Outdoors

Questions people ask

Can I rely on the boundary lines?

No. They are simplified agency GIS layers, not legal boundaries, and can be off by tens of yards. Near a line rely on signs and the official map.

Does the site track my location?

No. Use my location runs on your device. Nothing is sent to Smith Lake NOW, nothing is stored and no account is needed.

How do I know whether I am in Zone A or Zone B?

The zone line is shown on the official WMA map only, not on this page. Use that map before you hunt.

Are the seasons official?

They are transcribed from the WMA rule and Outdoor Alabama with a source link on each item. The official text governs, and rules change, so read the source on the day you hunt.

Is closure and burn information live?

No. Only weather alerts are live. Closures, burns and fire restrictions are links to the agencies that publish them.

Can I get hunting alerts?

Weather alerts for hunters are sent as notifications in the iPhone app for members who turn them on. There is no text or email option on the website.

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Last updated November 9, 2026. Still stuck? Visit the Help Center or contact us. Back to all of Discover.