The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) will temporarily close Washington County Public Fishing Lake in southwest Alabama after the discovery of an invasive aquatic plant – giant salvinia – in the lake. The lake will be closed starting August 5, 2024. One of the most aggressive aquatic plants, giant salvinia is a fast-growing invasive species that has the potential to double in size every two to four days. The...
The rain in our area has been relentless. This coming week will be the first week in several where there is hardly any rain predicted. Everyone here is praying for the possibility of sunny days with temperatures to be in the 90’s. Yes, you read that right. We are praying for sunny days and sweltering humidity with highs in the mid 90’s. It’s funny how that works. Just a few weeks ago, I saw a sign on a church marquee that implored us to pray for rain. Now, if I were to go back by that churc...
The Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) will host an oyster meeting on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, from 1-3 p.m. at the Bayou La Batre Community and Senior Center located at 12745 Padgett Switch Rd. in Irvington, Alabama. The focus of the meeting will be to update the community about MRD activities related to the management of Alabama's oyster fisheries and to receive public input. During the meeting MRD representatives will:...
With more than $150 million available for renovations, repairs and construction, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) State Parks System is in the middle of major upgrades and enhancements to help State Parks' guests embrace and enjoy Alabama's natural beauty. State Parks Director Greg Lein said those projects span the entire state, with upgrades planned at many of the 21 Alabama State Parks. Lein gave updates on the projects from south to north, starting with th...
The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) announces that the Mount Vernon Public Boat Ramp in Mobile County will close beginning the week of August 12, 2024. The boat landing and associated facilities will be closed for major facility upgrades. Upgrades will include a new launching slab, new access pier, expanded parking area, and a new tournament weigh-in pavilion. The facility is anticipated to be closed about...
The 2025 Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest will begin accepting entries at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. The contest is a joint project between the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) and the Alabama Tourism Department. The deadline to enter is October 31, 2024. The 2025 photo contest will focus on traditional photography techniques and the use of handheld cameras. No cellphone, smartphone, game camera, or drone photography will be chosen as winning photos for...
Although it took two tiebreakers, 12-year-old Bryson McGlynn of Opelika was once again crowned a champion for his age-defying culinary skills. Last December, McGlynn won the Gordon Ramsay Master Chef Junior competition, which aired on Fox in May. Last weekend, McGlynn was crowned champion of the Alabama Wildlife Federation's Wild Game Cook-Off State Finals at Millbrook. Cooking for the Loosen Your Black Belt Bunch team that advanced to the finals after winning the Tri-County regional competition...
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) announced today that extensive oyster restoration in Coastal Alabama will continue with funding through the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resources Damage Assessment Program (NRDA). ADCNR Commissioner Chris Blankenship serves as the Lead Trustee for Alabama. ADCNR recently received approval of $7 million for oyster restoration under the NRDA Regionwide Trustee Implementation Group Restoration Plan I. These funds will be used for th...
For those who didn't grow up with hunting as part of their family experience, Alabama's Adult Mentored Hunting (AMH) program teaches all the skills needed to put wild game on the dinner table and help start new traditions. Getting started in the AMH program is as simple as signing up for a Hunting 101 workshop. Registration is currently open. The first workshop of the 2024-2025 season will take place near Birmingham at the William R. Ireland-Cahaba River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) on...
The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) provides several youth dove hunt opportunities throughout the state each fall. A simple hunting setup combined with a fun, family-friendly atmosphere makes WFF's youth dove hunts an ideal way to introduce young people to the outdoors. Registration for this year's hunts will open at 8 a.m. on August 26, 2024. Although the hunts are free, online registration is required....
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) recently acquired 79 acres of undeveloped land adjacent to the Beach Club Resort on the Fort Morgan Peninsula. This acquisition adds to extensive acreage that ADCNR and its partners already purchased on the peninsula with Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Funds, including the Gulf Highlands property acquired in 2018. The combined area of the Gulf Highlands and Beach Club West properties includes nearly 200 acres, with more than...
Big in stature, Big in influence and Big in promoting his beloved Alabama Black Belt, the late James "Big Daddy" Lawler was honored and remembered Tuesday at Roland Cooper State Park on the banks of Millers Ferry Lake on the Alabama River. Lawler, who died earlier this year after a short illness, was a champion of anything outdoors related, especially if it happened in the Black Belt. Lawler successfully lobbied for a T-pier at Roland Cooper to accommodate larger fishing tournaments, and...
The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) will temporarily close the Riverview Public Boat Ramp on the Warrior River in Tuscaloosa for repairs and maintenance on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. During the closure a new launching slab will be installed to address existing erosion issues. The repairs are expected to be completed in approximately two months. A reopening date will be announced when available. Partial...
With the annual Buckmasters Expo in the rearview, Buckmasters founder and CEO Jackie Bushman is leading the organization into the modern era with numerous changes, including its address. Buckmasters headquarters moved from the eastern edge of Montgomery to the Sterling Centre on Carmichael Road about six weeks ago, indicating a significant shift in the organization's operations. "We have condensed our staff," said Bushman recently as the arena for the Bulls & Buckmasters event was being set up...
My first visit to the Davis Ranch in the Dallas Texas area was in 2013. There I met several men including John Davis, the owner. We hit it off almost immediately. It was not too long after that, I began flying there a couple times a year to do hunting and speaking events with a small group of men. That place holds a lot of great memories. It was there I took my first Rio turkey. It was there I harvested several pigs. And it was there where I met the most amazing men, many who have become lifelon...
A new dock and boardwalk, a new live weigh-in category and a new species for catch and release are among the highlights for the 91st annual Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo (ADSFR), set for July 19-21 at the rodeo site on Dauphin Island. The new dock and boardwalk will increase the capacity for the number of boats that can be tied up to head to the weigh-in station, and the boardwalk will also provide access to the north side of the rodeo property. "We added a dock 7 to help alleviate pressure...
On Tuesday, a partnership of conservation groups, state agencies and private partners will hold a ribbon cutting on a new boat launch, transient docks, and a tournament pavilion in Selma. This project was accomplished through a partnership that includes the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), Innovate Alabama, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF), B.A.S.S.,...
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources reports that Argentine black and white tegus – an invasive species of large lizard native to Argentina – are breeding in the wilds of Georgia. Argentine black and white tegus can growing up to 4 feet long and weigh 10 pounds or more. They eat everything from bird eggs to small animals and plants. The big tegus remain an issue in Tattnall and Toombs counties. Four Argentine black and white tegus were recently reported, on both sides of the county lin...
Fortunately, the number of people in Alabama who participate in the traditional outdoor endeavors of hunting and fishing has remained relatively steady, but one activity is on an upward trajectory – shooting sports. That fact has definitely been noticed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division, which is in the process of adding a state-of-the-art shooting facility in Shelby County to complement the 12 existing s...
For summer travelers, Way.com provides a guide to the best nature destinations in the U.S., from Pigeon Forge,Tennessee, to Asheville, North Carolina, and Page, Arizona. This list was compiled from popular U.S. destinations with the highest number of nature recommendations on the Booking.com platform and includes mountains, desert landscapes, and woodlands. These tempting destinations offer plenty to get you out of your comfy chair and into the great outdoors. Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, Tennessee...
Since the mid-1970s, one thing has remained constant at the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR): Fred Harders is hard at work in the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division. Harders was recently celebrated for 50 years of service to the State of Alabama, 48 of those with WFF in one capacity or another, the last 24 years as WFF's Assistant Director. And the Chicago native has no plans to stop anytime soon. After getting his undergraduate degree in Minnesota,...
The Florida recreational spiny lobster sport season is on July 24 and 25 and will reopen August 6 and run through March 31, 2025. The harvest regulations are that the lobsters must be a minimum 3-inch carapace length (measured in water) to be harvested. Harvesters may take six lobsters per day in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park, or 12 lobsters per day in all other state waters. Learn more about bag limits, size limits, where to harvest and other regulations at MyFWC.com/Marine by clicki...
Nobody was more pleased when the 91st Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo (ADSFR) added flounder to the CCA Alabama Live Weigh-In competition than Dr. Sean Powers, head rodeo judge and Director of the Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the University of South Alabama. Powers watched the southern flounder populations plummet in the 2010s and has witnessed a gradual rebound of the populations. He said the last four years of flounder catches at the ADSFR are encouraging. "I'm...
I was pressing to get on these two gobblers. I knew since it was the middle of the season and the first thing in the morning, that after they flew off the roost the gobbling would end. So I chose to gamble a little and get in their bedroom. Since it was already breaking day, I knew I had the chance of being seen. I was right. But fortunately I was only seen by two hens that were roosted just above my set-up. They shortly flew away from me and more importantly, away from the two gobblers who were...
Outdoors professionals from around the country converged on Mobile and Riverview Plaza last week to brainstorm on recruitment, retention and reactivation (R3) of hunters, anglers and other outdoors enthusiasts. The 210 National R3 Symposium attendees from all over the U.S., as well as New Zealand and Guam, heard reports on hunting and fishing participation numbers, youth shooting sports, new R3 strategies, demographics of those who enjoy the outdoors, an increase in female participation, and...
