THORSBY, Alabama – Taylor Boozer Hatchett didn’t grow up on a farm, but she has a passion for tending the land and sharing its bounty like many who did. Her father, Bobby Boozer, worked with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Auburn University and spent his 26-year career helping farmers throughout the state, particularly fruit growers. As a […]

That old adage about making lemonade when you’re presented with a difficult situation applies perfectly to Alabama’s Gulf State Park Pier. Just as one of the Gulf of Mexico’s premier piers was set to reopen after a substantial renovation last September, Hurricane Sally made a direct hit on the Alabama Gulf Coast and the pier […]

Talking turkey is a finely honed skill of Mike Pentecost, the founder and owner of Woodhaven Custom Calls. This Alabama native has been hand-making turkey calls for 21 years—and his are known for being the best of the best when matching wits with the elusive bird. “I’ve spent a lot of time in the woods. […]

As firearms sales continue to set records, the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division’s Law Enforcement Section recognized a demand in basic training for handgun safety and use. Eight million new gun owners were created in 2020 alone. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many to abandon their usual indoor recreations and take up new ones […]

The final results of a high-profile study revealed on Wednesday that the U.S. portion of the Gulf of Mexico contains more than 110 million red snapper, roughly three times as many as previously estimated. Referred to as The Great Red Snapper Count, the years-long study was funded to the tune of $10 million by the […]

In conjunction with the opening of Alabama’s spring turkey season this past Saturday, successful hunters in the Black Belt — widely regarded as one of the best turkey hunting areas in the United States — are encouraged to enter into the ninth annual Big Gobbler Photo Contest. The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association is proudly […]

At the recent Alabama Conservation Advisory Board meeting in Montgomery, one of the people who took advantage of the opportunity to address the Board was David Hawley of Livingston, Alabama. At that March 6 meeting, the Board approved a motion to open the 2022 turkey season on March 25 with a four-bird season bag limit. […]

Don Bates loves his job. His official title is “Founder and Owner” of Osprey Initiative (OI) but his business card lists him as CLG. “Chief Litter Gitter,” Bates said with a grin. “The day I get to put my hip boots on and go to work is a great day.”

As the weather slowly gets warmer with the promise of longer days and more opportunities to spend outdoors, Lake Martin Tourism Association (LMTA) Executive Director Brandy Hastings is excited to welcome visitors from both near and far. “It’s going to be a strong summer for us,” said Hastings, who joined the nonprofit in 2020. Originally from Louisiana, […]

In a 6-2 vote with two abstentions, the Alabama Conservation Advisory Board (CAB) recommended a starting date of March 25 for the 2022 spring turkey season with a four-bird season bag limit at its recent meeting in Montgomery. They also recommended that hunters be prohibited from using decoys for the first 10 days of the […]

MONTGOMERY – The Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday that would give hunters the ability to buy a license to hunt feral hogs and coyotes at night. Under the proposed legislation, HB 458, citizens would be allowed to purchase a license to hunt swine and coyotes on privately owned or leased lands. […]

Social media has been filled with smoke and fire lately as many land managers, like the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), conduct controlled burns to enhance the flora and fauna throughout the state. Steven Mitchell, the ADCNR’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division Upland Bird Coordinator, said the Department, along with other […]

The season opener for gray triggerfish in state and federal waters is March 1, which marks the first season that reporting of triggerfish and greater amberjack becomes mandatory in the Alabama Red Snapper Reporting (Snapper Check) System. The gray triggerfish limit is one per person with a minimum size of 15 inches total length. The […]

For years, greenspace advocates in Montgomery have eyed an extraordinary, city-owned property near downtown as a potential site for a new park. The proposed public space even has a name: Cypress Nature Park. Others have longed for the city to create recreational trails that would better connect neighborhoods and capitalize on Montgomery’s historic and natural […]

With the social distancing requirements from COVID-19, many people have turned to the outdoors to escape the impact of the lockdowns. The number of people fishing and hunting for a variety of game species has seen a boost, and Justin Grider wants to see that trend continue. Grider was recently named the Alabama Wildlife and […]

B.J. Davis of Hoover has lived through the peaks and valleys of a deer hunting career in Alabama. This season he reached the pinnacle with High Hopes, a buck that changed the record books for Buckmasters and Alabama Whitetail Records. The 42-year-old Davis started his deer-hunting career with a dog hunting club in south Alabama […]

Bass Pro Shops is celebrating its 50th year, and amateur anglers and the waters where they practice their craft will net the rewards. Founder Johnny Morris today announced what he called the grandest fishing tournament in history – the Johnny Morris Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships. The tourney will have more than […]

Judging from the number of deer reported through the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division’s Game Check system and the number of trophy bucks posted on social media, Chris Cook thinks this is the best deer season our state has had in quite a while. Cook, the WFF’s Deer Program Coordinator, said numerous factors […]

The purchase of 838 acres on the west end of Dauphin Island will help protect a diverse coastal habitat frequented by endangered birds and sea turtles, state conservation officials said. Funds from Alabama’s portion of the $8.8 billion settlement by BP for the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf were used to buy the land that was […]

Seth Maddox will head out in February with other Division biologists to do some woodcock hunting. Yes, that is after the woodcock hunting season closes on January 31, but Maddox will not be using a conventional harvest tool. He will be wielding a long-handled dipnet. Maddox, the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division’s Migratory […]

Alabama State Parks saw a marked increase in visitors last year, as their welcoming outdoor environments provided citizens with a safe way to leave the house amid the coronavirus pandemic. A release from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) on Thursday relayed that 6.27 million individuals visited Alabama’s parks during the fiscal […]

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The last spot in the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk will be filled on historic Lake Eufaula as this Alabama fishery hosts the Bassmaster Team Championship and Classic Fish-Off Dec. 8-11, 2021. Battling for that coveted berth in the Bassmaster Classic will be the grassroots anglers competing at the Bassmaster […]

Harvest numbers for the 2020 Alabama oyster season, which ended on December 23, indicate the state’s oyster ecosystem is bouncing back in a big way. That 2020 harvest of 22,000 sacks doubled the previous year’s harvest, thanks to improving conditions and a new method developed by the Alabama Marine Resources Division (MRD) to determine when […]

New artificial fish habitats will soon be deployed in Alabama lakes and rivers as part of a joint effort by Alabama Power, B.A.S.S. and Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation to help fish thrive. Approximately 200 “spider blocks” were assembled Jan. 9 in Calera. High school anglers, coaches and parents from the Gardendale Rockets Bass Fishing Club and HUKONE Bass Club joined volunteers from Alabama […]