• Bow hunting can be employed on a wide variety of Alabama game.deer image by Henryk Olszewski from Fotolia.com
  
  The best tips for bow hunting in Alabama include considerations for safety, knowledge of hunting season overlaps, the understanding of when dogs can accompany you on the hunt, and the use of hunting aids favorable to bow hunters. Note that there is no open season for firearms, bow or spear to hunt bear, mountain lion or grouse in Alabama and that crossbows cannot be used when hunting turkey.
  
  

Safety Tips

• If you are planning to bow hunt in Alabama, it is essential to remember a few simple safety rules. The first is to keep arrows in a safe place when not in use and to use a secure quiver. The second is never to move about with a notched arrow. And last but not least, if you are using a tree stand, employ a full-body safety harness.
  
  It is up to you as a bow hunter to have a working knowledge of the sport, because the state of Alabama does not require bow hunters to complete a specific bow hunter education course. If you were born after 1977 you are required to complete a hunter safety class prior to obtaining a bow hunting license in the state. In an attempt to keep the ethics of the sport of bow hunting intact, archery ranges throughout the state can offer you training courses and range practice prior to your participating in a live hunt.
  
  

Overlapping Game Seasons

• Alabama has some game hunting seasons that overlap. For instance, it is legal to hunt feral hogs all year long using bow and arrow except during spring turkey season and in the areas of stalk-only deer season, which include areas listed on the regulations under dog deer hunting exceptions. It is also legal to hunt coyotes all year long with bow and arrow; however, you may not hunt coyotes in areas of and during dog deer hunting season.
  
  

Use of Dogs

• It is legal in the state of Alabama to hunt many types of game during bow season using dogs. Dog hunting is stipulated by season, county, type of land, time of day and type of game. It is essential for you to understand the regulations based on the type of game you choose to hunt. Current regulations for bow hunting with dogs are listed in the Season and Bag Limit document available on the state's Outdoor Alabama website.
  
  

Hunting Aids

• Alabama is a state that specifies stalk-only seasons for many types of game. While stalking is a preferred type of hunting for bow hunters, it must be done in designated areas during any open season. Each county dictates geographic areas where stalk hunting is allowed. Bow hunters in Alabama can use legal decoys to hunt unprotected game in the state, and they can utilize tree stands and ground blinds.