Bids start Feb. 1 for hunting licenses on Alabama Power Company lands

Alabama Power Company (APC) annually licenses hunting rights for approximately 80,000 acres of its property to hunting clubs across the state.

This year, improvements to the bidding process will make it easier for hunters to see important information throughout the process, including access to real-time bid prices. Bidding opened Feb. 1 to the general public for available properties and closes Feb. 28.

APC previously required bidders to mail or email their highest bid by the last day of February. This year, APC is using an auction website to allow bidding on available properties. Bidders can see information about each tract, including maps, GPS coordinates, pictures, limitations and other important details. Bidders can see the current high bid for each property – a key difference from years past.

“The most common comment made by potential bidders is that they wish bidding was not blind and bidders were able to see the current high bid for properties,” said Brad McGiboney, Alabama Power team leader, Land Leasing and Legal. “Our goal is to make the bidding process more transparent and to provide real-time information to bidders. We’re excited to make this shift to better support customers interested in hunting licenses.”

Available properties are listed by county and indicate the acreage plus the minimum bid per acre. Bidders may place a bid for the minimum incremental price or place a proxy bid that will automatically increase one’s bid against other bidders.

Prospective bidders may inspect an available tract only after reviewing and signing a release agreement, submitting it to APC and receiving a response from the company with permission to conduct a site visit. The release agreement, a sample hunting license agreement and Frequently Asked Questions are available on the Hunting page of APC Shorelines website.

Bidders may view winner’s names for each tract immediately at the close of bidding. Winners will be contacted to confirm their bids during the first two weeks of March. Winning bidders will be granted a five-year license to legally hunt the property per the terms of a hunting license agreement, with an option to renew the hunting license when it expires.

For more information about hunting licenses offered through Alabama Power or to bid on a tract, visit apcshorelines.com/recreation/hunting.