Lace up your hiking boots and get ready to join the naturalists and volunteers from the foothills of the Appalachians, along the Tennessee River Valley to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico for the “Hike 24 in 24 Alabama” initiative from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) State Parks Division. The […]

When Clanton native Dustin Connell hauled 28 score able bass in worth 83 pounds last week he became the first ever two time champion of the Bass Pro Tour’s signature event, the 2024 REDCREST. The event, hosted at Lay Lake in east central Alabama, showcased some of the top talent in Major League Fishing and […]

The spring turkey season in Alabama is fast approaching, and some confusion exists on the dates of the Special Youth Hunt that precedes opening day of the regular season. Marianne Gauldin of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division said this year’s opening day of the regular […]

Anyone who has explored Alabama’s great outdoors or spent time on a tractor cultivating an agricultural crop knows how destructive feral swine can be on the landscape. Because of the prodigious reproductive capacity of these wild hogs, controlling the populations is difficult at best, and many researchers believe that total eradication of this invasive species […]

The first 2024 meeting of the Alabama Conservation Advisory Board was a celebration of accomplishments and a remembrance of those no longer with the conservation community. The celebration started with the recognition of two members of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division. Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship […]

Alabama is blessed with an abundance of lakes, reservoirs and waterways for residents and visitors to enjoy for fishing, boating, birdwatching and many other outdoor activities. However, several pockets exist in the state that are not close or convenient for residents to get to the water. That lack of access for subsistence fishing, especially in […]

The National Wild Turkey Foundation has recognized Chuck Sykes, the state director of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, for his decades-long career dedicated to conservation. “It is an honor to receive the C.B. McLeod Award from my colleagues at the National Wild Turkey Federation,” Sykes said. The award is named for C.B McLeod, a former NWTF […]

A massive party is about to sweep across the South this summer. A seven-stop tour from the producers of the blockbuster Rock The South festival will make its way to Mobile, Alabama on June 21 and 22 in what will become another annual staple for country music: Rock The Country – a festival for the […]

Now that the white-tailed deer season has ended, hunters will likely turn their attention once again to small game like rabbits, squirrels and the bobwhite quail, although quail hunting is nothing like it once was. When fence rows from small farms and family gardens crisscrossed Alabama and the Southeast, the bobwhite flourished. Since large-scale farming […]

One of Alabama’s most well-known outdoor enthusiasts passed away early Monday morning after a battle with cancer. James “Big Daddy” Lawler of Wilcox County was well known for his Gettin’ Outdoors with BDL podcast and radio show as well as his lifelong efforts to promote the Alabama Black Belt Region’s outdoor recreational opportunities. The Wilcox […]

Alabama State Parks honored seven individuals and one organization over the weekend at the eighth annual Eagle Awards. The awards ceremony took place at Lake Guntersville State Park. “Our Alabama State Parks attract millions of visitors each year, and that wouldn’t be possible without the enormous contributions made by volunteers, elected officials and community partners who […]

When I reflect on my 30-plus years of covering the outdoors in Alabama, several people who influenced and contributed to my writing come to mind. No one on that list is more prominent than Dr. Bob Shipp, who died last week at age 81. “It’s going to take a while to get used to not […]

According to the state, most of Alabama’s public fishing lakes are set to go back to regular hours of operation come February. Jonathan Brown, State Lake Supervisor for the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR),  shared new information about the change. “Many state lakes have […]

Lakepoint Resort State Park in Eufaula is set to host an event that will offer a number of conservation themed activities for people of all ages. The 2024 Fins, Feathers, and Flowers event, made possible by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, will take place from February 16-18. “We are excited to offer a […]

7. As annoying as Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce’s relationship will be to actual football fans during the Super Bowl build-up, there is no evidence that the NFL was plotting to get the Chiefs into the game, despite what former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is saying. Ramaswamy suggests the game was rigged […]

State Representative Chip Brown announced on Monday that he has pre-filed a bill to require country of origin labeling on seafood that is sold in Alabama. Is that fish harvested off of the Alabama coast, grown in a pond in the U.S., harvested off of Madagascar, or grown in a pond in China? Too often […]

As the Forever Wild Land Trust is preparing for its first meeting of the year Feb. 1 in Montgomery, the FWLT Board of Trustees will be focused on an initiative adopted at its last meeting of 2023 to spend up to $1 million to enhance existing efforts to mitigate the impact of feral hog populations. […]

It’s peak deer hunting season in the state of Alabama. During this time of year, known as “the rut,” bucks are in search of a mate and are far less likely to show caution in the daytime. One Alabama hunter took advantage of “the rut.” Greg Robertson of Shelby County bagged a 14-point buck Jan. […]

At the request of U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl and the House Natural Resources Committee, Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship traveled to Washington, D.C., last week to testify about the crucial funding Alabama receives from oil and gas leases through the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA). Commissioner Blankenship highlighted how the GOMESA funding positively affects […]

Both of Alabama’s U.S. Senators warned the Biden administration of the disastrous economic outlook for U.S. catfish farmers and processers if it adopts a preliminary decision to reduce its responsibility over imported catfish from Vietnam. In a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, the Senators said the administration should reverse a move […]

The state’s public oyster reefs will close for harvesting this week, the Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced. The department said Tuesday the public oyster reefs will close Friday at 2 p.m. The harvest zones have been open since Oct. 2 and, so far, more than 32,000 sacks of oysters […]

Baldwin County, Alabama has a lot to show off these days. Thanks to a new groundbreaking talent campaign by the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance, more people across the globe will get to hear and see it.  “Belong in Baldwin” will spotlight the wealth of opportunities and unparalleled lifestyle that Baldwin County offers to professionals, […]

For those planning trips to Alabama’s beautiful Gulf Coast for spring break or summer vacation, expect to see an abundance of change for the better, including beach renourishment projects at the East End of Dauphin Island and in Baldwin County from west of Little Lagoon Pass all the way to the Florida-Alabama line. “It is […]

The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association (ABBAA) wants to remind the state’s sportsmen that its Big Buck Photo Contest is still open until February 16. “We are thankful for hunters who have already submitted photos, but we want to remind everyone that photos will be accepted through the end of deer season and online voting […]