The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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I love the warmer days of winter. It gives me a chance to walk my hunting areas. Because the leaves are off the trees and because there is no concern about spooking deer, I can gather all kinds of information from the last season. It is a great time to assess the good and bad of the previous year and plan some changes for the next. The woods will give a hunter plenty of information about the previous year and about the possibilities of the next season. One just has to do go out, walk around, be...
March 12, 2025 - The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) is excited to announce the winners of the 2025 Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest. As usual, the judges had a very difficult time selecting the winning images from the nearly 2,000 photos that were entered. "Alabama is a photographer's paradise thanks to its wide variety of natural landscapes, native plants and wildlife and outdoor recreation opportunities," said Chris Blankenship, ADCNR Commissioner. "From the nort...
When the Alabama Tourism Department selects a feature or activity in the state to highlight for its "The Year of" designation, that campaign normally lasts for one year. However, the most recent promotion, The Year of Alabama Trails, will require two years to complete because of the enormous outdoors opportunities in one of the most geographically and biologically diverse states in the nation. The kick-off for the campaign was held last week atop Birmingham's Red Mountain at the Vulcan Park and...
It's been 48 years since Kip Padgelek and his dad launched their custom deer processing business. After a career revolving around all things meat, including an education at the Culinary Institute of America, Padgelek, now almost 70, has no plans to retire, The Daily Yonder reports. That's good news for the many customers of his business, which is located in a suburb west of Pittsburgh (his shop's specialty is a Philly cheesesteak brat). But it's even better news for those who rely on the 40,000...
Most people are aware of the stunning natural beauty, the hiking and biking trails and upgraded accommodations at the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Alabama State Parks, but some Alabamians and visitors may not be aware of one of the recreational opportunities at three of the system's parks. Golf Courses at Oak Mountain State Park, Joe Wheeler State Park and Lake Guntersville State Park offer a day on the links at a reasonable price, and those courses have...
The map showed 700 acres in famous Pike County, Illinois. And it was ours to hunt – 4 of us, that is. We had planned on this hunt for months and knew we would be arriving at the prime time for the rut. The outfitter showed us where some of the best places to put a stand were but also wanted us to scout the day before we were scheduled to hunt. The 700 acres were broken down into three sections; the east side, the west side, and the sanctuary which lay between the two and to the north. This w...
At the first Alabama Conservation Advisory Board meeting of 2025, held last weekend in Montgomery, Board members heard a state of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) report from Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship as well as proposed tweaks to the white-tailed deer daily bag limit and changes to the red snapper season. The proposed changes to red snapper season should be great news for those who love to fish for Alabama's signature saltwater species....
On a damp and grimly grey winter day in Paris, Bill François is a beacon of positivity. After a brief stroll along the River Seine, he comes to a halt at the Henri IV Dock with Notre Dame Cathedral just about visible through the mist. Here, François flicks his wrist back and then gently launches a fishing line out into the choppy waters. "The Seine is a wild place in the heart of Paris," enthuses François, who has come prepared in an all-weather outfit that includes a cap, sunglasses, and wa...
March 20, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL - The Coastal Section of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) State Lands Division is accepting proposals for projects to be performed in the Alabama Coastal Area (defined as Mobile County and Baldwin County) for Fiscal Year 2026 (October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026). This competitive funding opportunity is administered by State Land's Alabama Coastal Area Management Program (ACAMP) utilizing federal funds currently anticipated t...
March 21, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL. - Even the most lifelong-obsessed turkey hunters will have to be impressed by what Mari Grace Brooks has accomplished in chasing the elusive birds the past 15 years. The 19-year-old from Ramer, Alabama, has two Grand Slams, taking the four subspecies – Eastern, Osceola, Rio and Merriam's – in the United States, which is quite a feat for any turkey hunter. Even more impressive is she has two Double Grand Slams, where she harvested two of each of those species in...
I remember the last time I came back from a river-fishing trip with a friend. It was a beautiful morning to be on the water. The early morning, during the summer, is usually the best because the heat really picks up about mid-morning. That day was no different. By 10:30, our hopes were fried, along with our back and neck. But even before that, the action was minimal at best. We caught a few small ones, but never really got into the smallmouth population we had hoped for. The last few times we...
February 7, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL - Every 10 years, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division (WFF) is required to update its State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) to be eligible for federal funding that is crucial to many endangered and threatened species in the state. ADCNR staff members are currently in the process of updating the SWAP, which will be submitted by September 2025. The Congressional State Wildlife Grant (SWG)...
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Press release January 30, 2025 Contact: Keith Henderson, (334) 242-3471 Newly Renovated J.E. Turner Mount Vernon Public Boat Ramp Provides Improved Access to Outdoor Recreation in South Alabama On Thursday, January 30, 2025, representatives from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), Alabama Legislature, Town of Mount Vernon and Mobile County took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the reopening...
February 12, 2025 - The Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) will temporarily close the Billy Goat Hole Boat Ramp on Dauphin Island for additional renovations beginning at 6 p.m. on Sunday, February 23, 2025. During the closure, the current boat ramps and docks will be removed and replacements will be installed approximately 30 feet further from Bienville Boulevard. The additional distance from the roadway will allow more room...
February 16,2025 - Research into numerous saltwater fish species has produced some interesting revelations, including how important the Mobile-Tensaw Delta is to the recruitment of those species, which include southern flounder, spotted seatrout (speckled trout), red drum (redfish) and tripletail. Dr. Sean Powers, Director of the Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the University of South Alabama (USA), said the research team and recruited anglers have been tagging the inshore...
February 15, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL - The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) has reopened Riverview Public Boat Ramp on the Warrior River near Tuscaloosa after the completion of a major facility upgrade. During the closure, the facility's damaged launching slab was replaced. WFF and the City of Tuscaloosa have partnered to repave the existing parking lot and install a new access pier in the coming months. The...
February 21, 2025 - GUNTERSEVILLE, AL - When the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) staff scheduled AFWA's annual Wildlife Diversity Program Managers Meeting at Lake Guntersville State Park, they didn't realize the potential distraction just outside the meeting room windows. Sitting on the banks of one of the most productive fisheries in the nation, Lake Guntersville State Park's lodge atop Taylor Mountain offers stunning views of the 69,000-acre reservoir on the Tennessee River....
January 31, 2025 - MONGTOMERY, AL - To say 2024 was an outstanding year for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) would border on understatement, and plans for 2025 will continue that trend, according to ADCNR Commissioner Chris Blankenship. Through a variety of funding sources, ADCNR has utilized more than $218 million for Alabama State Parks improvements, has facilitated the investment of more than $385 million in Coastal Alabama, and has ensured more than $37 mi...
February 3,2025 - GUNTERSVILLE, AL - Representatives from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), City of Guntersville, Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce and Marshall County Tourism and Sports took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, February 3, 2025, to celebrate the reopening of the newly renovated Brown's Creek Public Boat Ramp (also known as the Jaycees Boat Ramp) located at 3375 Alabama Highway 69 in Guntersville. Brown's Creek is one of 21 public...
December 7, 2024 - The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) has reopened the McIntosh Bluff Public Boat Ramp on the Tombigbee River in Washington County. Improvements to the facility include paving of the main parking lot, overflow parking lot and entrance road. Funding for this project was provided through the Sport Fish Restoration Program, which is supported through excise taxes on the sale of outboard motor...
December 17, 2024 - Montgomery - Pursuant to Section 9-12-28, Code of Alabama 1975 as stated by Rule 220-3-.02, the Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) announces that all public water bottoms will close to the harvest of oysters at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, December 31, 2024. Summary of Alabama's Oyster Harvest Alabama's public oyster reefs opened for harvest on October 7, 2024, and will close for the season at the end of the harvest...
December 19, 2024 - MONTGOMERY, AL - If you weren't able to attend one of three public meetings recently, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Marine Resources Division (MRD) wants your input. The meetings were held in Spanish Fort, Tillman's Corner and Orange Beach to engage the public on a variety of subjects concerning Alabama's saltwater fisheries management, including the state's iconic fish species, the American red snapper. "We are always listening to...
December 19, 2024 -MONTGOMERY, AL - The Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) will close the state's 2024 private angler red snapper fishing season at midnight on Tuesday, December 31. Alabama's 2024 federal allocation of red snapper was 659,654 pounds. "The weather played a major role throughout the 2024 red snapper season," said Scott Bannon, MRD Director. "Several tropical storms and hurricanes created rough water conditions...
A white-tailed deer recently harvested by a hunter in Colbert County in northwest Alabama has been confirmed positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). The detection of CWD in Colbert County has resulted in an expansion of the state's CWD Management Zone (CMZ) to include all of Colbert, Lauderdale and Franklin counties in the CMZ. A portion of Franklin County has been included in the High-Risk Zone (HRZ) within the CMZ. The HRZ portion of Franklin County extends north of State Highway 24 from...
December 27, 2024 – GULF SHORES, AL - Recreational harvest of gray triggerfish will close in Gulf state waters on Jan. 1. Harvest will open on March 1, 2025. Gray triggerfish are olive-gray in color with plate-like scales. They have a small mouth with chisel-like teeth used for crushing, the dorsal and anal fins are marbled, and the upper and lower lobes of their tails are elongated in large adults. Young gray triggerfish have large dark spots on the back (sometimes this will persist in a...
