The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Alabama Trustee Implementation Group has released its 2025 annual update detailing ongoing restoration efforts in coastal Alabama tied to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which devastated Gulf ecosystems in 2010. The update was presented on January 21, 2026, and is now available for public viewing on the Gulf Spill Restoration YouTube channel. The Alabama Trustee Group is part of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process, which coordinates long‑term recovery a...
Jason and I eased up the hill toward the place of our morning hunt. He had come a few days earlier and took a leaf blower to the trail to make sure we had the quietest walk possible. Just over the crest of the hill, only about 400 yards from where we parked, was his hunting house. A house might be an exaggeration. It was only about 4x8 and was in need of a remodel since the year he first built it, but it was still a luxury for any hunter during the cold days of November. As soon as we got...
January 11, 2026 - GULF SHORES - The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold a series of public hearings-three in person and one virtual-to gather public input on Draft Reef Fish Amendment 58A, a proposal that would significantly revise how several shallow‑water grouper species are managed in the Gulf. The hearings will take place January 8–21, 2026, with each session scheduled from 6:00 p.m. to no later than 9:00 p.m. local time. Why Amendment 58A Matters The amendment focuses on...
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 join. If the youngsters have no prior outdoor experience, the Junior Park Ranger Program is a great place to start. For kids who are accustomed to the outd...
The Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) will close the state's 2025 private angler red snapper fishing season at midnight on Wednesday, December 31. Alabama's 2025 federal allocation of red snapper was 664,552 pounds. "This was the first year under state management that we opened the red snapper season for seven days a week," said Chris Blankenship, ADCNR Commissioner. "Most of the season was under this format and it provided...
Dec. 23, 2025 - FLORIDA - Jan. 2026 marine fisheries seasonal closures Recreational harvest of gray triggerfish closes in Gulf state waters Jan. 1 Recreational harvest of gray triggerfish will close in Gulf state waters on Jan. 1. Harvest will open on March 1, 2026. To learn more about current recreational triggerfish regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Marine, click "Recreational Regulations," "Reef Fish" and "Triggerfish" or download the Fish Rules App. Recreational harvest of shallow water grouper...
Since 1987, a quiet revolution has been unfolding beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern U.S. coast. It's not a new law or a flashy invention-it's a simple metal grid called a Turtle Excluder Device, or TED. Designed to prevent sea turtles from becoming accidental victims of shrimp trawling, TEDs have become a cornerstone of marine conservation and a symbol of collaboration between scientists and fishermen. A Life-Saving Innovation Shrimp trawlers drag large nets through...
The year 2025 will be remembered as a transformative period for Alabama's outdoor landscape. Together with our partners, we worked tirelessly to elevate our state's trails to world-class status. We've crisscrossed the state promoting trails from the coast to the Tennessee state line. As Alabama's longest footpath, the Pinhoti Trail has long been seen as a destination for hikers who enjoy a challenge. And it's why the Alabama Trails Foundation chose it as a priority project for our ongoing work....
One of the conditions that hunters must face this time of year is the fog. Sometimes it lingers seemingly all day making it difficult to see, especially when hunting with firearms. And then there’s the drive to the hunt. Just seeing each turn can sometimes be almost impossible without some type of marker. This is the case at one of my hunting locations. Over the years I have marked a particular turn by a light. While driving down the road this light creates an illusion that it is in the m...
As the crisp air of December settles over Alabama's fields and waterways, a familiar sound echoes across the landscape-the distant honk of migrating geese. For generations of Alabama hunters, this seasonal chorus signals more than just the arrival of winter. It marks the beginning of one of the state's most rewarding and time-honored outdoor traditions: goose hunting. A Southern Flyway Stopover Alabama sits along the eastern edge of the Mississippi Flyway, one of North America's major migratory...
11fotofriends // Shutterstock Most commonly hunted migratory birds in Alabama Stacker compiled a list of the most commonly hunted migratory birds in Alabama using data from a report released by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in August 2025. Duck and goose species are ranked by the estimated 2024 hunting harvest in Alabama. #7. Northern Shoveler (tie) - Alabama: 1,948 (0.3% of national harvest) - National: 558,228 - States with the largest harvests: --- #1. California: 148,727 (26.6% of...
Pursuant to Section 9-12-28, Code of Alabama 1975 as stated by Rule 220-3-.02, the Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) announces that all public water bottoms will close to the harvest of oysters at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. Summary of Alabama's Oyster Harvest Alabama's public oyster reefs opened for harvest on October 6, 2025, and will close for the season at the end of the harvest day on Tuesday, December 23, 2025....
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, organized the first Eagle Awareness Weekend in 1985. That inaugural event was a life-changing experience for Raney, who attended as a college student...
November 14, 2025 - 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 Lands Division property at the Field Trial Area in Hale County, which has become the premier location for sporting...
As the crisp November air settles over Alabama's woodlands, thousands of hunters are gearing up for one of the state's most cherished outdoor traditions: the opening of deer gun season. Beginning Saturday, November 22, 2025, the season marks the start of a months-long pursuit of white-tailed deer across private lands and designated public hunting areas, with new regulations and zone-specific rules shaping the experience for veterans and newcomers alike. 🦌 A Season Rooted in Tradition Deer hu...
The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council) has released the draft of its fourth Funded Priorities List (FPL). The 2026 FPL includes over $403 Million in additional funding for restoration activities spanning the Gulf Coast states impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The public review and comment period will open on November 20, 2025, and close on January 2, 2026. The draft 2026 FPL is available for review on the RESTORE Council's website, www.restorethegulf.gov....
I have hunted big game most of my adult life. I have written about my experiences over 20 years. Those experiences are not spectacular. Most of them have come in random places at random times, and without the resources to make them anything special. That is, I have only paid for one hunt but have relied on special friends for the opportunities I have been given. I have no trophies that would cause anyone to think I am some special or gifted hunter. I am a blue-collar, mediocre private land...
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 to catch enough crappie for a small fish fry and headed into the Bear Creek area despite the weather conditions. We found crappie on the forward-facing sonar, but almost all of them had the lockjaw, a common...
After several years away, Chris Lewis has returned to Sweet Home Alabama to become the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Director, who will supervise the division's 315 employees. "I am glad to have Director Lewis onboard," ADCNR Commissioner Chris Blankenship said. "I am sure he will do a great job building on the changes and initiatives that previous Director Chuck Sykes led during his tenure. WFF is a large and diverse...
PELHAM - November 24, 2025 - Outdoor enthusiasts have a new reason to celebrate at Oak Mountain State Park. On Tuesday, December 2, 2025, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) and Shelby County will host a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the grand opening of 10 miles of new mountain biking trails and a renovated pump track inside Alabama's largest state park. A Celebration of Trails The event, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Oak Mountain Pump Track on Tranquility...
November 3, 2025 - Under Alabama's Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Management Zone Regulation (220-2-.167), all deer harvested in the High-Risk Zone and the Buffer Zone of the state's CWD Management Zone (CMZ) must be submitted for CWD testing during specific weekends of the 2025-2026 white-tailed deer season. The mandatory sampling weekends in the High-Risk Zone of the CMZ are November 22-23, 2025; December 6-7, 2025; and January 17-18, 2026. The mandatory sampling weekends in the Buffer Zone of...
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 state with Montgomery holding its first Wild Game Cook-Off the following year. In 2025, the Gulf Coast event was the 12th of a total of 15 Cook-Offs, including competition in the spring series...
The Board of Trustees of the Alabama Forever Wild Land Trust will hold its fourth quarterly meeting of 2025 on Thursday, November 6, at the new Event Center located at the M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area, 1132 County Road 73, Greensboro, Alabama, 36744 (GPS coordinates: 32.629173, -87.685561). The meeting will take place at 10 a.m. At this meeting, updates on Forever Wild program activities and tract assessments will be presented. This meeting will also provide an opportunity...
As the heat of summer fades and the Gulf breezes turn crisp, mid-October ushers in one of the most exciting windows for inshore fishing along Alabama's coast. Locals call it Red October-a nod to the explosive run of redfish that floods the surf zones, marsh pockets, and tidal creeks from Gulf Shores to Dauphin Island. For landowners, youth programs, and weekend anglers alike, this season offers a golden opportunity to connect with the water, the community, and the rhythms of Southern coastal...
One of the best places to put up a tree stand or blind is in a funnel. A funnel is a small area where two or more ridges run out or down into a small hollow or trail. If you can imagine the dip between two crests, you will understand what a funnel is. It is basically the easiest route for deer, or any other animal, to travel. And like you and I, most animals look for what takes the least effort and expends the least amount of energy. Not only does this apply to travel routes, but it also...
