The scene at the Blue Gill Restaurant in Baldwin County provided hope that Alabama is returning to some sort of normalcy after a long period of COVID-19 restrictions. The Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF) Gulf Coast Wild Game Cook-Off, the first in two years, attracted a crowd to the venue on the Causeway to taste a […]

Wednesday kicked off the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association’s (ALBBAA) 10th annual Big Buck Photo Contest. The online contest, sponsored by Jonathan Goode and Southeastern Land Group, will run through February 10, 2022. “Over the past decade, we’ve held this friendly contest to highlight the long seasons, healthy populations and big bucks that the bountiful […]

The mountaintop chalets at Lake Guntersville State Park have long reigned as one of the park’s top attractions, even though they hadn’t undergone a major facelift in more than 20 years. That’s not the case anymore. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Commissioner Chris Blankenship joined elected officials, business leaders and State Parks officials […]

Fall has arrived in Alabama, and while the weather is still enjoyable, there’s nothing better to do than get outside and experience the beautiful, magical waterfalls of North Alabama. With the changing leaves and crisp air, there’s never been a better backdrop for your Instagram-worthy photo-ops. The Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourism Association has lined up […]

A $7 million restoration project spawned in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill is expanding. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the RESTORE Council (Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revised Economies of the Gulf Coast States) has announced they will spend an additional $11.9 million to continue the work of the GulfCorps program through 2025. The […]

Waterfowl season forecasters estimate good populations of ducks and geese for the Mississippi Flyway, which includes Alabama, but those waterfowl may not be easy to fool this season. Seth Maddox, the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division’s Migratory Bird Coordinator, said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) was unable to do its annual […]

The following are two guest op-eds sent to the editor in response to U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl’s (R-Mobile) op-ed, Federal strings make future uncertain for red snapper anglers.  Representative Carl’s October 25 op-ed, Federal strings make future uncertain for red snapper anglers, flags an important issue that fishermen like me are dealing with in the […]

Many folks may not view parks and nature trails as pivotal tools for economic development. But a recent report prepared for the Alabama Innovation Commission hails Alabama’s abundant natural resources as a potential magnet for making the state more attractive for drawing advanced industries, and attracting the skilled workforce those businesses need. According to the report by the […]

If you’ve always wanted to visit a small, sleepy fishing village where most residents make a living from working on the water, Bayou La Batre (pronounced “BY-you-la-BAT-tree”) is the place to go. Located in the southernmost part of Mobile County, it’s worth the drive – especially if you’re already in the area at Bellingrath Gardens and Home in Theodore […]

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) voted last week to reduce the daily bag limit and imposed a per vessel limit on cobia, a coastal migratory pelagic species that northern Gulf Coast anglers have landed infrequently in recent years. The annual spring run of cobia as they migrated from south Florida to […]

Wisps of fog danced slowly on the surface of the Tennessee River near Muscle Shoals as Brian Barton scanned a creek off the main river for the telltale signs of the bait we sought for a day of live-bait fishing on Pickwick Reservoir. Threadfin shad and gizzard shad were the targets as Barton and I […]

Although several states currently have an open private boat recreational red snapper season, it appears red snapper seasons all along the Gulf Coast will come to an uneventful close for most anglers in 2021. For the most part, the states managed their private boat recreational seasons largely as predicted with months of free access to […]

This summer, folks from across the region flew to Greensboro for the 2021 Black Belt Birding Festival – a sold-out event that has organizers with Alabama Audubon already working to expand the festival in 2022. Indeed, the bigger event planned for next year follows what turned out to be an immensely successful 2021 festival for […]

An important bat habitat in north Alabama has recently been protected in what Nick Sharp of the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division considers possibly the highlight of his career as the Division’s bat expert. Steel gates have been installed on Weaver Cave in Anniston to protect the extensive underground caverns as important bat […]

Professionals from two of America’s most popular sports are getting together in Guntersville to do a little fishing, and more importantly, raise money to benefit youth. Pro anglers with Major League Fishing along with pros from Major League Baseball will test their skills on one of the top bass fishing lakes in the country on […]

A missing child may be the most frightening situation a community can imagine, and sometimes it takes a seasoned tracker to yield a successful outcome. Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Conservation Enforcement Officer (CEO) Chris Hill found himself in just that scenario recently when a 3-year-old child was reported missing in Autauga County. Hill […]

The top prize for the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Best Fish Photo Contest’s beginners division was awarded to three-year-old Spur Knight of Valley Grande. For the Knight family, fishing is certainly a family affair. Chase Knight and his son Spur, accompanied by his older brother Gauge, age seven, were fishing at the Dallas County Public […]

Prime coastal habitat, sea turtles, marine mammals, birds and oysters in Alabama will benefit from the recent approval of almost $100 million in funding from the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process that distributes restoration funds from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement. The $99.6 million allotment will be used in all five Gulf of […]

Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountain range as if it were the final stroke of a Martin Johnson Heade painting lies a gem filled with unforgettable charm and unmatched hospitality. This 2,000-acre property boasts uniquely diverse topography, world-class upland bird and whitetail deer hunting, stunning event spaces and a 14,000 square foot log […]

If you thought you’d have to leave Alabama to get a cozy mountain town experience, think again. Nestled in the woodlands of Lookout Mountain, Mentone is our state’s highest city—and also one of the most fun to visit. Its location in the northeast corner of the state, teetering near the Georgia state line, renders it […]

With almost perfect weather and water conditions, Paul Cox and Joe Mann shattered the record for the Great Alabama 650 (AL650) paddling race that traversed Alabama from Weiss Lake in the northeast corner of the state to Fort Morgan on the state’s beautiful Gulf Coast. Cox and Mann won last year’s AL650 in 5 days, […]

Two recently awarded grants will help support habitat protection and restoration along two important Alabama rivers. The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program will provide conservation grants to the South Alabama Land Trust (SALT) and the Little River Waterkeeper to support their efforts to protect and enhance portions of the Fish River in Baldwin County and the Little River watershed […]

The Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division’s Adult Mentored Hunting (AMH) Program has two main goals – to provide those with little or no hunting experience with a safe, enjoyable weekend in the woods and to kindle an interest in hunting that will last a lifetime. Judging from the feedback from the mentored hunts, […]

Picture-postcard weather greeted the youngsters and volunteer mentors last weekend for the Kids’ Free Surf Fishing Clinic at Gulf State Park. David Thornton, renowned surf and pier fishermen, and Cindy Langston, Special Events Manager at Gulf State Park, wanted to see if the coastal community would respond to another kids’ event after a successful day […]