A new bill moving through the Alabama Legislature has sparked a public disagreement between lawmakers and the state’s top conservation officials over a simple but contentious question: Who owns Alabama’s deer?
HB509, introduced by State Rep. Jeff Sorrells (R-Hartford) would classify deer held by licensed game breeders as the personal property of the licensee — not the state.
It would also restrict the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) from testing, killing, or limiting the movement of those animals due to disease, except in limited circumstances.
Sorrells’ proposal has garnered quite a bit of backing, with a total of 25 House lawmakers signed onto the bill.
But it has also drawn criticism from Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship, who says the measure “should be disturbing to all ethical sportsmen, hunters, and citizens in Alabama.”
“The deer breeder legislation would declare that deer within a breeder facility are personal property of the owner, like pets,” Blakenship said in a statement. “This practice is neither ethical nor sporting, and tarnishes the reputation and traditional hunting methods shared by hunters and sportsmen alike.”
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The department’s concern centers on the potential spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a fatal neurological illness found in deer and other cervids. Under HB509, ADCNR would be limited in its ability to test for or respond to outbreaks of the disease unless it has already been confirmed within a breeder’s herd or traced through transfers.
Blankenship warned that the bill could lead to the unchecked transfer of diseased deer across the state, posing a risk to Alabama’s $2 billion hunting economy and threatening wild deer populations.
Sorrells pushed back on that claim.
“Current ADCNR regulation refers to licensed game breeders as the ‘owners’ of those animals – and this legislation simply aims to protect the rights of those owners by codifying ADCNR’s own regulation into law,” Sorrells said in a statement to Yellowhammer News. “HB509 also does not restrict or limit the ADCNR’s ability to inspect these animals for diseases.”
He added that the bill is intended to prevent the department from “destroying 10% of an owner’s herd after finding a deer outside of the breeding facility to be sick,” calling Blankenship’s objections a “lack of understanding of the bill’s intent.”
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More broadly, while breeders argue for the right to manage and profit from their livestock, conservation officials warn that looser oversight could undermine public hunting rights and public health.
HB509 was given a favorable report by the House Agriculture and Forestry Committee last Wednesday. When lawmakers return to Montgomery on Tuesday, it will be day 22 of the 2025 legislative session.
Grace Heim is a state and political reporter for Yellowhammer News. You can follow her on X @graceeheim or email her at [email protected].
