The first went to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources,

This time I tried

Keith Guyse, Assistant Chief
Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
Wildlife Section.

I run The Rabbit Journal, a website about hunting rabbits in Alabama
I noticed that rabbit season opens a day later this year and deer season which has always opened on 15 oct is opening a day earlier.
Could you explain why this has happened?
Is it a trend to lengthen the deer season at the expense of small game season?

Update:
I received a reply from Keith Guyse with an explanation:
The traditional dates of October 1st and 15th fall on Sunday this year.
The dates were shifted to avoid having those opening days on Sunday. I
don't expect any break with tradition so those seasons should revert to
the 1st and 15th next year when those dates fall on Monday. There is no
underlying effort to lengthen the deer season at the expense of small
game seasons.

Keith Guyse
Assistant Chief
Wildlife Section


And of course, I had to get on my soapbox for a minute or so.

"The total effect on me was the loss of two days to hunt.
It's hard enough to find a place as it is with the dang deer hunters locking up the property.
Heck, most of them don't even want you on any property in February either.

Shame is deer hunters are going to kill hunting as a sport for Joe Blow by pricing out everybody, but the wealthy. Lease prices are unreal and most deer hunters aren't willing to share the property. Eventually, we'll have a situation like in England where the "blood" sports are on the ropes."