The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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October 24, 2024 - Ever wonder why ensuring the survival of a small mollusk in a small creek in south Alabama is such a big deal? The main reason is those mussels are indicators of the quality of their environment, especially the water quality, which translates to the health of the entire ecosystem. That's why the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division teamed up with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Monroe...
October 26, 2024 - WASHINGTON - The Department of the Interior today announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is downlisting the red-cockaded woodpecker from endangered to threatened status under the Endangered Species Act. This milestone is the result of five decades of collaborative conservation efforts between the Interior Department, federal and state partners, Tribes, the private sector and private landowners that have resulted in increasing populations of these remarkable birds...
We had this six-pointer on camera several times. However, he was not just any six. The sheds from last year measured 135 inches. My first evening I chose the wrong stand. He showed up at a different one. For the next few days, I hunted where he was last seen, every morning and evening. He still lives. And I really wanted him. Oh, sure I would have been happy to put an arrow through some other giant. But this guy was different. This guy had a different story. This guy made the most out of the...
One of the benefits of hunting is getting to see so many different animals and other things that one just doesn’t get to see otherwise. I have renamed one of my trail cameras, the zoo camera, because it always has pictures of so many different kinds of animals. On that one camera, within the last two months, I have pictures of deer, coyotes, bobcats, turkeys, raccoons, squirrels, and a bear. Not to mention the various birds. And not only do you get to see various creatures, but sometimes i...
One of my least favorite things to see when bow hunting is a bunch of doe that comes in within fifty yards of my stand. I know that eventually I’m going to get busted. If I’m looking to take a doe, I might get a shot off. But no matter what, if they stay there long enough, I’m going to be discovered. It doesn’t matter if I’m wearing a deer hide underneath the best camo, while elevated thirty feet in the air, that one lone momma deer is going to sniff me out and let every other deer in three cou...
October 31,2024 - 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 2024-2025 white-tailed deer season. The mandatory sampling weekends in the High-Risk Zone of the CMZ are November 23-24 and December 7-8, 2024. The mandatory sampling weekends in the Buffer Zone of the CMZ are November 23-24,...
With landfills reaching capacity, what could be a better way to repurpose decommissioned equipment than using it to build habitat for Alabama's great offshore fisheries? Alabama Power Company recently teamed up with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Marine Resources Division (MRD) to take end-of-life concrete poles and tower segments to build a new reef in the (Conservation Commissioner) Christopher M. Blankenship Reef Zone that covers 65 miles of Gulf of...
The intersection of political leanings and hunting participation presents an interesting paradox in American culture. Based on research from the land-sharing marketplace for outdoor recreation, LandTrust, this article explores the top 10 liberal and liberal-leaning states with the highest number of hunters per capita and the top 10 conservative and conservative-leaning states with the least number of hunters per capita, challenging common stereotypes about hunting and political affiliations. Top...
Coyotes are not a friend of any farmer, rancher, or hunter. They are equal opportunity predators. They will pursue your cat or your cattle. They are satisfied with fish or fowl. And they love a young tasty fawn. Needless to say, every opportunity to get rid of one should be taken. The rest of creation will thank you. There are however some places that make it a sport to hunt these scavengers. Texas is one. I have had a few opportunities to go with those who know how to call in these critters to...
My ground blind leaks. Yours does too. Yeah, I know you have the top-of-the-line, largest, most cushy, made-of-the-best-waterproof-material-blind money can buy. I’m sure it’s nice. But it leaks. It may not leak as much as mine. It may not leak in the same places as mine. But it leaks. Those leaks may not show up until the hardest rain, but, you know, it leaks. I’m sorry. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. You can still claim superiority in ground blind wars. But it leaks. And sometimes those l...
Although overall duck numbers are up in the latest Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey, those waterfowlers who hunt the special teal season better plan to take full advantage of this year's early season of 16 days, set for September 14-29. Seth Maddox of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division said this year's survey indicated a downturn in blue-winged teal numbers, and the 2025 special teal season will...
Since 1973, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) has offered hunter education to anyone getting started on their hunting journey. Hunter education became mandatory in Alabama in 1993 for anyone born on or after August 1, 1977. The hunter education courses offered by ADCNR are designed for those with little to no hunting experience and emphasize hunter safety, hunting ethics and the important link between hunting and wildlife conservation. Alabama offers a variety...
The path that Greg Lein and Matthew Capps shared with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) State Parks Division is now diverging. Lein, the State Parks Director for the past 12 years is retiring, and Matthew Capps, former Deputy Director, has been promoted to State Parks Director. While preparing for the National Association of State Parks Directors Conference that is being held at Gulf State Park this week, Lein shared his vision of State Parks when he became...
The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) will temporarily close Claiborne Public Boat Ramp on the Alabama River off Highway 84 near Monroeville for renovations beginning Wednesday, September 25, 2024. During the closure a new two-lane launching slab will be installed. The parking lot will also be expanded by approximately three times its current size. The renovations are expected to be completed in approximately...
Are you looking for an opportunity to get outside with friends and family and do something that benefits your community and the environment? If so, you are encouraged to take part in the state's largest single-day volunteer cleanup event, the 37th Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup. The event will take place in Baldwin and Mobile counties on September 21, 2024, from 8 a.m. until noon. "Without volunteers and the event sponsors, Alabama's Coastal Cleanup would not be possible," said Chris Blankenship...
September 24, 2024 - Montgomery - 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) will open certain areas of public oyster bottoms for weekday harvest beginning on Monday, October 7, 2024, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Harvesters can view their locations and the open harvest areas with Alabama's Oyster Management Station (OMS) Oyster Grid Map (see attached graphic)....
Alabama hunters are apparently more aware of the safety aspects of climbing a tree during hunting season. During the 2023-2024 season, only six treestand accidents were reported, down significantly from the average. Unfortunately, Alabama's two years without a hunting fatality ended with two this past season. Michael Bloxom, Hunter Education Coordinator with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division, said the first...
I don’t how many times I have crossed a ridge thinking I was some place that I wasn’t. I don’t how many times I have crested a hill thinking I’ll be able to see something I didn’t. I don’t know how many times I have rounded a bend to discover an additional path to the place I was going. I recognize this truth weekly. One of my hobbies is cycling. I’ve been riding for several years, and sometimes the places I ride are difficult. As a result, I’m always looking around the corner thinking I have...
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will host public meetings in Florence, Nashville and online in August 2024 to discuss a pilot project designed to manage and prevent the spread of invasive carp within the Tennessee and Cumberland river basins and the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway. During the meetings, state and local officials and USACE representatives will be available to take questions about the proposed invasive carp deterrent projects. Alabama anglers, boaters and local residents are...
One of Alabama's most popular paddling destinations recently received a significant upgrade. State and local officials celebrated the opening of the renovated Garden City River Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 24. The renovations were made possible by a settlement against Tyson Farms for a wastewater spill into the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River. The spill occurred in 2019 at Tyson Farms' River Valley chicken processing plant in Hanceville when a pipe/hose failed and dumped...
The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) will temporarily close Washington County Public Fishing Lake in southwest Alabama after the discovery of an invasive aquatic plant – giant salvinia – in the lake. The lake will be closed starting August 5, 2024. One of the most aggressive aquatic plants, giant salvinia is a fast-growing invasive species that has the potential to double in size every two to four days. The...
The rain in our area has been relentless. This coming week will be the first week in several where there is hardly any rain predicted. Everyone here is praying for the possibility of sunny days with temperatures to be in the 90’s. Yes, you read that right. We are praying for sunny days and sweltering humidity with highs in the mid 90’s. It’s funny how that works. Just a few weeks ago, I saw a sign on a church marquee that implored us to pray for rain. Now, if I were to go back by that churc...
The Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) will host an oyster meeting on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, from 1-3 p.m. at the Bayou La Batre Community and Senior Center located at 12745 Padgett Switch Rd. in Irvington, Alabama. The focus of the meeting will be to update the community about MRD activities related to the management of Alabama's oyster fisheries and to receive public input. During the meeting MRD representatives will:...
With more than $150 million available for renovations, repairs and construction, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) State Parks System is in the middle of major upgrades and enhancements to help State Parks' guests embrace and enjoy Alabama's natural beauty. State Parks Director Greg Lein said those projects span the entire state, with upgrades planned at many of the 21 Alabama State Parks. Lein gave updates on the projects from south to north, starting with th...
The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) announces that the Mount Vernon Public Boat Ramp in Mobile County will close beginning the week of August 12, 2024. The boat landing and associated facilities will be closed for major facility upgrades. Upgrades will include a new launching slab, new access pier, expanded parking area, and a new tournament weigh-in pavilion. The facility is anticipated to be closed about...
