If you have an Alabama saltwater fishing license or are on the saltwater registry, don’t be surprised if you get a call with a caller ID of the University of South Alabama (USA) or Alabama Creel, AL Creel for short. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) Marine Resources Division (MRD) has partnered […]

Alabama State Parks has developed a new program that encourages youngsters to join in the fun the State Parks System provides by becoming Junior Park Rangers. The program is open to children of all ages, with activities designed especially for ages 5-12. Participation is free. Families, school groups and youth organizations are all welcome to […]

This past summer, I experienced a treat I didn’t expect would happen again in my lifetime. A covey of bobwhite quail made their summer home in the acreage around our home in Baldwin County. I cherished each “Bob-White” mating call I heard and caught glimpses of them entering several areas with thick vegetation. That thick […]

Two saltwater species with little research data will now be the focus of a $5 million study that will encompass all five Gulf states. Dr. Sean Powers of the University of South Alabama (USA) will lead a team to study cobia, a species that had great popularity among anglers several decades ago, and tripletail, a […]

One of the aspects of hunting that intrigues people who have little or no experience in the field is the ability to harvest their own organic protein, especially white-tailed deer. One of Justin Grider’s passions is to educate on how to take wild game from field to table and prepare a variety of dishes from […]

As one of the first people to experience Alabama’s incredible diversity of landscapes and wildlife, 18th century explorer William Bartram traversed much of central and south Alabama during a three-year period of exploration from 1775-1778. He extensively documented the plants, animals and native tribes in what is now the Southeast U.S. To commemorate that period of […]

Alabama is blessed with an abundant white-tailed deer herd of more than a million animals, and hunters can share that blessing with people who need nutritious protein through the Hunters Helping the Hungry (HHH) program. With the change in the hunting regulations approved by the Alabama Conservation Advisory Board, the Alabama Department of Conservation and […]

Accessibility is a key initiative spreading throughout the region with a focus on the outdoors at Alabama State Parks, where a recent donation expanded the possibilities for those with physical challenges. A TerrainHopper was donated by the Alabama Mountain Lake Tourist Association (AMLA) to Joe Wheeler State Park in northwest Alabama and is designed to […]

An overflow crowd is expected to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Eagle Awareness Weekends at Lake Guntersville State Park in January, and no one will be more excited about this achievement than Linda Reynolds and Renee Raney. Reynolds was the first naturalist at Lake Guntersville State Park and a trailblazer who, with the help of volunteers, […]

The new Blankenship Event Center was unveiled during a ribbon-cutting event at the M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area, much to the surprise of Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), and his wife, Allyson. The new 5,000-square foot Blankenship Event Center is located on ADCNR’s State […]

The new Blankenship Event Center was unveiled during a ribbon-cutting event at the M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area, much to the surprise of Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), and his wife, Allyson. The new 5,000-square foot Blankenship Event Center is located on ADCNR’s State […]

After being part of an internal team to make Alabama’s saltwater fishing among the best in the nation for more than 27 years, Kevin Anson was recently promoted to Director of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) Marine Resources Division (MRD). Anson assumes the leadership role previously held by Colonel Scott Bannon, […]

What do you do after you plan a trip to north Alabama to get in the fall crappie bite and you’re greeted with bluebird skies the day after a cold front? You make lemonade, and the Tennessee River lakes have just the right recipes. Capt. Brian Barton, Andy Poss and I still wanted to try […]

The Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF) Wild Game Cook-Off Series returned to the place of its origin last week with its annual trip to the Alabama Gulf Coast. The first AWF Wild Game Cook-Off took place in the fall of 1996 in Mobile. The event was such a success that the concept quickly spread across the […]

The top bass anglers in the nation converged on Lake Guntersville last week to showcase what is arguably the best bass fishing lake in the nation. After three days of competition, without dissent, the anglers who competed in the Ultimate Angler Championship agreed that Lake Guntersville is the best. The unique tournament that was three […]

With a planned opening in the first half of 2026, the new Gulf State Park Campground will make many campers happy with its extra space. a little more privacy and an abundance of amenities. The new campground will be built in two phases on the park’s former golf course. A new entrance will provide convenient […]

Lt. Michael Bloxom of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division handed control of the Hunter Education Program to WFF’s R3 staff on September 1 this year, but as he heads toward retirement, Bloxom highlighted the effectiveness of hunter education with a milestone achievement during the 2024-2025 […]

Tony Diliberto has always been drawn to the outdoors, and he is now sharing his love of the outdoors with others. What started by chance a few years ago has become a ministry of sorts for Diliberto, who uses Alabama State Parks to introduce families to the wonders of nature, the joy of being outdoors, […]

A couple of welcome cool fronts have moved through Alabama recently, increasing the hope that the state’s waterfowl seasons will start with a bang when the early teal season opens Saturday, September 13, and runs through September 21. Several reports have indicated that blue-winged teal are on the move with the changing weather patterns. Unfortunately, […]

When Trade Desk, a 60-foot Hatteras, left Orange Beach for three days of catch-and-release billfishing, hooking a swordfish was just an afterthought, one that would stress all their resources as well as enter the Alabama Saltwater Record Book. Robert Fritze, his dad (Ron) and four buddies (Harold Wells, Jamie Boyd, Wes Hagler, Robert Parks) had […]

At the Alabama Governor’s Conference on Tourism this week, one of the highest awards went to an unusual recipient. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) received the 2025 Governor’s Tourism Award for its contribution to Alabama’s burgeoning tourism industry. Alabama Tourism Director Lee Sentell said the award presented to ADCNR was special […]

Buckmasters, the renowned outdoors organization that started in Montgomery, is celebrating milestones that include the 30th Buckmasters Expo, founder and CEO Jackie Bushman’s 70th birthday this fall and the organization’s 40th birthday in January. The 30th Expo at the Montgomery Convention Center attracted massive crowds for its three-day run last weekend. Not only did plenty of Alabamians enjoy the […]

If you’ve traveled to Dauphin Island in the past two years, you’ve obviously noticed all the work that’s ongoing along the Dauphin Island Causeway. Rows of riprap, piles of dredge material and heavy equipment dot the east side of the roadway for more than 3 miles. The Dauphin Island Causeway Shoreline Restoration Project is being […]

When consumers consider their choices for fish on the dinner menu, many opt for grouper, a delicious species found in Gulf waters. When one of the participants at the 2025 Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF) Wild Game Cook-Off State Finals had a choice of which fish to prepare, he ruled out the grouper in favor of […]