The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Alabama's sweltering summers may send some anglers indoors, but for those in the know, the warm months offer prime opportunities to reel in two of the state's most beloved freshwater species: crappie and bream. From the winding channels of the Tennessee River to the quiet coves of Lake Jordan, Alabama's diverse aquatic landscape provides a bounty of fishing spots where these panfish thrive-even when the mercury rises. Why Summer Fishing Still Shines While spring is traditionally hailed as the...
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) has reopened the Bay Watch Public Boat Ramp in Baldwin County. The facility was temporarily closed for parking area upgrades in May 2025. The ramp is located adjacent to the U.S. Highway 98 bridge at the mouth of the Fish River. "The improvements at Bay Watch will benefit anglers, boaters and visitors to Weeks Bay Reserve for decades to come," said Chris Blankenship, ADCNR Commissioner. "We've been upgrading public boat ramps...
Even though it’s only July, the deer hunters are getting prepared for another season. While it may be several weeks until the season opens, there is much to do to be ready for opening day – especially if you hunt with bow and arrow. Right now, I’m checking trail cameras, hanging tree stands and trying to figure out where the deer are likely to be early in the season. And it is not always where one might think. I am reminded of an Alabama hunt several years ago. I was with a friend on a piece of...
Many years ago, when I first started Outdoor Truths, I wanted to be connected with some hunting and fishing companies. I felt like any association would help me grow the influence I wanted to have. I was not only able to get some sponsorships, but I actually became a pro-staff member for a few of those companies as well. Even now, I hesitate to even mention the name “pro-staff” because it involves the word “pro.” And if there is any word that I should never be associated with, it’s the word...
June 20, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL - The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Outdoor Alabama Academy is expanding its hunting workshop offerings starting this summer. The popular outdoor recreation how-to workshops will now be available for more activities and in graduated levels. New for 2025 the workshops will be offered in 101, 202, and 303 levels for archery, bowhunting, squirrel hunting, and deer or turkey hunting on public land. The workshops are part of ADCNR's A...
June 27. 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL - The Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) has made the following changes to the state's saltwater fish creel, bag, possession and size limits (regulation 220-3-.30). These regulation changes were approved by the Conservation Advisory Board at their May meeting and signed by ADCNR Commissioner Chris Blankenship on June 17, 2025. "The changes were made to balance the need to conserve our saltwater...
June 27, 2025 - TALLAHASSEE, FL - The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is preparing to implement a new law aimed at strengthening vessel accountability and enhancing protections for Florida's waterways. Senate Bill 164, signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis on June 19, will go into effect on July 1, 2025. This legislation is designed to help reduce the number of at-risk and derelict vessels across the state and improve enforcement tools for FWC officers and partner...
I’ve never been much for hiking even though some of my friends love it. And I feel the same way about camping. I’ve often said if I’m camping, there needs to be a hunting or fishing trip involved somewhere. Otherwise, I would prefer a weekend getaway in a condo and breakfast at Cracker Barrel. That idea goes for hiking as well. When I walk through the woods, I can’t help but continually scout for signs of animals I may want to hunt. I can’t imagine just walking through the woods to get to a...
How farmers can help rescue water-loving birds James Gentz has seen birds aplenty on his East Texas rice-and-crawfish farm: snow geese and pintails, spoonbills and teal. The whooping crane couple, though, he found “magnificent.” These endangered, long-necked behemoths arrived in 2021 and set to building a nest amid his flooded fields. “I just loved to see them,” Gentz says. Not every farmer is thrilled to host birds. Some worry about the spread of avian flu, others are concerned that the bir...
In its first year under the Sweet Grown Alabama banner, the Alabama Seafood Cook-Off recently continued its legacy of highlighting Alabama-grown products, especially Alabama Gulf Seafood, with delicious, innovative seafood preparations. With four teams competing for the prestigious win at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Chef Ben Rosen and Sous Chef Walker Hughes of Auburn's The Depot garnered the crown with their "Alabama Summer" dish of marinated, pecan-grilled cobia, sweet corn with Bill-E's...
Although complaints about dog deer hunting have fallen dramatically in the past several years, dog deer hunting has continued to cause conflicts, particularly around the Talladega National Forest. The Alabama Conservation Advisory Board provided Conservation Enforcement Officers with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division another tool to deal with dog deer hunters who cause problems. At the Board's meeting last week...
The motto for many turkey hunters this year is, “So close, and yet so far away.” It really is amazing sometimes how close we can be to a good gobbler and yet be unable to take a shot. More than one person has bemoaned this truth to me. I empathize with them. Just today, I got as close to a roosted tom as I possibly could without being seen. He flew down and paced the side of the hill just over the crest from where I was set up. He probably got as close as 40 yards, but I could never see him...
Tim introduced Jonathon and I to sight fishing last year, during a crappie fishing trip. Then, we only used that method for a few hours. This year’s trip was two days of this technique. And after those two days, we had nearly 100 fish in our cooler. While sight fishing has a few nuances, our method was to use the fishing-finding equipment on the boat to locate underwater structures and to identify the crappies on those structures. Once we identified them, we would cast our bait and watch for t...
This year’s turkey season was full of all kinds of different experiences. I shot and killed. I shot and missed. I witnessed lots of gobblers strutting just out of range and others close enough, but just behind me. There were four jakes that constantly came to my decoy party and would stay until I ran them off. I hunted in the cold, the heat, and the rain. Some days I walked miles and other days I set up only a few feet from my truck. At times there were so many turkeys roaming around my farm, I...
Call for Applications NOAA is establishing a cutting-edge Cooperative Institute to advance U.S. aquaculture development. NOAA invites applications from eligible universities, colleges, and research institutions to establish the Cooperative Institute Fostering Aquaculture Research and Marketing (CIFARM) to unleash the potential of American aquaculture and ocean progress. CIFARM will have a broad geographic scope and emphasize advancing aquaculture through the bold growth of research in...
You may think that sitting in the deer woods or on the river is boring. It’s anything but boring. When the sun comes up, the community of animals, fish, and insects go to work. The night shift is going home, and the day shift is making their way to the job at hand. It’s another day on the wilderness expressway. Every creature has a particular purpose. It may be the “stay at home” doe whose daily task is raising and protecting that young fawn that can’t seem to keep his nose out of everythin...
On Tuesday, June 10, 2025, representatives from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) and Choctaw County took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate recent renovations to McCarty's Ferry Public Boat Ramp on the Tombigbee River about 14 miles south of Butler, Alabama. "The updates here at McCarty's Ferry will benefit anglers, boaters and hunters in the local community and surrounding areas for decades to come," said Chris Blankenship, ADCNR Commissioner....
The 2025 recreational bay scallop season in the Fenholloway – Suwannee River Zone opens June 15 and will remain open through Labor Day (Sept. 1). This includes all state waters in Dixie County, a portion of Taylor County including the towns of Keaton Beach and Steinhatchee, and a portion of Levy County. The daily bag limit from June 15 through June 30 in this area is 1 gallon of whole bay scallops in the shell or 1 cup shucked bay scallop meat per person, with a maximum of 5 gallons whole bay s...
Since the seasons opened for private anglers and state-licensed commercial party boats on May 23 and federally permitted charter boats on June 1, anyone who follows Alabama anglers on social media has likely been inundated with photos of Alabama's iconic reef fish, the American red snapper. In fact, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Marine Resources Division (MRD) indicated the private recreational harvest had hit 135,193 pounds as of June 1, according to Snap...
June 19, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL - Several staff members from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) and State Parks divisions are newly certified instructors in one of the fastest-rising activities on our abundant waterways - paddle sports. With funding from the Alabama Conservation and Natural Resources Foundation, including donations from Academy Sports + Outdoors, Andrea White of Georgia Rivers was enlisted to teach the...
May 27, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL - Pursuant to Section 9-12-46, Code of Alabama as stated by Rule 220-3-.01, the Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) announces that as of 6 a.m., Sunday, June 1, 2025, all inside waters not permanently closed by law or regulation will open for shrimp harvesting. This includes Mobile Bay, Bon Secour Bay, Mississippi Sound, Perdido Bay, Arnica Bay, Wolf Bay and Little Lagoon. Licensed live bait...
Severe weather last weekend hindered travel across the state, which limited the number of Alabama Conservation Advisory Board (CAB) members who were able to meet at Troy University for the second CAB meeting of the year. Being one member short of a quorum to conduct any official business, the CAB members were apprised of what had occurred affecting the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) since the March meeting. Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship updated...
May 24, 2025 - FLORIDA - At its May meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued an executive order to close recreational harvest of snowy grouper in state waters of the Atlantic Ocean, including all state waters off Monroe County. The 2025 recreational season will close at 12:01 a.m. on June 9, 2025, consistent with the closure in adjacent federal waters. Consistent state and federal recreational seasons for Atlantic snowy grouper will help prevent quota overages...
The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) will reopen the Washington County Public Fishing Lake in southwest Alabama for bank fishing only on May 24, 2025. There will be no onsite manager at the lake. The lake was temporarily closed in August 2024 after the discovery of giant salvinia in the lake. Giant salvinia is one of the most aggressive aquatic plants. This fast-growing invasive species has the potential to...
May 30, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL – Governor Kay Ivey on Friday invited the public to participate in Alabama's Free Fishing Day on Saturday, June 7. The event allows residents and non-residents to enjoy the outstanding fishing Alabama has to offer without purchasing a fishing license. Free Fishing Day is part of National Fishing and Boating Week, which runs June 1-8. "From the Gulf of America to our mountain streams, our state has world-class waters that anglers from far and wide travel to e...
