The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is making further fire precautions for all Alabama State Parks due to extended dry conditions. Visitors and overnight guests are being asked to take extra precaution with campfires and barbecue grills. “We encourage park visitors and overnight guests to be very cautious with campfires and grills during […]

A Wetumpka man has been arrested and is now facing possible jail time and a minimum $2,000 fine as well as the loss of his hunting and fishing licenses after he shot and killed a black bear in Elmore County. Michael Watkins, 32, was booked into the Elmore County Jail last week but has since […]

Sweet Trails Alabama, in conjunction with the Singing River Trail and Jacksonville State University, will be taking a statewide public tour next week. The Sweet Trails Alabama Swing Around the State Tour will start Monday in Huntsville and Florence and kick off a year-long initiative to identify trails and locate possible new routes in all […]

The Nature Conservancy in Alabama has acquired 596 acres on Bibb County’s Wheeler Mountain, the group announced Tuesday. The goal behind the purchase, it says, is to protect the area from potential threats such as commercial development. The purchase, worth $2 million, is the result of a well established partnership with Resource Management Service and […]

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has scheduled deer hunts for hunters with physical disabilities beginning in November. The hunts will run from late November to January in the M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area in Hale County. Registration starts Oct. 2. “We are honored to provide hunting opportunities for all […]

The Alabama Forestry Commission has issued a statewide Fire Alert, effective immediately. While under a Fire Alert, permits for outdoor burning will be restricted. Anyone who burns a field, grassland, or woodland without a burn permit may be subject to prosecution for committing a Class B misdemeanor. The commission said it issued the burning restriction […]

The Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is reopening the red snapper fishing season at the end of the month. The department made the announcement after the federally established quota for the annual harvest wasn’t met. In fact, the amount harvested when the season ended Sept. 4, was 15,671 […]

A special program showcasing Alabama musicians and experts in conversation about the mountain’s ecology and natural history will be hosted this month at Flagg Mountain, a property owned by the Alabama Forestry Commission. “Birds, Beats and Bach” offers entertainment and education Sept. 24 on Alabama’s “first mountain.” Musicians stationed at three sites around the top […]

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is expanding its awareness campaign about two species of invasive carp that pose a potential threat to the state’s native freshwater fish and habitats – bighead and silver carp. The Fisheries Section of the department’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division is posting signs this fall at public […]

The Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival, a celebration of wildlife and field sports through the arts, is set for November in historic downtown Wetumpka. The Nov. 11 festival includes the first Alabama Wildlife Fine Art Competition with the winning artist receiving a $10,000 purchase award. There will also be $500 merit awards presented. Next Wednesday, Tim […]

The Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has announced that an Alabama oyster harvest is set to start next month. The department said it will open limited areas of public oyster bottoms for weekday harvest Oct. 2 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Harvesters should visit the Oyster Management […]

This is one that didn’t get away. A toddler’s first catch fishing is this year’s winner in the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association Best Fish Photo Contest. Bry Hornsby of Notasulga was declared the winner after his photo garnered more than 1,300 votes online. The image shows Bry and his father, Brandon, holding up a […]

Due to a change in park management from a concessionaire contract back to the state, Roland Cooper State Park will be closed until Oct. 1 for maintenance, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced. “We are grateful for the partnership with Vista Recreation (concessionaire) over the last seven years,” said Greg Lein, director […]

Alabama is home to an incredible range of state parks that have something to offer adventurers year-round. Early fall is one of the best times to experience the state’s parks in their most beautiful state. As leaves change and temperatures grow cooler, we are introducing our Alabama Parks Passport series to highlight all of the […]

Learning to hunt may seem out of reach for those who didn’t grow up with hunting as part of their family experience. Fortunately, Alabama’s Adult Mentored Hunting program teaches all the skills needed to put wild game on the dinner table and help start new traditions. Getting started in the AMH program is as simple […]

The Major League Fishing schedule for 2024 will have three stops in Alabama as part of the Toyota Series presented by Phoenix Boats. The season starts in February at Lake Guntersville in Scottsboro and runs through late September when it wraps up at Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Mo. The first stop is […]

It seems that alligators have been all over the news in Alabama lately. From being spotted in North Alabama creeks to hunters in Mobile hauling in almost 13-foot-long specimens, there has been no shortage of news involving the animals. A member of the Lake Martin Boaters Facebook group posted about her recent experience and sighting […]

The Alabama Forest Land Trust has protected nearly 83,000 acres of farm and forestland in 24 counties and an additional 13,000 acres while administering the Forest Legacy Program for the Alabama Forestry Commission.  Last week, the trust appointed Thomas Reddick, who brings a strong background in conservation leadership, as executive director. Prior to joining the […]

The 36th Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup is fast approaching and if you like to be outdoors and at the same time help your community this event may be for you. The event is 8 a.m. to noon Sept. 16 for Baldwin and Mobile counties. Volunteers will collect debris and record the amount and types that […]

Clay County Public Fishing Lake will reopen next weekend, according to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The lake, which will reopen Sept. 2, had been closed while transitioning to the new managers Greg and Victoria Clark. The lake is one mile west of the town of Delta on State Lake Road. The […]

The evolution of technology has been responsible for solving a myriad of problems across industries. One of these recent developments comes out of Foley, Alabama through the company SoilKit. According to the SoilKit site, SoilKit truly began over 100 years ago through the Woerner Family. The family had an honest interest in becoming successful in […]

How conservation and outdoors recreation are funded throughout the nation is somewhat of a mystery for most people. In an effort to inform the public about where state wildlife and fisheries agencies get the money to conserve habitat and provide quality outdoors recreation, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries […]

The Yellowhammer State’s red snapper season is coming to a close. The Marine Resources Division of the state Conservation Department said today the season will end Sept. 4. “Weather is generally the primary factor in the duration of the red snapper season in Alabama,” said Division Director Scott Bannon. “Other than multiple days of excessive heat, […]

With Labor Day approaching and a large increase of visitors along with it, five Alabama state parks have announced additional fire precautions for the holiday. The parks are Gulf State Park, Meaher State Park, Bladon Springs State Park, Roland Cooper State Park, and Frank Jackson State Park. Park visitors, in particular, are being cautioned about […]