Just call Adam Hickman the “bee whisperer.” After five years in the beekeeping business, Hickman has learned most of the secrets of the trade. While some folks see beekeeping as a farming practice that’s fallen out of vogue, Hickman recognizes that managing bees is necessary to food production. He calls beekeeping a needed skill that’s […]

One turkey hunter was extremely grateful that the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Law Enforcement Section has a K9 unit, although there is little public awareness of this enforcement asset. Of course, the reason few people have heard about it is this K9 unit does not fit the stereotype of large, aggressive dogs trained […]

The Alabama Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus on Wednesday held its third annual luncheon on the State Capitol front lawn, celebrating and advancing one of...

After a three-year struggle, saltwater anglers are on the cusp of a stable red snapper season with the approval of Amendment 50 by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. Amendment 50, which goes into effect in 2020 with the approval of the secretary of Commerce, gives the five Gulf states control over each state’s […]

Thank goodness some members of the younger generation still enjoy the outdoors. If not, Joe Allen Dunn and I would have been ripe for the making of a comedy video of catfishing bloopers. Fortunately, Dunn’s son, 19-year-old Hayden, was there to save two old dudes with bum knees from stumbling around the boat as the […]

Alabama lawmakers have approved a bill that would allow hunters to take deer or feral swine through baiting if they get a license to do so. The Montgomery Advertiser reports the House approved the measure Thursday, 85-10.

Steve Barnett, the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division’s turkey expert for the past two decades, now has more time to spend in the turkey woods. Barnett, who has been with WFF for 32 years, transitioned to retired status this week as Alabama’s spring turkey season heads toward the peak of breeding season. Barnett […]

As Renew Our Rivers celebrates its 20th year, longtime volunteers are remembering the early days of the campaign and how it has changed Alabama’s waterways for the better. Many of the earliest Renew Our Rivers volunteers got plugged into the program through civic groups and home owner and boat owner associations (HOBOs). The organizations provide a solid […]

Thankfully, the late-winter deluges have transitioned into a spring dry pattern that has allowed the flooded rivers in many portions of Alabama to return to more normal levels. Earlier this year, the Tennessee River system in Alabama was at its highest levels in about three decades, which made it difficult on anglers who normally enjoy […]

Alabama’s inshore anglers are aware that fishing for two of the most popular species – southern flounder and spotted seatrout – has not been up to normal Gulf Coast standards in the past few years. The Alabama Marine Resources Division (MRD) is seeking public input on how to mitigate this downturn in the abundance of […]

The Alabama Conservation Advisory Board received a crash course in chronic wasting disease (CWD) at the Board’s first meeting of 2019 last weekend in Montgomery. Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Assistant Director Fred Harders explained the severity of the disease and why WFF has done everything possible to keep it out of Alabama. “The […]

Once upon a time, a beautiful creek ran through the middle of the city of Mobile. Unfortunately, that creek was neglected during urbanization and the important waterway became an eyesore, not to mention a source of water-quality degradation. Fortunately, the tide has turned, and the revitalization of the Three Mile Creek watershed has become a […]

If any doubt existed that Alabama has the best artificial reef program in the world, Chris Blankenship made an emphatic declaration last week that Alabama’s artificial reefs are unparalleled anywhere on the planet. Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), made that unabashed statement at The Lodge at Gulf State […]

One of the mantras adopted by those who love the outdoors is “pass it on,” which means introducing somebody to hunting, fishing or other outdoors activities when you get the opportunity. For the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division, one facet of that effort comes in the form of the Adult Mentored Hunting Program, […]

Along with Alabama’s sparkling Gulf waters and beautiful mountains, our great state has another strength you may not have heard as much about: Alabama’s Community Archery Parks program ranks No. 1 in the nation. The state’s 16th archery park, the Walker County Community Archery Park, was dedicated last week on the outskirts of Jasper on […]

One casualty from the recent partial federal government shutdown surfaced last week when the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council met at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Ala. Because of the shutdown, the Gulf Council was unable to publish a notice in the Federal Register on a pending vote on Amendment 50, the […]

Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-1) Monday sent a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) urging support for a full 2019 red snapper season in Alabama. In a statement, Byrne explained, “Alabama showed last year that we can successfully manage our own recreational Red Snapper season, and I hope NOAA will soon approve the […]

The Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division and Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) are on an enlistment drive to help count one of the iconic species in Alabama’s longleaf pine forests, the beloved gopher tortoise. Considered a keystone species of the longleaf ecosystem, the gopher tortoise is crucial for the survival and health of a […]

Aaron Causey of Riverside, Ala., has been all over the world to hunt, but he considers none of his hunts more special than the Buckmasters Life Hunt Classic last week at Sedgefields Plantation. Causey’s world changed in 2011 when an improvised explosive device (IED) left him clinging to life in Afghanistan. A member of the […]

When the red snapper season begins this summer in the Gulf of Mexico, some fish will carry $250 and even $500 worth of tags, as part of a study to estimate just how many of the popular sport and table fish live in the Gulf. The fish can be released as long as the tags […]

With hunting season in full effect, there are many hunters waiting for the perfect opportunity to take their shot. The state’s deer hunting season started in October with bow-and-arrow season, followed by firearm season in mid-November. Deer season ends Feb. 10 in Alabama. For officials, the season is an ongoing focus on both safety and […]

With positive tests for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Tennessee and additional positives in Mississippi, the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division has ramped up testing in north Alabama. WFF officials set up manned sampling stations in Hackleburg the first weekend of the new year and followed with sampling last weekend in Waterloo. Self-service […]

Without a doubt, the sometimes heated argument of who has the best hunting dog came up during the holidays and almost certainly continues today at hunting camps throughout Alabama. To Yano Serra of Bayou La Batre, there is no argument. Serra says his chocolate Labrador retriever is a wonder dog that deserves special recognition for […]

Alabama Power and B.A.S.S. teamed up to award two Alabama students each a $5,000 scholarship. “We are proud to partner with Alabama Power to support students who want to further their education in a trade,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “And, we’re even more pleased to provide additional scholarship opportunities for students.” The two scholarship […]