Official Publication of the ACEOA

www.aceoa.org Fall/Winter 2009

in this issue...
EDITOR:
Warren Hinson

ASSISTANT EDITOR:
Gayle Morrow ARTICLES
PUBLISHER: President’s Corner....................................................................................... 3
Brent-Wyatt West Notes From The Trenches.......................................................................... 5
601 Interstate Park Drive
How Do We Know?..................................................................................... 6
Montgomery, Alabama 36109
Dan Quincey ~ ACEOA Officer of the Year 2009........................................ 7
SALES OFFICES: Blair Earns Redemption at Buckmasters Life Hunt.................................... 11
Bryan Elkins, Sr.
My Life Hunt Experience.......................................................................... 20
Jim Downing
601 Interstate Park Drive ACEOA Annual Scholarship Winner......................................................... 24
Montgomery, Alabama 36109 Alabama Black Belt Adventures Launched............................................... 27
(334) 213-6229 River Region Military News....................................................................... 35
Noodling ~ One Man’s Journey From Skeptic To Fanatic.......................... 39
Youth Fishing Rodeos: Making A Difference.............................................. 49
Department Honor Guard......................................................................... 59
Lakepoint Resort State Park Celebrates Grand Opening............................ 63
ACEOA Second Annual Top Gun Event.................................................... 67
Forever Wild Preserves More Unique Areas For Public Use....................... 71
ACEOA Holds Mini Conventions Across The State.................................... 75
Hunter Education Press Release and Class Schedule................................ 79
ON THE COVER Barbour County WMA Youth Hunt Huge Success...................................... 91
ACEOA’s Top Shooters compete Feral Hog Hunters Cautioned About Swine Brucellosis............................ 101
for Top Gun Title. Boy Scouts............................................................................................. 103
Jim Kirkland, District II is the
2009 Top Gun Champion.
Forever Wild Adds Acreage To Lowndes WMA....................................... 107
Characters, Jokes, Bells, and Lots of Grease...........................................111
Renowned Bare Bow Hunter Has Seattle Roots........................................119
Odds Favor Successful Waterfowl Season............................................... 123
Alabama Marine Police Awarded Two Homeland Security Grants............ 127
Henry County Youth Dove Hunt.............................................................. 129
Wilcox County Youth Dove Hunt 2009.................................................... 131
Youth Dove Hunts: Right On Target........................................................ 135
Choctaw County’s First Youth Dove Hunt Is A Hit................................... 139
Cheaha State Park Provides Mountaintop Getaway................................. 141
Alligator Season Ends With New Record................................................. 145
2009 Talladega County Hunter Education Event..................................... 151
Advertisers Index.................................................................................... 189
Business Directory.................................................................................. 194

The ACE Magazine is the official publication of the Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association.
Purchase of advertising space does not entitle the advertisers to any privileges or favors from members. The
ACE Magazine does not assume responsibility for statements of fact or opinion made by any contributor. This
magazine is created and produced by Brent-Wyatt West. Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.

ACE Magazine  1
President’s Corner
by Chris Jaworowski, ACEOA President and Wildlife Biologist
T
hanks to the ongoing support of Alabama busi-
nesses, ACEOA was able to bring smiles to a lot of
young faces this summer. Across the state, ACEOA
sponsored events in order to bring the youth of Alabama
into the outdoors for shooting sports, fishing, and hunting
events. The ACEOA shooting sports trailer has been a
great addition to our association giving us the ability to
offer rimfire target shooting with our .22 caliber Ruger
rifles as well as skeet shooting with our 12 and 20 gauge
Remington shotguns. Recently, we also added two Horton
youth crossbows to the trailer for even more shooting
sports fun. Look out for ACEOA events in your area and
come join in the fun.
After a fun filled summer, the ACEOA Elected Officers
and Board of Directors are working harder than ever to
represent Conservation Enforcement Officers from every
Division across the state. One important project we have
been working on is the support of the newly formed
ADCNR Honor Guard. ACEOA has provided equipment
and supplies to support this very important project. At
the request of the Department, ACEOA provided funding
for Honor Guard bugles, practice flags, and other equip-
ment. Though we hope the Honor guard will never be
needed for one of our own, we are proud to be a part of
this very important project.
ACEOA will also be continuing our support of the
Buckmasters Life Hunt this year. Every year, ACEOA
sponsors a challenged or terminally ill hunter to attend
this event. This year, the ACEOA Board voted to sponsor
our friend Chris Jackson to attend the 2010 Life Hunt.
Check out the articles, pictures, and hunting tales about
our 2009 Life hunt participant, Skylar Blair, in this issue
of ACE Magazine. Skylar made us all proud last year and
harvested some impressive trophies to go on his wall.
For questions concerning ACEOA upcoming events or
membership, check out our website www.aceoa.org or
contact me directly at aceoapresident@yahoo.com. l
ACE Magazine  3
Notes From The Trenches
by Rusty Morrow, ACEOA Executive Director
M
any of our officers are in full swing with dove
season and now archery & gun deer seasons. Our
Marine Police and Marine Resources officers may
get a little break but often times spend these times work-
ing in specific training courses and assisting Wildlife &
Freshwater Fisheries officers in their local areas.
We have had great response from our summer issue of
ACE Magazine. We worked hard to provide something for
all of our readers. I am finished with my Early Years
adventures involving Billy Bob for a while but you’ll hear
about him some more in the future.
We will be featuring our District Conferences in this
issue plus our Top Gun Competition. After four very diffi-
cult courses, Jim Kirkland (D-2 WFFLE) was the victor.
Skylar Blair was our sponsored hunter at the 2009 Life
Hunt last January at Sedgefield Plantation. We really had
a great time and he was truly an inspiration. Be sure to
read these stories.
Dan Quincey (D-5 WFFLE) was nominated and
selected as the ACEOA Officer of the Year for 2009.
What a great job Dan has done with the youth of Wilcox
County. He has unbelievable support from businesses
and residents of Wilcox County.
ACEOA receives count-
less numbers of letters from
individuals who want to hold
youth events or volunteer in
their areas. Please visit or call your local district officers.
They can put you in touch with the local conservation
officers. You can also visit www.aceoa.org to check
events coming up in your area. We try to post these
events on a regular basis. We appreciate this support.
Because of our corporate support we are able to increase
the numbers of sponsored events each year. Support for
our national sponsorships such as Buckmasters American
Deer Foundation and Concerns of Police Survivors are
guaranteed because of continued donations.
We were able to sponsor over fifty events in 2009.
Request for new sponsorships in 2010 has increased. We
never want to turn anyone away.
Enjoy our Fall/Winter issue of ACE Magazine. When
you are finished, pass it on to a friend. Visit our website
and read the magazine online.
Thank you for your support. Without your support,
ACEOA would not be able to accomplish these important
outreach projects throughout Alabama. l
ACE Magazine  5
 10ad14

How Do We Know?
by Rusty Morrow, ACEOA Executive Director

T
his should be a very important question to our cor- tired and ill when he arrived at the Life Hunt. He did man-
porate sponsors. Let me first tell you what we do age to harvest a beautiful buck. According to Brian, it was
know. an opportunity to temporarily forget about his illness and
HARTFORD TIRE &
ACEOA, for several years, has chosen to sponsor enjoy three day of hunting. The strength and determina-
INTERSTATE BATTERIES
AUTO CENTER
C.O.P.S. (Concerns of Police Survivors) on a national
level. We strongly believe in this program and the impor-
tion of these folks is humbling and almost unbelievable.
Skylar Blair is featured in this issue. What a great kid!
tance of giving back for the great work they do for fallen We enjoyed his3505
hunt probably
Governorsas much
Driveas he did. He was
400 West Main Street
officer survivors. We support their fund raisers in Missouri truly an inspiration. To see his joy when he harvested his
each year as well
Huntsville, Alabama 35805
H aasr tthe
f o rAlabama
d , A L 3Chapter
6 3 4 4 of C.O.P.S. deer was a sensational experience.
Each year we sponsor a hunter at the Buckmasters 256-519-2450
These hunts are composed of a lot of joy and tears. It
Life Hunt. This 3is3 4a- 5 8 8 - 2 1 2 2 American Deer
Buckmasters is a display of incredible strength and determination. As
Foundation program that caters to terminally ill or dis- we make these important decisions as stewards of dona-
abled children and adults. If you have been involved with tions from our corporate sponsors, we know we have
us for a while, you know we have sponsored three hunt- invested well.
ers and will feature our 2009 hunter in this issue.
Arrowood Heating
What we don’t know is what other opportunities are

Hartselle Eye Care

If everyone could attend this hunt and witness the joy
in each of these hunters eyes, you would know we made
the right choice for you.
out there. Please email me and help us to locate other
& Cooling
worthy programs that we can support. Remember that
without your help these programs are not possible.
1098 Highway 31 S.W.
Brian McSorley, two years ago, wrote a great synopsis
of what the hunt meant to him. He was in the middle of
Enjoy Skylar’s hunt. The pictures really help to capture
the story. Thanks to you, we will be sponsoring a young
Hartselle, AL 35640
his treatments and, because of his youth and strength, man named 18225 John Swindle
Chris Jackson in the JanuaryRd. 2010 Life
had had his treatments doubled. We knew he was truly Hunt. Northport, AL 35475 l
256-773-4490 205-393-9389

6  ACE Magazine
Dan Quincey
ACEOA Officer of the Year 2009
by Rusty Morrow by Rusty Morrow, ACEOA Executive Director
I
f you went down the list for ACEOA criteria for Officer
of the Year, it would look like it was written for Dan
Quincey. A key ingredient for being ACEOA Officer of
the Year is community involvement. Dan certainly excels
in this area. Wilcox County Youth Dove Hunt featured in
this issue is only one example of his total dedication to
his community and the youth. Because of this involve-
ment, the community supports him 100%.
Dan goes above and beyond in his duties as a
Conservation Enforcement Officer in Wilcox County. He
is considered fair but dedicated to protecting the wildlife
Rusty Morrow, Trey Pose, Dan Quincey, and Vance Wood.
Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association
2009 Officer of the Year Nomination District V
I
take much pride and pleasure in nominating
Conservation Enforcement Officer Daniel C. Quincey
Jr., for Officer of the Year 2009. Not only do I know and
work closely with Dan, but I also consider him a great
friend. Dan was hired on in April 2005, by the Wildlife and
Freshwater Fisheries Enforcement Division. He was
assigned to Wilcox County, Alabama. He has since moved
his family there and has been an active role model in the
community. He has been able to garner respect and
friendship from the citizens and landowners through his
actions and concern for the area in which he works.
In the fall of 2005, I received an alarming and panicked
resource. Violators must deal with him if they choose to
violate state laws.
Wilcox County, over the years, has been a very difficult
area for a conservation officer. It is very rural and blessed
with abundance of wildlife and river resource. Many offi-
cers have come and many officers have gone; but Dan
calls Wilcox County his home. He is a vital part of Wilcox
County law enforcement.
Please read Dan’s nomination letter by officer Vance
Wood (Director D-5). This will convince you he is the
right person for the 2009 ACEOA Officer of the Year. l
Bo Willis, Dan Quincey, and Vance Wood.
phone call from a dear friend, Becky Bailey. Becky told
me that her husband, Ken Bailey was working on hunting
property in the Alberta Community of Wilcox County and
that she could not get in touch with him. She was wor-
ried, because it was unlike Ken to not answer his cellular
telephone. I told her that I would call Dan and see if he
could check on him. I was able to get Dan on the
Southern Linc. He was off-duty. I explained the situation
to Dan and gave him Becky’s cell number. Dan contacted
Becky and received directions to the hunting property.
He immediately drove to Alberta from Camden in his
continued on 9
ACE Magazine  7
Dan Quincey ~ aceOa Officer Of the year 2009 –
personal truck. Dan was able to quickly locate the tracks
to Ken’s Polaris Ranger and began tracking him. What
Dan came upon next was a horrible sight. Sadly, Ken had
wrecked the Ranger and was ejected from the vehicle.
Dan found Ken’s lifeless body at the bottom of a hill.
Ken’s neck was broken and he had sadly departed this
life far too soon. Ken was in his mid-forties. Dan con-
tacted Becky and me to inform us of the news. Dan stood
by until the family arrived and gave much comfort to
Becky and her son Josh. Dan and I both attended Ken’s
funeral and there was not enough good that could be said
about Dan and his actions on that sad day.
In January 2006, Dan was on patrol in Wilcox County
when he received notification of a plane crash near Pine
Hill. Evidently the FAA had been trying to
locate the plane for quite some time. Dan
was first on scene and made his way to
the crash site, which was in a wooded
area in a ravine. Dan found the pilot
to be barely alive and the passen-
ger to have sadly expired. Dan
used his knife to cut the pilot out
of the aircraft and was able to
maintain his airway, breathing
and bleeding until more advanced
medical assistance arrived. He
then assisted in the patient’s
move to the ambulance up the
steep ravine. The pilot survived.
Dan then returned to the aircraft and
assisted with the removal of the
deceased passenger. Again, it was
another sad day in Wilcox County.
In May 2008, while enjoying some off time
and fishing with his then twelve year old son Bert, Dan
came across a mussel boat in the Alabama River. The
mussel fisherman’s family was onboard and Dan could
tell something was terribly wrong. Dan pulled his per-
sonal boat alongside and quickly observed there was a
medical emergency. The mussel diver had apparently
accidentally drowned! Dan immediately called for emer-
gency help to meet him at a nearby boat ramp. He
jumped into the mussel boat, where the diver’s wife was
holding onto her husband, who was still in the water. Dan
was able to get the diver in the boat and he quickly
cleared the airway and began CPR without any use of a
protective barrier. Bert took the diver’s grandchildren,
who were also on the mussel boat and got them into
Dan’s boat. He then at Dan’s direction moved them away
from the scene and comforted them. Dan continued CPR
until they arrived at the boat ramp where an awaiting
ambulance took over. It was yet another sad day in
continued
Wilcox County. Dan was unable to resuscitate the diver,
despite his valiant and selfless efforts.
That is a lot of sad, sad news. Let’s move on to a most
important and uplifting achievement. When Dan came to
Wilcox County he immediately got involved with an
annual youth dove hunt. This was a large hunt and as
luck would have it Dan was asked to take over and head
the hunt up in 2006. Dan is wonderful with kids and for
a big ol’ brute he sure gets soft when surrounded by
them. Dan took the opportunity to head up the annual
youth dove hunt. He expanded it, grew it and made it,
well simply better than it ever had been before. Dan
began to collect monies from local businesses and indi-
viduals to better support the event. He created a bank
account in which to place the monies. Dan
allocated local support for food and refresh-
ments, all of which is gladly donated
yearly. Dan then takes the monies he
has collected and purchases door
prizes for the children. He uses the
money only within Wilcox County,
since it came from Wilcox. It is
Dan’s way of ensuring that the
money raised there stays in the
community. This dove hunt has
touched approximately 200 chil-
dren a year since Dan took over
in 2006. There is something there
for every child. Dan has handed out
$9,900 in door prizes since 2006,
some of which include 11 Lifetime
Hunting Licenses and six Shotguns. The
kids have a great time, but I often wonder if
it is not Ol’ Dan who has the best time of all.
I believe in this day and time; we need a hometown
hero, someone who is looked upon as an example to all,
especially by our youth. I have talked to many people in
Wilcox County since Dan has gone to work there and
they all have the highest regard and respect for him. Dan
endeavors to persevere in any and all circumstances. He
is willing to accept a challenge and not likely to back
down. I am proud to call him my friend and even more
proud to nominate him as Officer of the Year 2009 with
the Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers
Association. Please help me bestow this award upon
Daniel C. Quincey Jr. who is so very deserving and so
overdue for recognition of his efforts. He is an example to
all both on and off duty. Thank you.
Sincerely,
David Vance Wood
ACEOA Dist. V l
ACE Magazine 9
Blair Earns Redemption
at Buckmasters Life Hunt
by David Rainer, Outdoor Writer, Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources

S
kylar Blair needed redemption at the 16th annual was young and had the opportunity to watch cartoons, he
Buckmasters Life Hunt Classic at Sedgefield never would. He was always watching The Outdoor
Plantation in Dallas County last week. Channel and the outdoors shows on ESPN and
He’d missed a nice 8-point the afternoon before. He Buckmasters. It’s always been in his blood, and I don’t
knew he couldn’t afford another miss with kangaroo know where it came from. He’s lucky that we have a lot
court set for the final day of the three-day event, which of family members who like to hunt, so he goes with
brings about a dozen disabled hunters from across the them.”
nation to the prime hunting land owned by the Hinton Skylar added: “I hunt all the time. I hunt mainly deer,
family in west central Alabama. but I duck hunt sometimes and I go squirrel hunting
Blair, like his dad (David), suffers from muscular dys- some. Hunting is a big part of my life.”
trophy. The Blairs have a form of the disorder called Making dreams – like Skylar’s – come true at this hunt
Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, a neurological dis- is the main goal for Jackie Bushman, who founded
order that causes damage to the peripheral nerves that Buckmasters in his hometown of Montgomery in 1986.
carry signals from the brain and spinal cord to muscles, “We’ve been doing this 16 years and I can’t believe it’s
as well as relay sensations (i.e. pain and touch) to the been that long since David Sullivan called me about
brain and spinal cord from the rest of the body. doing a show on the old TNN (The Nashville Network),”
“It makes life a little harder, but you learn to live with said Bushman. “I told David I needed help to get through
it,” said the 17-year-old Skylar, whose family hails from that first hunt. After that episode aired, our phone lines
Huntsville. just lit up, and we basically became a network for dis-
But he’s not blaming his disease on his miss on the continued on 13
opening day of the hunt. “I don’t know what happened,”
Skylar said. “I guess I got in a hurry (aka buck fever).”
On the second morning, it was cold and blustery and
Skylar and his guide, Clayton Lynn, had only seen does
and yearlings.
“We were actually climbing down out of the stand,”
said Skylar, who was nominated for the hunt by the
Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association.
“We had been rattling and we were climbing down. We
looked up and there were two bucks walking right at us.
They were getting closer and closer.
Skylar climbed back into the stand got his rifle
reloaded.
“Finally we stopped him at about 40 yards,” he said. “I
don’t remember how Clayton stopped him. I was focused
on the shot. I wasn’t going to miss again.”
After the shot, the buck ran over a hill about 50 yards
away and disappeared. Fortunately, the buck had gone
down just out of sight.
“When we got down and went to him I didn’t realize
how big he was,” Skylar said. “I walked over to him and
said, ‘Wow, that’s a really good deer.’ It’s going to make
a nice mount. This was my first rack buck.” Skylar Blair, 17, of Huntsville and Buckmasters founder Jackie
The elder Blair said he is not an outdoorsman and Bushman show off the nice eight-point Blair bagged during
can’t take any credit for his son’s love of hunting. the Buckmasters Life Hunt Classic recently at Sedgefield
“But I do think it was genetic,” David said. “When he Plantation in Dallas County.

ACE Magazine  11
Blair Earns Redemption at Buckmasters Life Hunt –
abled hunters, which we’re real proud of. Now, I think
we’ve done between 5,000 and 6,000 disabled hunts.
“We’re in a recession, but when you come down here
nobody is having a bad day. To have the opportunity to
help these kids and adults get their first deer or first nice
buck, it’s priceless.”
Bushman stays busy videoing episodes of Buckmasters
and the Jackie Bushman Show, but he’s never too busy
for the Life Hunt Classic.
“I say this every year – we do 39 original shows each
year, and if the networks said I could only do one show,
this would be it,” he said. “It means more to me person-
ally because of all the kids, parents, the Hintons and the
guides who work so hard to make this happen. To see the
smiles on these kids’ and adults’ faces, it makes it all
worth it. For some of them, it’s their first deer. It’s an
honor for us to do this.
“We’ve seen a lot of different disabilities in the 16
years, but we’ve never seen one that we couldn’t find
adaptive equipment to make the hunt happen. It’s a neat
three days, that’s all I can say.”
Soon after that first disabled hunt, the aforementioned
David Sullivan became the director of Disabled Hunter
Services for Buckmasters American Deer Foundation,
the non-profit wing of Buckmasters.
“Our goal is to touch people’s lives and give them
hope,” Sullivan said. “We hope that some will take home
a trophy deer. But I’ll tell you some of the best hunts
continued
we’ve had, people have gone home without a deer but
just had a wonderful time.
Sullivan said he and his staff scrutinize applications
and end up with about 50-60 viable applicants for the
Classic. The ones who aren’t chosen for the Classic are
included on other hunts.
“The thing that amazes me is that all the volunteers
seem to get more out of the hunt than the hunters do,” he
said. “And we’ve been able to accommodate a variety of
disabilities from people who were completely blind to
quadriplegics who couldn’t move anything from the neck
down to one young man who didn’t have any limbs, and
he was able to take a deer.
“It’s a team effort. The Hintons do a wonderful job.
They get their friends and family to help out. We’ve got
our blind-building down to a science, and we pretty well
know where to put the blinds. The only things we can’t
control are the deer and the weather, and the Good Lord
always takes care of that for us.”
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources also offers opportunities for disabled individu-
als who enjoy hunting, shooting and fishing.
The Alabama Hunting and Fishing Trail for People with
Physical Disabilities features 17 areas available for hunt-
ing across the state, as well as 11 shooting sites and 20
fishing venues. Visit http://www.outdooralabama.com/
hunting/physically-disabled for more information. l
02ad12
ACE Magazine  13
Blair Earns Redemption at Buckmasters Life Hunt –
My Life Hunt Experience
by Skylar Blair
I
have always been a whitetail fanatic. Since I was about
five I have been watching Buckmasters, and my favor-
ite episode has always been the Life Hunt. I was sur-
prised to find out that ACEOA wanted to sponsor me for
the Life Hunt. Being able to attend that hunt has always
been a dream for me.
When I arrived I couldn’t believe how gracious and
hospitable everyone there was. When we arrived my Dad
and I met everyone, which was an experience. We then
received a box filled with equipment donated by the fine
sponsors of the hunt.
Later, we sighted in our rifles, and then headed for the
woods. That hunt was awesome. We watched two does
for about forty-five minutes, two monster bucks appeared
and I proceeded to miss one of them. Missing is a part
of hunting.
After the hunt we ate then headed to the cozy cabin
and got a couple hours of sleep. That next morning we
saw a couple of does running across the ridge in front of
us. We had rattled a little before we got too cold and
decided to leave. Before we left we looked to the left and
saw two good bucks walking straight to us. The lead
buck got to about 30 yards and I put a good shot on him
he ran about fifty yards. He was my first buck and he was
definitely a trophy.
After the hunt we all met up and ate and talked about
the morning’s hunt. That afternoon we watched about
continued
fifteen does, and a nice nine point feed in the green field
and I harvested a monster doe. After the hunt we ate and
headed back to the cabin.
Tuesday morning we were running late but we saw sev-
eral deer on the road so we knew they were moving. We
had sat there for an hour or two with no movement when a
small six point appeared. After he left we were getting into
position to harvest a doe when I looked to my right and
there was a monster eleven point buck. I was getting
excited but I knew I had to stay calm so when guide Clayton
said take him I wasted no time. Unsure about my shot, the
buck ran off the field. We then noticed a doe stand up. She
was another monster doe and I made a good shot.
Clayton and I went back to get a UTV and my Dad.
After we loaded the doe I told my Dad about shooting at
an eleven point. We then decided we needed to look for
sign. Dad found the trail and when he saw the buck he
had the biggest smile I had ever seen him have. The buck
had only run ten yards in the woods. There were lots of
high fives! It was an amazing feeling when I got back and
everyone was excited for me.
When everyone got back we ate and had kangaroo
court. Kangaroo court is where if you had missed a deer
they cut your shirt tail off, or if you harvested your first
deer you get your face painted with deer blood. That was
a week I will always remember. I would like to thank
ACEOA, Buckmasters, Mr. Hinton and his family, the
guides, and everyone who had anything to do with mak-
ing that week possible. l
ACE Magazine  17
Blair Earns Redemption at Buckmasters Life Hunt – continued

20  ACE Magazine

Blair Earns Redemption at Buckmasters Life Hunt – continued

ACE Magazine  21
 ACEOA Annual Scholarship Winner

ACEOA Annual Scholarship winner Colt Fincher with

ACEOA President Chris Jaworoski and ACEOA Executive Director Rusty Morrow.

24  ACE Magazine

Alabama Black Belt
Adventures Launched
by David Rainer, Outdoor Writer, Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources

T
he strip of prairie soil that crosses central Alabama
has long been known for its dark, fertile soil, rural
demography and hard-working citizens struggling to
make a living.
What every Alabamian who enjoys the outdoors knows
is the Black Belt is renowned as one of the premier desti-
nations for hunting and outdoors activities in the nation.
In an effort to capitalize on the Black Belt’s natural
resources, Montgomery businessman and landowner
Thomas Harris hatched an idea to promote those assets
and spread the word throughout the world.
After almost two years of planning, that idea was
unveiled last week at Southern Sportsman Hunting Lodge
in Hayneville, smack dab in the middle of the Black Belt.
Called the Alabama Black Belt Adventures, the initia-
tive is tailored after the successful Robert Trent Jones
Golf Trail and the Alabama Quail Trail.
The initiative currently has 22 hunting and/or fishing
camps and lodges lined up to participate in the program
with more expected to be added. The initiative not only
promotes a wide variety of outdoors activities but also
the many historical and cultural attractions available in
the Black Belt. The Website www.alabamablackbelt
adventures.com and an extensive marketing campaign
are being spearheaded by Luckie & Co. of Birmingham.
“The Black Belt, as you know, is rich soil, rich heritage
and history, abundant wildlife and outdoor recreation,”
said State Rep. John Knight of Montgomery. “It is a
region of honest, hard-working Alabamians. Those are
the assets of one of America’s unique regions – the
Alabama Black Belt. What we’re talking about not only
means so much to the Black Belt, but so much to the
State of Alabama.
“Last year I was pleased to begin working with many of
our outdoor recreation and economic development lead-
continued on 31

Photo by Buster Wolfe

BASS founder Ray Scott, right, chats with Buckmasters founder Jackie Bushman as Conservation Commissioner
Barnett Lawley introduces Bullock County Commission Chairman Ron Smith (front right) at the unveiling of
the Black Belt Adventures economic initiative at Southern Sportsman Lodge at Hayneville.

ACE Magazine  27
Alabama Black Belt Adventures Launched –
ers to develop a way to take the Black Belt’s abundant
resources and use them to create jobs and opportunities
for our people. Alabama Black Belt Adventures will make
Alabama one of the top destination points in America to
hunt, fish, hike, bike ride, bird watch, ride horses and
enjoy our many other outdoors opportunities. There are
so many opportunities wrapped up in this adventure. My
goal for the initiative is simple – take the God-given natu-
ral resources of the Black Belt and use and promote them
to help all the people of the Black Belt.”
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources (ADCNR) Commissioner Barnett Lawley worked
with Rep. Knight, Economic Development Director Neal
Wade, Harris and Tim Gothard of the Alabama Wildlife
Federation to hash out the details of the initiative.
“We met about a year-and-a-half ago at Thomas’
house about what we could do to create economic oppor-
tunity for the Black Belt and make it sustainable,” Lawley
said. “We came to the realization that heavy industry,
such as the automotive industry, was not going to work
because of several reasons – lack of infrastructure and
lack of a workforce. What we did realize is there was no
shortage of natural resources and outdoor opportunities
within the Black Belt. The resources are continually
flourishing because of the soil, the black prairie soil,
hence the Black Belt. There’s no other place in the world
that has the rich nutrients that this soil continues to pro-
duce every year.
“Our goal is to harness the resources that are created
from this, promote them to boost tourism in the Black Belt
through a marketing program that we are developing for
outdoor opportunities. In doing so, we expand job oppor-
tunities. In addition to the vast hunting, fishing, hiking,
biking, bird-watching, kayaking and other opportunities
the Black Belt naturally offers the citizens and the people
of this country, there is really something special about the
historical amenities offered by the Black Belt. We’re talk-
ing about the Southern cuisine, the historical sites through-
out the Black Belt or just the friendly people located
throughout the region. There are many attractions other
than hunting and fishing that people can enjoy.”
Lawley said the ADCNR will create education programs
at the State Cattle Ranch in Hale County, a Forever Wild
acquisition, and the Auburn Research Facility in Camden
to help landowners and farmers improve their wildlife
habitat. Lawley also said the program would also ensure
the cultural aspects of the Black Belt are not affected.
“During the effort to brand the Black Belt as a premier
destination for outdoors adventures, we’re going to strive
to protect the heritage, the history and culture of the
region while harnessing and expanding the natural
resources that are so abundant,” Lawley said. “The infra-
continued
structure to support this initiative is already here, already
in place. This is not something new we have to do. We
want to work with, expand existing facilities and help
create new ones. By marketing this area and creating
activities by use of the natural resources is going to have
an economic impact on every community in the Black
Belt. The abundance of land and natural resources in the
Black Belt is unlike any other place in the world.”
State Sen. Roger Bedford of Russellville said his sup-
port of the initiative is grounded in his lifelong love of the
outdoors in Alabama.
“I grew up hunting and fishing all over Alabama with
my granddad and dad,” Bedford said. “Now I have the
privilege of hunting with my son, now 22, all across the
Black Belt. I appreciate the values that come from being
in the outdoors with your children and instilling those
values in them. God gave us this land to be stewards of
it. I think Black Belt Adventures is a step in the right
direction – not only from the hunting and fishing but the
fellowship and the image improvement for Alabama.
“In this time of divided politics where they talk about
red issues and blue issues, we come together today in a
bipartisan manner on an issue that’s red, white and blue.
And I’m glad to be a small part of it.”
Ray Scott, founder of the Bass Anglers Sportsman’s
Society (BASS) and resident of the Black Belt at Pintlala,
said seizing on opportunities is what made his ventures
into bass fishing and the creation of the Whitetail Institute
so successful.
“That’s exactly what we’re doing here,” Scott said.
“We’re taking something that is so obviously evident and
putting a saddle on it. I think it’s going to be one of the
best doggone programs that’s ever happened.”
Jackie Bushman of Montgomery said he followed
Scott’s lead when he formed the hunting organization
Buckmasters.
“What we wanted to do was promote hunting,” Bushman
said of the birth of Buckmasters. “It doesn’t get any better
than this. Where else can you hunt something for seven
months out of the year? It doesn’t happen many places.
Some states have only seven or eight days of hunting. We
have it all right here. We’ve got this opportunity now and
we can make it happen.
“After 20 years in TV, we do 26 original shows a year
and a third of those shows are done right here in the
Black Belt. It doesn’t get any better than this… I was born
and raised in Alabama and I will die here. I love Alabama
and I love the outdoors. This will accentuate everything
we do. I will promote it every chance I can.”
Visit www.outdooralabama.com to learn more about the
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
or to read previous columns by David Rainer. l
ACE Magazine  31
River Region Military News
Local Organization Donates To Troop Support Project
R
ecently the Alabama Conservation Enforcement
Officers Association (ACEOA) made a donation to
Strength for Soldiers, a non-profit organization that
raises money for the devotional books and helps assist
deployed chaplains with items they need.
The ACEOA is a non-profit organization founded by
Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers and con-
cerned citizens whose main objective is Resource
Protection through Education.
When they heard about Strength for Soldiers they
quickly acted to see what they could do to help. When
the ACEOA realized Audra Mickle, a Troy University
student, was raising money for Strength for Soldiers they
generously donated $500 dollars to the cause.
ACEOA’s Executive Director Rusty Morrow said, “It was
an easy decision for us to make as an organization. It’s
for a good cause and it’s something we believe in. We are
even considering putting Strength for Soldiers in our
annual budget.”
An article about Strength for Soldiers ran in the
Advertiser in March and since that time, more than
$3,000 has been donated to the project, Mickle said.
To make a donation, make checks out to Strength for
Soldiers and mail to: Strength for Soldiers, 209 Sweet
Briar Lane, Prattville, AL 36067
Mickle said donations of any size are welcome and she
will put labels inside the book covers letting the soldiers
know where and who the books came from. The dona-
tions are also tax deductible, Mickle said.
 l
ACE Magazine  35
Noodling ~ One Man’s Journey
From Skeptic To Fanatic
by Jerry L. Fincher, ACEOA Associate Director, District II, Talladega County CEO

First Impressions

“Y
ou are crazy!” These were the exact words uttered
by me to Shelby County Conservation Officer Brad
Gavins as I watched him dive under the waters of
Lay Lake, reach his hand under a concrete slab, and pull
a 25 pound flathead catfish from its hiding place. Little did
I know that before the month was over, I would be addicted
to this activity.
My encounter with Officer Gavins, (Brad), was not the first
time that I had witnessed noodling, grabbling, or whatever name
you may use to identify fishing by hand. On many occasions, I
had stopped my patrol boat to observe people noodling.
However, I had always pulled away with the same opinion; this
is interesting to watch, but I’ll never do it. This all changed when
Brad called and invited me to join him and Lt. Cliff Robinson
on a noodling trip on Lay Lake. He told me he needed people
to block the holes around the slab in order to prevent the fish
from escaping. Not wanting to look like a wimp and not seeing under the concrete and placed his hand in the fish’s mouth.
any harm in simply blocking the holes, I said I would go. Many times a fish, especially a big one, will bite your hand and
lay still until it is pulled from the slab. This one did exactly that.
First Encounter Brad asked Taylor if he had a good hold, and Taylor confidently
stated that he did. “If you’re sure, pull it out,” Brad directed. As
The month was May, the water was cold, the slab was sur- Taylor began pulling on the fish, it began thrashing wildly. Taylor
rounded by dense vegetation, and I was doing more than my made a face that words cannot express, screamed loudly, and
fair share of second guessing what I was about to do. You know threw the fish about five feet into the air. He said that it slipped.
that what-am-I-doing-here feeling you get as a roller coaster Maybe it did; only God, Taylor, and the fish know for sure.
tops that first hill. However, after watching Brad pull several fish Personally, I have my doubts.
from beneath the concrete, my apprehension was slowly turning
to excitement. On this trip, my job consisted of placing my feet,
arms, and legs into the holes around the slab. Occasionally, the
If At First You Don’t Succeed,
whole slab would shake with a thud which felt as though some-
one had hit it with a sledge hammer, the result of the fish
God May Be Telling You
slamming its back into the concrete. Eventually, I did catch a Something
fish; however, I did it by catching it on a PVC pipe with a treble
hook attached to it. I was really excited about my first catch. The next fish Brad located was deep, about six feet at the
That is, until Brad informed me that using a treble hook was end of a boat ramp. I had decided that to save face, I had to
cheating and that a true sportsman wouldn’t be caught dead try to catch one using Brad’s purist techniques. After all, I was
using anything but his hands. the game warden; I couldn’t let some kid out do me. After
On our next outing, Brad and I invited Houston and Taylor taking the deepest breath possible, I dove down, felt for the
Hollingsworth, friends of my son Colt, to help block holes. We hole beneath the slab, stuck my arm in up to the shoulder, and
all traveled to Logan Martin Lake, an impoundment north of attempted to find the fish’s mouth. The fish kept moving to
Lay Lake on the Coosa River. It didn’t take long before Brad had the rear of the hole, and I kept running out of air. I kept swim-
located a fish. Brad asked Taylor if he would like to catch this ming down and racing back to the surface to breathe. I
one. Taylor looked more than a little concerned as he reached continued on 43

ACE Magazine  39
Noodling ~ One Man’s Journey – continued
repeated this process until I was thoroughly worn out. Brad
was wearing a weight belt which helped him get down quickly
and keep him down once there. I forgot to mention that Brad
can hold his breath for an unusually long time; I, on the other
hand, can not.
I had once again returned to the surface for a much needed
breath when I felt Brad shake violently and his hand grab my
leg. He had caught the fish but was running out of air. Often it
takes a while to get a fish out of a hole. The fish may have
entered through a larger opening, or, once inside, it may have
fanned debris into the opening, making extraction impossible
without a little excavating.
In response to Brad’s movements, I dove down, felt the slick
form of the fish’s head, found its mouth, and shoved a hand
inside. I placed the other hand in a gill, and began pulling. To
make matters worse, I did not have a diving mask, and the water
being forced up my nose had given me a throbbing headache.
In addition, visibility was about two inches. Eventually, I found
myself kicking toward the surface with a twenty-eight pound
flathead in tow. Once I reached the surface, my troubles were
not over. I was in six feet of water, three inches deeper than I
am tall. My hands were being used to hold the fish, making it
extremely difficult to stay afloat. The fish, on the other hand,
was doing all it could to return to the bottom, and the tide was
turning in favor of the fish. Thankfully, Taylor grabbed my arm
and towed the whole sorry lot, fish and half-drowned officer, to
the bank. No longer a noodling virgin, after a short recovery
period, I was anxious to find another fish; adrenaline is a won-
derful thing.
Before dark forced us from the lake, we had boated thirteen
large flatheads. Even the cold trip back to the dock could not
dampen my newfound enthusiasm for noodling. All the water
forced up my nose, however, resulted in a sinus infection which
took two rounds of antibiotics to get rid of, but I had proven
myself. My wife said I had simply proven what she had always
known; I was insane.
A Wild Ride
Now that I fancied myself a pro and was talking to others
about noodling as though I had created the entire sport, I
thought it a good idea to go to a part of the lake where I had
never seen anyone noodling, the river channel below Logan
Martin Dam. I thought this area would surely hold some big fish;
I was right. One Sunday after church, Brad, my son Colt, my
wife Rene,’ and I headed up river toward Logan Martin Dam.
While working, I had located several likely looking slabs, old,
broken, and undercut. Most of these turned out to be void of
fish. Eventually, we located an old slab which had several large
holes beneath it. Brad approached from the down river side,
Colt from the upriver side, and I came in from the deep end.
Colt stuck a stick in a hole under his side of the slab and Brad
yelled loudly. “What’s the matter?” I asked. Brad said, “A fish
hit my leg, hard.” The fish was trying to escape through the
other side of the slab and had run headlong into Brad’s leg.
Since then, I have had several fish run into, over, and under me.
Once, while sitting in neck-deep water, a fish literally ran into
my chest. All I could do was wrap my arms around its body and
hold on until Colt could grab its gills. On this occasion, however,
Brad took a deep breath and disappeared beneath the water as
Colt and I attempted to block the other openings. A few seconds
later, Brad’s feet appeared above the water. They were moving
back and forth, shaking so violently that he literally threw a
shoe from his foot. The fast moving water caught the shoe and
it went floating downstream. Not knowing if Brad was stuck and
panicking or simply fighting a big fish, I dove down and ran my
hand over Brad’s back and down his arm. Just below his elbow,
I felt the unmistakable slick, rounded head of a big catfish. I put
a hand in a gill and pulled. The fish weighed nearly forty pounds.
It had swallowed Brad’s arm almost to the elbow, leaving Brad
without the leverage needed to pull the fish from the slab.
Since these first fateful trips, which I will never forget, I now
find myself scanning the banks as I work the river. Yes, I am
always looking for violators of Alabama’s conservation law, but,
now, I am also evaluating ramps and sea walls: is there a silt or
a rock bottom, is it an outside or inside bend, how old is the
structure, has the ramp been maintained, is there much current,
or how fast does the bank drop. All factors which affect the
productivity of a ramp.
Not For The Faint Of Heart
Noodling can be dangerous. Internet sources indicate as
many as sixty-nine people in the U. S. have died while noodling,
usually the result of drowning or being bitten by venomous
snakes. Other injuries listed on the internet included losing
digits to beavers, musk rats, and snapping turtles. Personally,
I am more concerned with man-made structures such as elec-
continued on 47
ACE Magazine  43
Noodling ~ One Man’s Journey – continued

trical lines and objects which could trap an arm beneath a slab.
Once, in an attempt to pull a fish through a hole smaller than
its head, I pulled so hard that the fish’s head became stuck.
When I attempted to release it in order to surface, my gloved
hand had become trapped in the fish’s mouth. Luckily, the water
was relatively shallow, allowing me, with a little help, to get my
head above water. I was eventually able to place my feet on
either side of the hole and pull the fish from beneath the slab.
Caught up in my desire to catch the fish, I had almost waited
too long before attempting to surface, a novice mistake that I
will not repeat.
Another novice mistake is to noodle without gloves, a
mistake not usually made more than once. Some fish, espe-
cially blue cats, will spin or roll their bodies after they bite.
This can result in the loss of skin, which is bad enough on its
own, but, worse yet, the loss of skin can create a route for
bacteria from contaminated water to enter the body. My only
noodling injury resulted from my attempt to catch a small
fish. Due to the small size of the fish, I didn’t think that gloves
were necessary. I was wrong. Smaller fish will sometimes fight
more violently than their larger relatives, resulting in a bloody
hand unless it is gloved. Another good idea is to wear shoes.
Old tennis shoes do an excellent job of protecting the feet
from rough concrete.
Some noodlers use S.C.U.B.A. gear; this is not neces-
sary. However, I would recommend using a diving mask;
especially if you are prone to sinus infections. The one thing
that a noodler should never be without is a partner. In fact,
a group of people is best, and one of the group should
always remain above water to watch for signs of trouble.
to catch it was truly a sight to see. Instead of going alone, I
usually take a boat load of people. All of them do not fish; some
drive the boat while others simply enjoy the show. However, we
always have a great time. Most noodlers release the fish they
catch. However, if keeping the fish is your goal, they go great
with hush puppies, taking several people with you gives you the
option of keeping more of them. Alabama State law currently
prohibits the possession of more than one catfish per day over
34 inches in total length.
Do It Right
The increased popularity of noodling has been accompanied
by an increase in the number of complaints from lake front
home owners to law enforcement. While it is legal to noodle
from the public waters around privately owned boat ramps and
sea walls, if the owner is present, I always ask for permission.
Most of the time, the home owner does not mind and, in fact,
will usually ask to watch. However, I have been asked to leave,
a request that I always honor. To do otherwise would invite
conflict; I fish for enjoyment not trouble. Other activities to
avoid are walking from ramp to ramp on the bank or getting on
private piers. Alabama law prohibits accessing public waters
through private property without the permission of the land-
owner. In addition, watch your language, pick up your trash, be
courteous to home owners and other fishermen, and always be
in possession of a valid Alabama fishing license. If we all do
these things, we can continue to experience the exhilaration of
noodling for generations to come.
Be Careful and Good Noodling l

A Sport For The Whole Family

Noodling is not the exclusive domain of the southern, red-
necked male. I have observed children as young as six, men as
old as sixty, and women of all ages noodling and having a blast.
The first time I witnessed a female noodler was during a drought.
The water level was so low that she was literally lying in the mud
and reaching into a pool of water beneath a slab. Undeterred
by the harsh conditions, she pulled two large fish from small
pool of water; one weighed twenty-five pounds and the other
fifteen. I asked her husband, who was comfortably watching
from the cushioned seat of his bass boat, if she could also cook.
He stated that indeed she was a fine cook. I then asked if she
had a sister. He stated that she was an only child. Some guys
have all the luck.
As I have already mentioned, noodling alone is extremely
dangerous. It is also no fun. Noodling is a sport best shared
with friends. One of my fondest noodling memories occurred
when my son dropped a thirty pound fish. The disoriented fish
ran up the ramp and grounded itself. The ensuing mad dash
and open field tackling by the herd of teenage boys attempting

ACE Magazine  47
Youth Fishing Rodeos: Making A Difference
by Ken White
W
hen Aurora Thomas got up on a recent Saturday
morning, he did not like what he was hearing. The
sound of rain drops hitting the roof would have
been enough to make some folks want to just give up.
Fortunately, Aurora isn’t one of those folks. Despite rain
coming down pretty good in the early morning hours, he
loaded up his gear and headed down to Blue Springs
State Park. This was the scheduled day for the Annual
Blue Springs Youth Fishing Rodeo and the show would go
on. Eighty-eight youth registered for the 7th Annual Blue
Springs Youth Fishing Rodeo.
The Lake Eufaula Bass Club had a fishing tournament
which was held along the banks of the Old Creek Town
Park in Eufaula for years. At the time, Mike Heath was
assigned to Barbour County and he kept watching the
success of that event through the years. It made Mike
wonder if another tournament, held in the southern part
of Barbour County would work. He finally put the plan
into action seven years ago and the result is a spring day
the area youth look forward to with great anticipation. He
looked around and decided the small lake at Blue Springs
State Park would make the perfect setting for this event.
With a covered pavilion that could be used on rainy days
or provide a medium of shade from the glaring sun, a
work area for registration and preparing a few hundred
hot dogs was assured. That also, does not take into
account the fact Blue Springs has some of the coldest
spring waters in Alabama you can ever take a dip in. The
lake would be stocked with catfish to give these young
anglers a distinct learning advantage, while guaranteeing
the key ingredient, FUN, would be present.
Registration opened at 7:00 a.m. and 88 youth regis-
tered for the 7th Annual Blue Springs Youth Fishing
Rodeo. The fishing action got going hot and heavy at
8:00 a.m. and ended as the siren sounded at 10:00 a.m.
A line formed at the scales and weigh-in got underway.
Following the close of weigh-in everyone was treated to a
hot dog luncheon. Dividing the youth into three age
groups allows for a fair and equitable competition range.
The overall winners are determined by heaviest stringer
weight for first and second place honors in each division.
In addition to these places, the heaviest fish and smallest
fish won individual awards. After everyone enjoyed a
great lunch, winners were announced in the age groups
as follows:
0-6 Yrs. age group:
  First Place –
   Tyler Morris Eufaula, AL 17 lbs. – 11 oz.
  Second Place –
   Sarah Beth Scott Ariton, AL 14 lbs. – 09 oz.
7-9 Yrs. age group:
  First Place –
   Krista Habron Ashford, AL 17 lbs. – 09 oz.
  Second Place –
   Andrew Meyers Eufaula, AL 17 lbs. – 03 oz.
10-13 Yrs. age group:
  First Place –
   Courtney Searcy Eufaula, AL 16 lbs. – 00 oz.
  Second Place –
   Chris Porter Ozark, AL 15 lbs. – 06 oz.
Big Fish:
  Isiah Meyers     Eufaula, AL 5 lbs. – 01 oz. Catfish
Smallest Fish:
  Daniel Grantham    Skipperville, AL 3-ounce Bream
Following the announcement of the winners, ticket
numbers were drawn. Each youth in attendance went
home with a memento of a most enjoyable morning
spent on the banks of a small lake in south Alabama
doing a little cat fishing.
This event is a success due to the volunteers that assist
and the several Alabama Conservation Enforcement
Officers that attend. It also takes the financial and product
contributions of many area and county businesses, indi-
viduals and organization such as the Alabama Conservation
Enforcement Officers Association to bear the costs of
such an event Helping to make the morning a huge suc-
cess were: Mike Heath, Joe Carroll, Chris Lewis, Mike
Cox, Rob McCarter and Tim Ward of the Wildlife and
Freshwater Fisheries Division. They were also assisted by
Stephen Hanners of the Eufaula Police Department who
handled the cooking chores. Stephen and his “The
Smokin’ Hole Cooking Team” won overall honors at the
Barbour County Alabama Wildlife Federation Wild Game
Cook-off and will be competing for the state title later this
year. Terry Carter, Blue Springs State Park manager, did
a great job as location host for the event, assisted by Mark
Jernigan. Also, in attendance, was Judge Charlie Hart of
Eufaula. The same teamwork that is found within the local
continued on 51
ACE Magazine  49
Youth Fishing Rodeos: Making A Difference –
area and district law enforcement personnel is carried
over in preserving our outdoor traditions and heritage.
That is how it should be and how it really is when people
care enough to give something back.
Upon being told the Lake Eufaula Bass Club had
decided their youth fishing event would be retired after 35
successful years, Conservation Officer Aurora Thomas
took it upon himself to assure the youth of Eufaula would
continue to have some type of fishing event they could
enjoy. Aurora had assumed leadership of the Blue Springs
event as Mike Heath was transferred to Dale County three
years ago so getting the Eufaula event was just a matter
of making all things come together. The first thing
needed was a pond which was near town and could be
stocked with catfish. The event format would follow that
of Blue Springs. The right place turned out to be a private
pond which is located on Ken and Jerri Ludlam’s Hillside
Ranch, located within the city limits of Eufaula. Ken and
Jerri are known for their work with youth as part of their
successful horse ranch and they graciously offered the
use of their pond. In addition to providing boarding and
riding lessons, they are part of a special group of caring
folks that work with the Personal Ponies project. This
program provides special needs kids with their own real,
live 30-inch and under UK Shetland Pony.
Following the same basic format and guidelines as the
Blue Springs event, the inaugural Eufaula Youth Fishing
Rodeo was organized and held the weekend following the
Blue Springs Youth Fishing Rodeo. This event got off to
a great start as 78 youth registered for this event. Many
of these young anglers had enjoyed the Lake Eufaula
Bass Club’s Young People Fishing Rodeo and were look-
ing forward to their day at the lake with their family and
friends. Again, the youth were treated to a hot dog lun-
cheon following the close of weigh-in and the winners
were announced following lunch. Just as at Blue Springs,
each youth left with a door prize and the overall age
group winners of the very first Eufaula Youth Fishing
Rodeo are as follows:
0-6 Yrs. age group:
  Shawn Thrash Eufaula, AL 16.875 lbs.
7-9 Yrs. age group:
  Amelia Holmes Eufaula, AL 15.00 lbs.
10-13 Yrs. age group:
  Cassandra Gifford Eufaula, Al 14.00 lbs.
Assisting Aurora Thomas were several volunteers from
his fellow officers. Chris Lewis, Blake Nowling, Stacey
Lush, Lowell Williams and Larry Doster represented the
continued
conservation enforcement officers with Ken Weathers
from the Fisheries Biology department also working the
event. Local outdoorsman, Jimmy Priest, oversaw the
cooking chores and was assisted by Lou Dawdry while
Darrell Harris, Angie Meyers and Lamar Morris assisted
with putting the prize packages together. Once again,
Judge Charlie Hart was on hand to offer his support and
assistance and to see first hand another well- designed
event to help keep the local and area youth on the right
pathway of life.
“This event cannot happen without the support and
generous giving of our local merchants, businesses and
caring individuals,” stated Thomas. “Giving back to the
outdoor world we enjoy so very much is easy when you
see the smiles on the faces of those kids when that ole’
cat is in the net and being hauled to the bank. Thanks to
everyone that made it happen and thanks to all of our
supporters like the Alabama Conservation Enforcement
Officers Association, Golden Flake, RC Cola, Flowers
Baking Company, Young’s Bigmouth Shop, J&M Plastics,
Southern Plastics and a host of other supporters too
many to name.”
Do these events make a difference? Consider that the
weather came into play for each of these events and this
muted attendance for Blue Springs which usually num-
bers well over one hundred entrants and it was Eufaula’s
first event. These youths got to enjoy traditional southern-
style cat fishing and some great interaction with our
conservation enforcement officers and caring outdoors-
men. Youth were registered from sixteen surrounding
towns and three states were represented. This is a great
statement about the Alabama Department of Conservation,
with its great “Step Outdoors©” programs and sponsor-
ships, organizations such as the Alabama Conservation
Enforcement Officers Association and Alabama out-
doorsmen committed to the continuation of our outdoor
heritage and values. That continuation lies within the
hands, and minds, of the youth of our communities as
they lead into the future. l
ACE Magazine  51
Youth Fishing Rodeos: Making A Difference – continued

May-2009 Blue Springs State Park Youth Fishing Rodeo

General Fishing Participants Shot. Andrew Meyers with a good’un.

Mike Heath (L) and Aurora Thomas (R) Daniel Grantham (L) and Weston Grantham (R)
getting the food line in order. show off their day’s catch.

Chow Time. Tyler Morris; (6-Under); First Place; 17 lbs.-11 oz.

Sara Beth Scott; (6-Under); Second Place; 14 lbs.-09 oz.

ACE Magazine  53
Youth Fishing Rodeos: Making A Difference – continued

May-2009 Blue Springs State Park Youth Fishing Rodeo

Krista Habron; (7-9 yrs.); First Place; 17 lbs.-09 oz. Andrew Meyers; (7-9 yrs.); Second Place; 17 lbs.-05 oz.

Courtney Searcy; (10-13 yrs.); First Place; 16 lbs.-00 oz. Chris Porter; (10-13 yrs.); Second Place; 15 lbs.-06 oz.

Isiah Meyers; Biggest Fish; 5 lbs.-01 oz. Daniel Grantham; Smallest Fish; 0 lbs.-03 oz.

Group Picture of all winners.

ACE Magazine  55
Youth Fishing Rodeos: Making A Difference – continued

May-2009 Eufaula Youth Fishing Rodeo  (Photos by Ken White)

A great crowd enjoyed the inaugural Eufaula Youth Fishing Katelynn Letcher weighs in as weigh-master Chris Lewis gets
Rodeo. ready to call the total.

Lowell Williams, Stacey Lush, Darrell Harris and Sterling

Thomas get the prize packages ready. Shawn Thrash winner of the (6-under).

Amelia Holmes winner of the (7-9 yrs.). Cassandra Gifford winner of the (10-13 yrs).

Everyone is checking their ticket numbers for the door prize Ken Weathers, fisheries biologist, and Judge Charlie Hart
giveaways. discuss the mornings activities.

ACE Magazine  57
Department Honor Guard
T
he idea and dream of a Department sponsored the Honor Guard’s practice. Mr. Turberville’s first period
Honor Guard has become a reality. Previously, we Agri-business class at Tanner High School in Limestone
have relied on other agencies to provide an Honor County utilized their skills to build these caskets. These
Guard for our officers killed in line of duty or natural students accepted the challenge and the outcome is
death. Through the efforts of our Commissioner, Asst. exceptional. Their hard work is to be highly praised.
Commissioner and Directors, effective October 2009, Director –
our Department Honor Guard will be prepared to provide   John Thomas Jenkins—Statewide Commander
this deserved and honored service.   Lt. Ryan Bennett—State Coordinator
Commissioner Barnett Lawley realized the importance
North Team
of having a Department sponsored Honor Guard and
  Larry Adams (Commander)—AMP
approved its creation. Assistant Commissioner Sealy,
being supportive of this idea, brought his past military Central Team
experience to the table during the inception of the   Capt. Larry Hicks (Commander)—WFFLE
Department Honor Guard. He worked closely with the South Team
division directors and chiefs to move forward with the   Capt. Scott Bannon (Commander)—AMRD l
formation of this newly created unit. Directors, officers,
and supervisors have worked very hard making this
dream become a reality. Without the commitment of
Commissioner Lawley, Asst. Commissioner Sealy and
the Division Directors, the Department Honor Guard
would not exist. During these hard economic times the
decision to fund and support this new venture is to be
commended. The Honor Guard is comprised of officers
volunteering from all Divisions of the Department of
Conservation. Officers participating in the Honor Guard
have a huge responsibility and are working hard to mas-
ter the required knowledge and skill for this special unit.
There is a sense of pride knowing the Department of
Conservation has its own Honor Guard available to assist
in showing our respect to the family upon the death of
one of our own.
The ACEOA has been very supportive of the Department (l to r) Firing Line: Josh Hughes, Luke Lemley,
Honor Guard donating automatic bugles and money to Steve Makowsky, Bryan Fisher, Joe Lindsey, Jeff Lowery,
buy the materials for building two caskets with stands for Scott Kellenberger. Back Row: Larry Adams.

Front row (l to r) Bryan Fisher, Steve Makowsky, Luke Lemley,

Center (Saluting) Larry Adams. Back row (l to r)
Scott Kellenberger, Jeff Lowery, Joe Lindsey. Practice makes perfect – Central Alabama Team.

ACE Magazine  59
Department Honor Guard – continued

Tanner High School. Front row (l to r) Capt. Johnny Johnson, Jessica Peden, Jeffery Clark, Brandon Waite, Isaiah Smith,
Zack Scott, CEO Ernie Stephens. Back row (l to r) Mr. Keith Turberville (teacher), Marcus O’Campo, Jeremiah Gonzalez-Olsen,
DeAundra Nelson, Jeffrey Horton, Matthew Jarrett, CEO Bryan Fisher.

ACE Magazine  61
Lakepoint Resort State Park Celebrates Grand Opening

CONTACT: Randy Jinks

334-353-4125

Lakepoint Resort State Park Celebrates its Grand Opening

After almost two years of renovations, one of the most popular state parks in Alabama is looking better than
ever. The grand opening of the new and improved Lakepoint Resort State Park in Eufaula, Ala. has finally
arrived. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) held a ribbon cutting
ceremony September 29, 2009 at the lodge entrance at 10 a.m

ADCNR Commissioner Barnett Lawley thinks the renovation was well worth the wait. “Lakepoint is a gem
in the State Parks system that is important to the City of Eufaula and to the rest of the state as well because it
serves as a unique destination spot for anglers, business conventions, and family functions,” Lawley said. “We
are proud to be able to provide such a unique and beautiful facility to visitors from across the southeast.”

The showpiece of the park is the extensively renovated resort lodge and convention center. The
improvements are immediately noticeable in the main lobby as you are greeted by a more contemporary interior
design. The transformation of the lodge extends to the new Lakeside Terrace as well, which overlooks Lake
Eufaula and is perfect for wedding receptions or other gatherings.

Each of the 101 lodge guestrooms have been upgraded and include exclusive photos of the Eufaula area by
local photographer Todd Adams. In addition to the lodge improvements, 10 lakeside cottages offer some of the
best accommodations in southeast Alabama. There are a total of 29 cabins in the park. Handicap-accessible
cottages are available.

A new menu and expanded dining room enrich the Lakepoint dining experience as well. The Marina Grill
also has a new outdoor patio that overlooks Lake Eufaula, and is open Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. – 8:30
p.m., and Saturday, 6:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

For more information about Lakepoint Resort State Park accommodations and activities visit,
www.alapark.com/LakePointResort/.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management
and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State
Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR, visit
www.outdooralabama.com.

ACE Magazine  63
Lakepoint Resort State Park Celebrates Grand Opening – continued

Lakepoint Resort – Main Lobby. Lakepoint Resort Terrace.

Lakepoint Resort ribbon cutting.

ACE Magazine  65
ACEOA Second Annual Top Gun Event
by Trey Pose, ACEOA Vice-President
T
he Southern Sportsman Lodge was once again the
location for the ACEOA annual meeting. This year
Top Guns from all six districts met at the Lodge to
compete against each other in the Second Annual
ACEOA Top Gun Event. Throughout the year District
Directors held local events allowing association members
to qualify for the annual event. The shooters present were
Ernie Stephens, Jim Kirkland, Mike Nelson, Chris
Jaworoski, Danny Faught and Mike Cox. This year’s Top
Gun Event consisted of four different courses of fire with
a possible 475 points and a new Glock 23 at stake.
The shooters were divided into random pairs by draw-
ing numbers and began the course by firing at a dueling
tree. Each shooter was given three magazines loaded
with four rounds and a 1 minute time limit. The winner
was decided by putting the most plates on the opponent’s
side in the allotted time. The winner of each round
received 15 pts toward their total score.
The second course of fire was the A.P.O.S.T. qualifica-
tion course. Shooters were given no barricades and were
strictly held to the time limits with a penalty of five points
assessed for firing after the whistle. A high score of 100
points was possible with two shooters, Jim Kirkland and
Danny Faught both scoring perfect targets.
The third course of fire this year was a simulated
combat course. The course consisted of 14 targets and
shooters were given only 14 rounds and two minutes to
clear the course. Shooters were required to make at least
one magazine change during the course and were not
allowed to proceed unless the scored a hit on the target.
Shooters began at the 50 yard line and ran to the 25 yard
line where they had to knock down a steel pepper pop-
per. Next shooters moved from the 25 yard line to the 15
yard line to engage a plate rack consisting of 6 steel
plates at the five yard line. Shooters then moved laterally
on the 15 yard line to a dueling tree also having six plates
and then finally moved laterally again to knock down
another pepper popper. This course of fire proved to be
one of the most difficult with no shooters finishing the
entire course.
The final course of fire the shooters faced was the FBI
Bull’s-eye course. This course is a 30 round course with
a possible 300 points fired from the 25 and 15 yard lines.
After being required to move and shoot and shoot with
time constraints this course was really tough. Shooters
had to calm down and get focused on fundamentals to
score well here.
After the four courses of fire were completed the
scores were tabulated and they were pretty close. Only
one point separated 1st and 2nd place. Coming in 1st
place and winning a new Glock 23 was Jim Kirkland
from District 2. 2nd Place and new Ruger LCP went to
Mike Nelson from District 3 and 3rd place along with a
Cabela’s gift certificate went to Danny Faught from
District 5. Congratulations are in order for all the shooters
and we look forward to this event again next year.
I would also like to thank Vance Wood and Scott
Kellenberger for helping put the courses of fire together
and for helping run the range during the event. Everyone
stayed safe and had a great time. The Association would
also like to thank Tiger McGee for his informative presen-
tation on firearms handling and his help in making sure
we had a safe and enjoyable event. l
continued on 69
ACE Magazine  67
ACEOA Second Annual Top Gun Event – continued

Ki rkla nd ,
i, Trey Po se, Ji m
Ch ris Ja wo ro w sk orro w.
am pi on Ru st y M
an d To p G un Ch

rs !
Sh arp Sh oo te

M ee tin g, To p G
You th Sha rp Sho ote rs! un Ch al le ng e!

ACE Magazine  69
Forever Wild Preserves
More Unique Areas For Public Use
by David Rainer, Outdoor Writer, Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources
A
fter hearing reports on two pieces of property
added to the Forever Wild portfolio, members of
the Forever Wild Board voted last week to pursue
the purchase of two more properties deemed as high
priorities in its task to preserve some of Alabama’s
unique natural areas for public use.
The Board, meeting at Birmingham Southern College,
approved the purchase of the Yates Lake West property
located in Elmore County. The 3,519-acre tract is less
than an hour from Montgomery on Alabama Highway
229. Yates Lake, a 2,500-acre impoundment
south of Lake Martin on the Tallapoosa
River, offers fishing for bass, bream,
crappie, as well as boating. The
property is rolling hills divided by
creeks and ravines with almost
five miles of frontage on the
lake. There is a natural stand
of timber, including native
longleaf pine and mixed hard-
wood. The woodlands provide
excellent habitat for white-
tailed deer and wild turkey.
Greg Lein, who oversees
the Forever Wild Program for
the Alabama Department of
Conservation and Natural
Resources’ State Lands Division,
said Forever Wild purchases prop-
erty for four categories of land use –
nature preserves, recreation areas,
wildlife management areas (WMAs) and
state parks.
“Every nomination is evaluated under all four catego-
ries,” Lein said. “That’s how we objectively decide what
the land is most suitable for. It’s not unusual for a big
property like the Walls of Jericho to be a nature preserve,
a recreation area and a WMA. But what’s unusual is when
the state parks component makes the short list. We give
the board the short list of the top three-scoring properties
in each of these four categories. The Yates Lake West
property short-listed under all four categories, and that’s
never happened before.”
Lein said Yates Lake West is the right size and has the
right attributes to do any of the things that Forever Wild
is authorized to do. “While I’m not suggesting there will
be another state park built there, if we want to, the land
is suitable for that,” he said. “What makes this special is
that Wind Creek and some of the other state parks just
barely have enough land to host the campgrounds. With
(Yates Lake West), you could have a campground on the
shoreline and people could bring their horses to a stable
and then go into the interior and ride horse trails. You
could have hiking trails and mountain biking trails. It’s
part of what the Commissioner (Barnett Lawley) has
recently referred to as ‘a wilderness park concept.’ This
could do that. This land is flat-out gorgeous.
“Part of the magic of Forever Wild is it
doesn’t have to do everything. It just
secures the property and prevents it
from being developed. If a com-
missioner wants to put in a state
park 10 or 15 years from now,
there will be a place to do that
if they so choose.”
The Board also authorized
State Lands to pursue Forest
Legacy Program grant oppor-
tunities to use toward the
possible purchase of the Weil
estate of 1,900 acres, which
adjoins Yates Lake West. Lein
said Alabama has been granted
more than $11 million from the
Forest Legacy Program in the past
eight years.
In an extension of previous action,
the Board authorized the purchase of the
Red Hills Section 21 tract of 645 acres in Monroe
County, which adjoins 1,945 acres the Board voted to
purchase at the June meeting.
“This will create a 2,590-acre nature preserve and
recreation area that will preserve the Red Hills salaman-
der habitat,” Lein said of the state amphibian that is listed
as “threatened” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS). “This is another purchase in partnership with
The Nature Conservancy. We will probably develop some
light recreational activities like hiking trails and the pub-
lic will be able to hunt that.”
Lein said a USFWS Section 6 Habitat Conservation
Program grant will be used to purchase the property. The
continued on 73
ACE Magazine 71

Forever Wild Preserves More Unique Areas For Public Use –
S&C
USFWS makes money available to states for partner
projects that will lead to the downlisting of endangered or
threatened species. If enough of the habitat of the threat-
ened species is preserved, the species may be taken off
CONSTRUCTION,
the threatened or endangered list.
“That’s good for the state’s economy and the forest
industry that uses those type lands,” Lein said. “That
salamander habitat has limited what landowners and
LLC
timber managers could do with their properties. If we can
preserve enough of that habitat and it’s de-listed, that
means Forever Wild is not only good for preserving some
of Alabama’s unique habitat, it also contributes to the
state’s economy.”
The purchases of two pieces of property authorized
by the Board were closed recently. The Big Swamp
P.O. Box 859
Creek addition to the Lowndes WMA will add 1,343
acres to the current 11,118 acres of the WMA for a total
of 12,501 acres.
Flomation, AL 36441
“Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries does the assess-
ment on these type properties,” Lein said. “Their assess-
(251) 296-1107
ment was that it increases the WMA by about 10 percent,
which is significant. And, it adds access on the south end
of the WMA right there off of Highway 80. That’s always
a pretty significant consideration on this size property,
02ad3
continued
especially a wetland property that this WMA is. It was
bought by the U.S. Corps of Engineers primarily as miti-
gation for the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.
“The very nature of wetlands is they’re not easy to
access. So when you can enhance public access to a
tract like that, it makes it especially attractive. That and
the fact it is central Alabama and the Black Belt, where
there has been the ongoing dialogue of doing things in
the Black Belt.”
Also the Old Cahaba Tract in Dallas County has been
added to land acquired by Forever Wild, which will be up
for re-authorization in 2012. The 3,020-acre tract adjoins
the Old Cahaba State Park and site of Alabama’s state
capital in the 1820s.
“This property has frontage on the Cahaba River and
it abuts the Old Cahaba State Park,” Lein said. “This was
another partnership project with The Nature Conservancy.
The property was nominated because of several rare
species of prairie plants. Plus it was on the Cahaba River,
which is unique because of all the aquatic species that
make a home there.”
Visit www.outdooralabama.com to learn more about the
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources or to read previous columns by David Rainer. l
ACE Magazine  73
ACEOA Holds Mini Conventions
Across The State
This was a time for fun, food, family, friends, fellowship and prizes.

District
III

District
IV

ACE Magazine 75
ACEOA HOlds Mini COnvEntiOns ACrOss tHE stAtE – continued

District
V~ IV

ACE Magazine 77
Hunter Education Press Release
and Class Schedule

CONTACT: Hunter Education

800-245-2740

Schedule Hunter Education Class Now

With Alabama’s hunting season just a short time away, those who need to complete a hunter education
class are encouraged to enroll in one now. Attending a hunter education course provides a foundation for
novice hunters and is an excellent refresher for experienced hunters. State law requires those born on or
after August 1, 1977, to successfully complete an approved hunter education course before they can
purchase a hunting license. The minimum age for participating in a hunter education course is 10, but the
Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries encourages all hunting enthusiasts, especially those about to
purchase a license, to enroll in a course soon. Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training certified law
enforcement officers employed in the state, active duty U. S. Military personnel, and Alabama residents
who are active members of the U.S. National Guard are exempt from this requirement.
Alabama is one of 49 states with a mandatory hunter education program. The course is a minimum of
10 hours plus an examination. The certification card is recognized in all other states and Canadian
provinces where hunter education is mandatory before hunting license purchases. Course content includes
hunter responsibility, wildlife laws, wildlife management and identification, firearms safety, archery,
muzzleloading, basic survival and first aid.
Alabama’s hunter education course is offered two ways. It may be taken in a traditional classroom
setting for several sessions followed by an examination. The training is also available as a two-part course,
the first of which can be completed on a computer using a CD-ROM or on the Internet at
www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/education. After completing the computer portion, participants must
then attend a field day to receive their hunter education certification. The CD-ROMs are available at county
Extension System offices and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries district offices.
Hunter education courses are scheduled in all 67 counties throughout Alabama. A complete list of
traditional hunter education courses, CD-ROM/Internet course field days, and registration information is
available online at www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/education. For more information on hunter
education in Alabama, call 1-800-245-2740.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship,
management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine
Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR,
visit www.outdooralabama.com.
###

ACE Magazine  79
Hunter Education Press Release and Class Schedule – continued

Hunter Education Class Schedule

Unless otherwise indicated all classes are for online registration at www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/education.
AUTAUGA COUNTY BLOUNT COUNTY CHAMBERS COUNTY
November 12* August 24, 25, 27 & 28 November 7*
5:30pm – 9:30pm 5pm – 9pm daily 8am – 12pm
Academy Sports in Prattville Bethel Baptist Church in Snead Alfa Building-Lafayette
BALDWIN COUNTY CHEROKEE COUNTY
September 14, 15, 17 & 18
September 8* 5pm – 9pm daily November 7*
6pm – 10pm Plantation Wildlife Hunting Preserve 1pm – 5pm
Five Rivers on Mobile Causeway Rescue Squad Bldg-Centre
October 19, 20 & 22
October 13* 5pm – 9pm daily CHILTON COUNTY
6pm – 10pm Straight Mountain Vol. Fire Dept.
Five Rivers on Mobile Causeway October 26, 27, 29 & 31
November 2, 3 & 5 5pm – 8:30pm weeknights
November 10*
5pm – 9pm daily 8am – 12pm on Sat.
6pm – 10pm
Rickwood Caverns State Park Lecroy Career Tech Ctr. in Clanton
Five Rivers on Mobile Causeway
205-688-5039 to register
December 8* BULLOCK COUNTY
CLARKE COUNTY
6pm – 10pm October 31*
Five Rivers on Mobile Causeway 11am – 5pm October 5, 6 & 7
Great Southern Outdoors 5pm – 9pm daily
BARBOUR COUNTY
Union Springs, AL Al. Southern College-Thomasville
September 12 & 13
8am – 4:30pm on Sat. CLAY COUNTY
BUTLER COUNTY
1pm – 5pm on Sun. November 9, 10 & 12
Wallace College August 24, 25 & 26
5:30pm – 9:30pm daily
334-687-3542 Ext. 4247 to register 6pm – 9:30pm
Clay County Judicial Ctr-Ashland
LBW Campus in Greenville
October 10 & 11 CLEBURNE COUNTY
334-382-2133 to Register
8am – 4:30pm on Sat.
November 7* November 2, 3 & 5
1pm – 5pm on Sun.
8am – 12pm 6pm – 10pm daily
Wallace College
Sherling Lake Heflin Parks & Rec Complex
334-687-3542 Ext. 4247 to register
November 2, 4, 9 & 10 COFFEE COUNTY
CALHOUN COUNTY
6pm – 9pm daily November 9, 10 & 12
Eufaula High School August 24, 25 & 27
5:30pm – 9:00pm
5:30pm – 9:30pm daily
BIBB COUNTY New Brockton Farm Center
JSU Merrill Hall Bldg.
334-347-9467 to Register
September 7, 8 & 10
September 21, 22, 23 & 24 COLBERT COUNTY
6pm – 10pm daily
6pm – 10pm daily
Bibb County Courthouse August 29*
Gadsden State-Ayers Campus
October 27* 8am – 12pm
6pm – 10pm November 2, 3, & 5 Sheffield Rec Center
US Forestry Service- Work Center 5:30pm – 9:30pm daily 256-386-5615 Registration
Co. Rd. 1 in Brent JSU Merrill Hall Bldg.
October 10*
November 16, 17 & 19 December 12* 8am – 12pm
6pm – 10pm daily 9am – 12pm Sheffield Rec Center
Bibb County Courthouse WFF District II Office 256-386-5615 Registration

* Indicates a field day, — (Field days require completion of internet or cd-rom course.)

ACE Magazine  81
Hunter Education Press Release and Class Schedule – continued

Hunter Education Class Schedule

Unless otherwise indicated all classes are for online registration at www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/education.
CONECUH COUNTY DALE COUNTY ETOWAH COUNTY

August 29 & 30 November 19* September 17*

8am – 5pm on Sat. 5:30pm – 9:30pm 5:30-9:30pm
1pm – 5pm on Sun. Bldg 5206 Room 2-Fort Rucker Academy Sports in Gadsden
Ed Reid Tech College-Evergreen December 8* October 15*
251-626-5474 to Register 5:30pm – 9:30pm 5:30-9:30pm
Bldg 5206 Room 2-Fort Rucker Academy Sports in Gadsden
August 30*
1pm – 5pm DALLAS COUNTY November 7 & 8
Ed Reid Tech College-Evergreen September 10* 1pm – 6pm daily
251-262-5474 to Register 5:30pm – 9:30pm Gadsden Community College
FOP Lodge-Selma Browder Hall-Science Lecture Room
COOSA COUNTY
November 5* November 19*
August 29 & 30 5:30pm – 9pm 5:30-9:30pm
8am – 5pm Sat. & 1pm – 4pm Sun. FOP Lodge-Selma Academy Sports in Gadsden
Coosa County Courthouse
DEKALB COUNTY FAYETTE COUNTY
COVINGTON COUNTY
August 24, 25 & 27
August 29*
September 21, 22 & 24 5:30pm – 9:30pm daily
8am – 12pm
5:30pm – 9:00pm daily Desoto State Park Nature Center
Fayette Co. Ext. Office
Covington Co. Ext. Office October 27* 205-932-8941 Registration
November 9, 10, 11 & 12 5:30pm – 9:30pm
October 24*
6pm – 9pm daily Desoto State Park Nature Center
8am – 12pm
LBW Opp Campus ELMORE COUNTY Fayette Co. Ext. Office
334-222-5415 to Register November 7* 205-932-8941 Registration
CRENSHAW COUNTY 8am – 12pm
FRANKLIN COUNTY
Forestry Comm. Office-Wetumpka
August 24, 25 & 27 August 24, 25 & 27
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
5:30pm – 9pm daily 6pm – 10pm daily
LBW Campus in Luverne September 26 & 27 Russellville Community Center
8am – 5pm Sat. & 1pm – 5pm Sun. 256-332-8770 Registration
October 26, 27 & 29 Jeff Davis Comm. College (Atmore)
5:30pm – 9:00pm daily No registration required October 5, 6 & 8
LBW Campus in Luverne 6pm – 10pm daily
September 27* Russellville Community Center
CULLMAN COUNTY 1pm – 5pm 256-332-8770 Registration
Jeff Davis Comm. College (Atmore)
August 27* GENEVA COUNTY
No registration required
5pm – 9pm
November 7 & 8 September 12 & 13
Cornerstone Revival Center
8am – 5pm Sat. & 1pm – 5pm Sun. 8am – 5pm Sat. & 12pm – 2pm Sun.
November 2, 3 & 5 Jeff Davis Comm. College (Brewton) Geneva Middle School
5pm – 9pm daily No registration required 334-222-5415 to Register
Cullman Armory
November 8* November 7 & 8
December 3* 1pm – 5pm 8am – 5pm Sat. & 12pm – 2pm Sun.
5pm – 9pm Jeff Davis Comm. College (Brewton) Geneva Middle School
Cullman Armory No registration required 334-222-5415 to Register

* Indicates a field day, — (Field days require completion of internet or cd-rom course.)

ACE Magazine  83
Hunter Education Press Release and Class Schedule – continued

Hunter Education Class Schedule

Unless otherwise indicated all classes are for online registration at www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/education.
GREENE COUNTY (3) October 8* LOWNDES COUNTY
6pm – 10pm
October 26, 27 & 28 November 7 & 8
Academy Sports-Trussville
6pm – 10pm daily 9am – 5pm Sat. & 1pm – 6pm Sun.
Greene County Ext. Office October 24* Army Corps of Engineers
8am – 12pm 334-358-0035 to Register
HALE COUNTY (3)
Mark’s Outdoors
November 7* MACON COUNTY
November 7*
8am – 12pm
9am – 2pm October 1*
Oakmulgee WMA
Irondale City Hall 6pm – 10pm
HENRY/HOUSTON COUNTY (6) November 17* Macon County Extension Office
6pm – 10pm 334-358-0035 to Register
September 19 & 26
7am – 12pm daily Academy Sports-Hwy 280 MADISON COUNTY
Wallace College December 3*
334-556-2203 to Register September 8*
6pm – 10pm
5pm – 9pm
October 10* Academy Sports-Hwy 280
Gander Mountain
9am – 1pm LAMAR COUNTY
Sportsman’s Outfitters in Dothan September 26*
August 29* 7am – 5pm
November 2, 3 & 5 8am – 12pm Gander Mountain
5:30pm – 9:30pm daily Alabama Forestry Commission
Wallace College October 31 & November 1
November 7*
334-556-2203 to Register 9am – 4pm Sat. & 1pm – 5pm Sun.
8am – 12pm
Madison Co. Career & Tech Ctr
November 14* Alabama Forestry Com. Office
9am – 1pm LAUDERDALE COUNTY MARENGO COUNTY
Sportsman’s Outfitters in Dothan
November 7* October 3*
JACKSON COUNTY 8am – 12pm 9am – 1pm
November 7* ECM East Hospital Foscue Park-Demopolis
8am – 12pm LAWRENCE COUNTY November 7*
Skyline Headquarters 9am – 12pm
October 31 & November 1
JEFFERSON COUNTY 8am – 5pm Sat. & 1pm – 5pm Sun. Foscue Park-Demopolis
Moulton Rec Center
August 24, 25, 27 & 28 MARION COUNTY
6pm – 9pm daily LEE COUNTY
October 10*
Gardendale First Baptist Church September 10* 9am – 1pm
August 29* 6pm – 10pm Marion Co. Ext. Office
9am – 1pm Cooperative Ext. Office in Opelika
Old West Jefferson High School MARSHALL COUNTY
November 10*
September 19* 6pm – 10pm August 29*
8am – 12pm Academy Sports 8am – 2pm
Mark’s Outdoors LIMESTONE COUNTY Guntersville Middle School

September 26* October 19, 20, 26 & 27 October 26, 27 & 29

9am – 1pm 6pm – 9pm daily 6pm – 9:30pm daily
North Park Baptist Church Elkmont Rural Village Guntersville Middle School

* Indicates a field day, — (Field days require completion of internet or cd-rom course.)

ACE Magazine  85
Hunter Education Press Release and Class Schedule – continued

Hunter Education Class Schedule

Unless otherwise indicated all classes are for online registration at www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/education.
MOBILE COUNTY MORGAN COUNTY October 5, 6 & 8
September 10* 6pm – 10pm daily (eastern)
August 29 & 30
6pm – 10pm Central Baptist Church-Phenix City
9am – 4pm Sat. & 1-5pm Sun.
G & D Farm Supply 334-358-0035 to register
Wheeler Wildlife Refuge
September 17* November 2, 3 & 5
November 7 & 8
6pm – 9pm 6pm – 10pm daily (eastern)
9am – 4pm Sat. & 1pm – 5pm Sun.
Academy Sports in Mobile Central Baptist Church-Phenix City
Wheeler Wildlife Refuge
334-358-0035 to register
September 26*
PERRY COUNTY
9am – 12pm SHELBY COUNTY
McCoy’s August 24, 25 & 27 September 3*
September 26* 6pm – 10pm daily 5pm – 9pm
1:30pm – 5pm Marion City Hall Shelby Co. Sheriff Training Center
St. Elmo’s Feed & Seed November 9, 10 & 12 October 10*
October 15* 6pm – 10pm daily 2pm – 5pm
6pm – 9pm Marion City Hall Vincent Revival Center
Academy Sports in Mobile PICKENS COUNTY October 13*
November 19* 5pm – 9pm
November 3, 4 & 5
6pm – 9pm Shelby Co. Sherriff Training Center
6pm – 10pm daily
Academy Sports in Mobile
Carrollton Health Plex November 16, 17 & 18
December 17* 6pm – 10pm daily
6pm – 9pm PIKE COUNTY
Oak Mountain State Park
Academy Sports in Mobile September 1*
ST. CLAIR COUNTY
MONROE COUNTY 6pm – 10pm
Swindall’s RV Park Pavilion October 3*
October 5, 6 & 7
2:30pm – 6pm
6pm – 9pm daily November 3*
Odenville Middle School
Monroe Co. Ag Center 6pm – 10pm
Swindall’s RV Park Pavilion November 7*
November 16, 17 & 18
2:30pm – 6pm
6pm – 9pm daily RANDOLPH COUNTY
Odenville Middle School
Monroe Co. Ag Center
July 25* SUMTER COUNTY
MONTGOMERY COUNTY 9am – 12pm
August 25* Alfa Building November 9, 10 & 12
5:30pm – 9:30pm 6pm – 10pm daily
August 10, 11, 12 & 13 West Alabama-Student Union Bldg
Frazer UMC
5pm – 8pm daily
October 14* TALLADEGA COUNTY
Alfa Building
6pm – 10pm August 24, 25 & 27
Academy Sports November 2, 3, 4 & 5
5:30pm – 9:30pm
5pm – 8pm daily
November 19* Red Eagle Skeet & Trap Club
Alfa Building
6pm – 10pm Childersburg, AL
Academy Sports RUSSELL COUNTY
August 29*
December 8* August 29* 9am – 12pm
6pm – 10pm 10am – 1pm (eastern) Red Eagle Skeet & Trap Club
Academy Sports Russell Co. Sherriff’s Office Childersburg, AL

* Indicates a field day, — (Field days require completion of internet or cd-rom course.)

ACE Magazine  87
 03ad4

Yance Inge &

Associates, Inc.
Hunter Education Press Release and Class Schedule – continued

Hunter Education Class Schedule

Unless otherwise indicated all classes are for online registration at www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/education.
169 Dauphin October
November 9, 10 & 12 St. •13*Mobile, Alabama
November36602
2, 3 & 5
5:30pm – 9:30pm 6pm – 10pm 6pm – 10pm daily
Talladega Ranger Station Alabama Forestry Com.-Northport Bevill State Comm. College

December 5* 251-432-2520
October 28, 29 & 30
6pm – 10pm daily
WASHINGTON COUNTY
2pm – 6pm
Tuscaloosa Co. Ext. Office September 26*
Childersburg Church of God
October 31* 8am – 12pm
TALLAPOOSA COUNTY 8am – 12pm Chatom Public Library
Woods-n-Water
August 29 & 30 WILCOX COUNTY
7:30am – 5pm Sat. @ FOP Lodge November 12*

Northport Pharmacy
1pm – 5:30pm Sun. @ Jerry Brown’s 6pm – 10pm October 3 & 4
256-839-5154 to Register Alabama Forestry Com.-Northport 8am – 5pm Sat.
December 1* 1pm – 5pm Sun.
October 10 & 11 Auburn Exp. Station
6pm – 10pm
7:30am – 5pm Sat.
Academy Sports
1pm – 5pm Sun. WINSTON COUNTY (1)
FOP Lodge Jackson’s Gap WALKER COUNTY
256-839-5154 to Register October 19, 20 & 22
September 1*
909 McFarland Boulevard
6-10pm
5pm – 9pm daily
TUSCALOOSA COUNTY U.S. Forest Service Bldg
Philadelphia Baptist Church
Northport, AL 35476
August 24, 25, & 26 September 26* November 9, 10 & 12
6pm – 10pm daily 8am – 12pm 5pm – 9pm daily
Tuscaloosa Co. Ext. Office 205-339-5800
Walker County Fairgrounds U.S. Forest Service Bldg

* Indicates a field day, — (Field days require completion of internet or cd-rom course.)

ACE Magazine  89
Barbour County
WMA Youth Hunt Huge Success
by Ken White, Photos by Ken White
T
he weather could not have been any better for an
early Saturday morning in February. Blue skies and
moderate temperatures greeted the volunteers arriv-
ing to finalize set-up for the upcoming day’s event.
Nothing, however, could have been more surprising than
the sight that greeted them as they approached the event
staging area. There were kids and adults everywhere!
The registration time of 10:30 a.m., which was scheduled
to open the 12th Annual Barbour County Wildlife
Management Area Youth Hunt was quickly thrown out
the door. Just as quickly, the attendance records were
tossed as a new record of 350 youth participated in this
year’s event.
What would bring 350 youth and their parents, guard-
ians and grandparents to a Wildlife Management Area on
this first Saturday in February? How about a full day and
early evening devoted to nothing but the outdoors and
our hunting heritage? Several venues were established
which depicted and instructed the youths on several
hunting and sport shooting methods. This was followed
by a quick lunch of hot dogs, chips and cola which got
everyone ready for their choice of a squirrel or rabbit
hunting adventure. That is correct! All youth get an
opportunity to venture into the Barbour County woods
and field for a real-life, live-fire hunting experience.
Following an evening meal of more hot dogs, chips and
Dozier Greer of Eufaula gets valuable advice on seeing
the target from Pat Kott, event coordinator,
at the Clay shooting venue.
This event is held on the first Saturday in February as the deer
season is over and small game hunting becomes the top prior-
ity for many of Alabama’s hunters. If there is an additional
need to continue growing this event it is for additional squirrel
dog hunters that will join in and volunteer their expertise for
a day of “giving back.” The smaller the size of the hunting
group, the more success and, therefore, the more fun our
youth will experience. Financial support is always critical and
other sponsors, which would like to follow in the footsteps of
the Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association,
will be greatly appreciated and welcomed. We must always
remember the future of our outdoor heritage and our outdoor
traditions are in the hands of our youth.
For additional information concerning the Barbour County
Wildlife Management Area Youth Hunt contact:
Pat or Rodger Kott
P.O. Box 1076 – Eufaula, AL 36027
Home Phone: 229-334-7009 – Cell Phone: 334-695-1275
Email: kottfam@bellsouth.net
hot chocolate or cola, once the hunts are concluded, the
youth are then treated to a drawing for door prizes. The
evening festivities close out with a traditional coon hunt
in the BCWMA nighttime woods.
The rules for attending the event are very simple. All
youth from “very young” to 15-yrs. old are invited to
participate. All youth younger than eight years old are
required to have a parent or guardian accompany them
on all events. Youths and adults may not bring their per-
sonal firearms to the event. All firearms and ammunition
are furnished for the event by the Alabama DCNR-WFWF
and the experienced outdoorsmen providing their exper-
tise and hunting dogs for the live hunt events. All live fire
events, including the hunts, are under the strict supervi-
sion of the venue instructors or hunt master at all times
and youth only fire while being directly supervised by
such. By the way, there is absolutely no cost to the youth
or the adults to attend this FREE event except the gas it
takes to get to the Barbour County WMA.
Various venues have been added as the event has
grown over the years and the list now features a sampling
of the basic shooting sports for hunting within the local
area. To visit the various venues, which are spread apart
continued on 93
ACE Magazine  91
Barbour County WMA Youth Hunt Huge Success –
for safety, open-air trailers are used to transport the
participants. The BB-gun target shooting venue gets
things off to a good start as all the youth get a chance to
win a BB-gun for the best score in their age group. This
was one of two original venues when the first event was
held and 27 youth attended. While this is where the fun
really starts it is, also, where the very first safety talk
takes place. Shooting a BB-gun is how many youth get
started in the shooting sports and hunting, therefore it is
essential they understand, and are instructed, in the
firearm safety rules.
Next up is the slingshot venue. Here is where Sgt. Mike
Heath has a lot of fun “working” the event. Mike has
developed a pretty fair reputation around the Youth Hunt
when it comes to slingshot accuracy. He also has the
patience and demeanor required to work with youth,
regardless of age. It was he that suggested, in a talk to a
local civic club in Eufaula thirteen years ago, “a youth
hunt to compliment the Eufaula Bass Club’s annual
Young Peoples Fishing Rodeo would be a tremendous
event for someone to sponsor.” The challenge was
accepted by the Eufaula Lions Club. They, then, enlisted
the expertise of the Barbour County Coon Hunters
Association and we now see the results. Mike was joined
by local outdoor experts in providing excellent instruc-
tion on shooting the modern slingshot. He also empha-
sized the particular safety requirements for slingshots as
compared to firearms prior to anyone entering the actual
shooting area.
A little further down the road one could find the
archery venue. This is an always-popular venue and we
had several different instructors working the four-target
Three-year old James Hopkins of Midway gets a helping
hand from Mike Heath at the Slingshot venue.
continued
station set-up. Once again, the safety aspects were dis-
cussed with the emphasis on the individual sport.
Participants were allowed to take shots at the targets
while receiving the one-on-one instruction the Youth
Hunt has become noted for providing.
From the archery venue it was on to the most-popular
venues of the entire event; skeet shooting. Can you take
a youth, who has never fired a shotgun, and watch him,
or her, hit a clay target on one of the first two tries?
Absolutely! Most often it is to the amazement of many of
the parents and adults observing. If you know James
“Jinks” Alteire, then you are not surprised. As the Hunting
Safety Instructor for the southern part of Alabama his
reputation is well earned as one of the best ever when it
comes to working with youth. It takes a lot of patience to
work with young people, especially when working with
live ammo and bunches of kids, but to watch Alteire is to
watch a master at his calling.
The skeet venue grew to a point over the last few years
that one instructional station would not get the job done.
Pat Kott, event coordinator, sets up a second instructional
station, which is provided for use by her and her friends.
Teaming with a Conservation Enforcement Officer and
other experienced outdoorsmen, they form another great
team when it comes to working and instructing the youth
on the art of wing shooting. The ADCNR provides shot-
guns, shells and clays for this venue as part of their
Hunter Education sponsorship, which Alteire oversees.
The last venue the youth visit is the turkey-hunting
venue. Here we had volunteers working with conservation
enforcement officers to provide another opportunity for
continued on 95
Sam Pope of Chattahoochee Game Calls demonstrates
turkey calling techniques to youth visiting the first station
stop of the turkey hunting venue.
ACE Magazine  93
Barbour County WMA Youth Hunt Huge Success –
education concerning the wild turkey. We were fortunate
this year to have a booth which was set up and manned
by Sgt. Aurora Thomas and the owners, Sam and Grace
Pope, of Chattahoochee Game Calls which is located
near Abbeville, AL. They provided turkey calls to the first
300 youth to visit their booth. Sam is well known for his
turkey hunting and calling and he demonstrated several
calls while providing great instructions to the youth. It
was not long before the sounds of turkey calls filled the
morning air as the youth gave their own calls a try. One
had to wonder just what the real deer, squirrels, armadil-
los and turkeys within the area were thinking. From this
booth, the youth moved on down the trail just a bit to
another area which had a decoy spread set-up. Here the
volunteers gave further instruction concerning turkey-
hunting safety and the youth were then allowed to take a
practice shot at a turkey target. It must be noted that their
aim was so deadly the plywood target bases were literally
destroyed by the end of the sessions.
Once the youth had visited the venues it was time for
another favorite activity. The Eufaula Lions Club volun-
teers had the hot dogs, potato chips and cold sodas
ready as the lunch hour arrived. This provides a time for
a lot of the youth, and parents, to meet new friends and
relive the morning’s activities. It, also, is the time the dog
handlers and hunting volunteers get together to go over
the ground rules and special instructions as they prepare
for the afternoon squirrel and rabbit hunts. The youth are
then divided into groups for the afternoon hunts.
The afternoon is devoted to the squirrel hunts and the
recently added rabbit hunts. During these hunts the dog
handler is designated as the “hunt master” and controls
Four-year old Will Gary and dad, Trey Gary, try their skills at
the Archery venue.
continued
all aspects of the hunt. One person is assigned the task
of handling the gun and ammo and all shots are taken
under the guidance of these individuals. Each youth will
be assigned a “shooting number” and will take turns
when firing once a squirrel is treed. Needless to say, the
squirrel will often win this event as on one hunt it was
noted that a single squirrel escaped over a dozen rounds
before ducking into a hollow.
This is a great educational opportunity as many of the
youth, and adults, are in the hunting woods for their first
time. Even for those returning year-after-year, the experi-
ence is always different and this is another facet, which
makes our outdoor world so unique. It is also a learning
experience for many of the parents who are highly
encouraged to participate along with their youths in the
hunting activities. For many parents the afternoon of
outdoor adventures with their youth is one that creates
everlasting memories. It is critical in their shaping their
understanding, thoughts and perceptions of the real
outdoor world.
Late afternoon finds the groups reassembling for the
supper of, you got it, hot-dogs, chips and soft drinks.
Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1500 hot dogs will be
consumed during this event not to count the bags of
chips and cans of soft drinks. Hot chocolate has become
a big favorite in the late afternoon to take a bit of the chill
off the winter cold as well. Once the supper hour has
come to a close, it is time for the awards of the BB-gun
competition and the drawing of door prizes. As in the
past, each youth was able to leave with a door prize of
some nature that pertained to the outdoor world.
continued on 97
Eight-year old Ed Eubanks of Eufaula, AL is shown with
father, Eddie Eubanks, and the youth-model 20-Ga.
Mossberg Pump shotgun, donated by an anonymous donor,
he won in the door prize drawing.
ACE Magazine  95
Barbour County WMA Youth Hunt Huge Success – continued

Just when you think the day has to be coming to an nesses but with the event getting more popular and
end it is time to load up for the traditional coon hunt. Want growing each year the costs have increased as well. We
to have some real fun? Pick out a trailer that has a seat have never really had corporate sponsorships beyond our
left, climb in with a pile of kids and head off into the local outdoor-related national corporations providing
Barbour County WMA woods after dark. An almost full door prizes. That said, we are the largest youth hunting
moon added to the beauty of the night and the baying of event in Alabama and the third largest in the nation.”
the hounds filled the night air. An estimated 400 youth “With the downturn in our national economic picture
and accompanying adults ventured into the woods to we faced a major gap in covering our projected expenses
where the dogs were singing their special tunes. Once the for this year’s event. Making a huge difference in covering
coon was spotted hiding in the very highest fork of the the gap in financing was sponsorship funding provided
tree, a vote was taken. Unfortunately, the coon lost. by the Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers
Everyone made it safely back to the trailers and the sec- continued on 99
ond stop was much easier. The coon treed close enough
to the road most folks did not have to walk very far at all
to catch all the action. It was then back to the operation
area and the day came to a very successful close.
Several years back one of the coon hunters was heard
to comment upon seeing the kids coming toward the
treed coon as “like watching a thousand sparkling fire-
flies as the flashlights flit and flash across the wooded
panorama.” It is truly a sight that has to be seen to be
fully appreciated.
The Eufaula Lions Club, Barbour County Wildlife
Management Area, the Alabama Department of
Conservation-Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division
and the Barbour County Coon Hunters Association host
this event. Sponsorship is provided by a host of local
merchants and businesses and their generosity cannot be
understated as the event has not attracted, or benefited
from, corporate sponsorships. Event chairman, Pat Kott,
noted “the majority of sponsorships come in the form of Hunter Cochran goes for his score at the BB-gun
$100 donations from these local merchants and busi- shooting competition.

Kevin Lawson gives one of the many firearm safety talks at

the Clay shooting venue during the morning. Each live-fire
The BB-Gun venue is the first of several venues the youth event has a safety discussion prior to the youth stepping to
and accompanying adults visit. the firing line.

ACE Magazine  97
Barbour County WMA Youth Hunt Huge Success – continued

Association. They are one of our largest donors and are

joined by the Alabama Wildlife Federation and an anony-
mous private benefactor in really making this year’s
event the success it was,” Kott continued. “The ADCNR
provides much of the venue set-up equipment, shotguns,
archery supplies, and shells through its Step Outside©
program. However, the whole event cannot be successful
without the efforts and support of so many volunteers,
our squirrel and rabbit hunters with their dogs and the
conservation enforcement officers whom provide their
expertise as well,” Kott concluded. l

10ad17
Joey Grimsley continued the tradition his late father, Joe
Grimsley, which began at the very first youth hunt, as he

WAYNE STUBBS
PLUMBING, LLC
presented a youth model 20-Ga. shotgun to 10-yr. old

CGF Construction
Walter Turberville of Phenix City, AL. Joe was a
co-benefactor of the Youth Hunt and his commitment to our
youth and the great outdoors will be missed.
24910 Pepper Road
P.O. Box 247
Troy, AL 36081
athens, AL 35613
256-431-7917
334-566-7087

Crutchfield & Graves Mainsail Asset

Insurance
Twelve-year old Jessica Wilson of Georgetown, GA. (center)
is joined by her mother, Jennifer, and Kevin Lawson. Management
She was the winner of drawing for a youth turkey hunt
P.O. Box 361196 304 S.Young
Market at theSt. • Suite 230
provided by Kevin and she also won a NWTF hunting Daniele Ewert of Prattville, AL gets some expert instruction
vest and a Pope Pocket Call. from Justin Turkey Shooting venue.
Birmingham, AL 35236 Scottsboro, AL 35769
205-988-5099 256-575-0110

ACE Magazine  99

Brickyard Landing
Feral Hog Hunters Cautioned About Swine Brucellosis

CONTACT: Gary Moody

334-242-3469

Feral Hog Hunters Cautioned about Swine Brucellosis

The feral hog (Sus scrofa) in Alabama is a non-native species that was brought to the Southeast centuries ago by
Spanish explorers. Though popularity with hunters is increasing, current feral hog populations across Alabama
and the Southeast are growing at alarming rates. The presence of feral hogs also brings with it the chance of
contracting illnesses such as swine brucellosis, an infectious disease of pigs. Since the feral hog is a common
hunted species in Alabama, Conservation officials are warning hunters about a potential danger associated with
field dressing the animal.

Swine brucellosis is caused by the bacterium Brucella suis. Humans can get swine brucellosis through
handling infected tissues of wild pigs. Brucellosis bacteria is found in bodily fluids, concentrating in
reproductive organs and milk. The bacteria can enter the human body through cuts, nicks, abrasions or other
breaks in the skin.

Conservation Commissioner Barnett Lawley says all hunters who field dress hogs should wear gloves.
“Heavy rubber gloves are preferred in case of nicks from a knife. After field dressing the hog, hands should be
washed with soap and hot water. Swine brucellosis does not affect the edibility of the meat. As with all pork, it
should be thoroughly cooked,” he said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends cooking pork to an
internal temperature of 160° Fahrenheit.

Alabama Wildlife Chief Gary Moody says swine brucellosis is found throughout the Southeastern United
States. “As we have been saying for years, hunters should be aware of the potential threat and use common
sense safety precautions,” he said.

In 2007, eight Florida hunters were diagnosed with swine brucellosis, and a Texas hunter recently contracted
the disease when he did not wear gloves while cleaning a hog.

Because swine brucellosis can have a long incubation time, immediate symptoms may not be present.
Although few humans die of infection, the disease is often chronic and debilitating.

This was the case for the hunter in Tomball, TX, who did not feel symptoms until two months after field
dressing a feral hog. As reported in the Houston Chronicle, his symptoms included a fever, chills, sweating and
severe joint pain. It took doctors several days to diagnose swine brucellosis, which they treated with massive
intravenous doses of antibiotics. Later, the brucellosis triggered an infection on his spine, and his prognosis
remains unclear.

ACE Magazine  101

 Boy Scouts
August 31, 2009

Boy Scout Troop 115

7840 Terry Drive
Mobile, Alabama 36695

Mr. Rusty Morrow

Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association Inc.
600 Interstate Park
Suite 601
Montgomery, Alabama 36109

Dear Mr. Morrow,

As Scoutmaster of Troop 115, I wanted to write to you and the other members of ACEOA to express our
gratitude and thanks for supporting our Unit for the last two years. When we formed our Troop in January
of 2008, we had very little of the equipment we needed to provide a quality outdoor program for our
Scouts. Because of the $500.00 grant your organization sent us, we were able to purchase 3 tents, 2
Coleman lanterns with stands, a 12x12 E-Z Up shelter, 2 Coleman propane stoves and a big assortment of
pots and pans and other cooking utensils. Because of shopping with the Coleman Store in Foley, AL, that
gives a 20% discount to Scouting units, we were also able to purchase outdoor tables.

We spent your grant money very wisely and our Scouts have really taken care of their equipment. We
camped a few days ago at Southern Sportsman’s Lodge in Livingston, AL. I am enclosing some good
pictures of our Scouts for ya’ll to see the fine young men your organization supports and also to see most
of the camping gear your generous grant paid for.

I received another grant for $300.00 a few days ago for 2009. Mr. Morrow, please express our Troops
gratitude to ACEOA’s members. We are thankful for this money and will be good stewards of it. The
young men in our Troop will see your money spent buying extra needed camping equipment and in our
outdoor program. We hope that the officers that make up ACEOA will continue to support us in the
future.

My son-in-law, Major Chris Blankenship, put us on the Alabama Conservation Expo. at Oak Mountain in
May. One of our Dad’s took us up there in a bus and the folks at Capital- Trailways took the pictures we
made, set them to music and made a DVD. I am sending you a copy and hope you get a chance to play it.
It’s very obvious our Scouts had a great time and some of your members might even see themselves
interacting with and helping our boys.

Thanks again for all your support. Because of your help, we are able to instill the Scouting program of
Citizenship, Character and Physical Fitness into 18 fine young men.

Sincerely

Jack A. Tomberlin
Scoutmaster

cc: Major Chris Blankenship

Alabama Department of Marine Resources
Enforcement Division

ACE Magazine  103

BOY SCOUTS – continued

ACE Magazine  105

Forever Wild Adds Acreage
To Lowndes WMA
by David Rainer, Outdoor Writer, Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources

T
hanks to Forever Wild, the Lowndes Wildlife
Management Area (WMA) has grown by an addi-
tional 1,343 acres, providing additional public hunt-
ing opportunities in the Alabama Black Belt.
The additional land, known as the Big Swamp Creek
Tract, gives hunters a total of 12,500 acres to traverse in
pursuit of white-tailed deer, Eastern wild turkeys, feral
hogs, a variety of small game and waterfowl.
Gary Moody, Chief of the Alabama Wildlife and
Freshwater Fisheries’ Wildlife Section, said the Lowndes
WMA was established about 15 years ago as a partner-
ship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of the stages of hardwood regeneration. There are existing
mitigation for the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Early
on in that process, to add to that land for public use,
Forever Wild purchased an additional 624 acres known
as the Riggins Tract.
“Fortunately, during the last year, the opportunity came
up to add acreage to the Lowndes WMA,” Moody said. havens for animals in certain areas, which is especially
“Thanks to Forever Wild, the public will have an additional
1,343 acres that joins the existing WMA on the south side.
It’s a good addition to the WMA. We feel that this will be a
very positive place to hunt.
The majority of property will be walk-in only. If funding
permits, hopefully we’ll be able to get parking lots further
into the interior of the property at some point.
“I don’t know how many food plots we’ll be able to
plant this year. Eventually, I think we’ll end up with about
40 acres of openings if funding and time permits.”
As the name implies, the Big Swamp Creek Tract has
basically no elevation change.
“It’s all flat land,” Jaworowski said. “There are some
pine plantations, but they’re small, which is good for
diversity. The majority of the property is in different
mature hardwood stands that were thinned that will sup-
ply a lot of mast crops for wildlife. It will provide some
good bow hunting opportunities and good rifle hunting
opportunities.”
Jaworowski does think the new addition will provide
good for the whitetails.
“The hardwood regeneration areas that are thick are
continued on 109

Photo by Chris Jaworowski

“This is more bottomland
hardwood habitat compared to
the rest of the WMA. There will
be times when access is going
to be difficult when the creek
gets out of its banks.”
Chris Jaworowski, area biol-
ogist and Lowndes WMA man-
ager, reiterated that access to
the new parcel is going to be
particularly challenging because
the sale of the property did not
close until recently.
“We just got it a month ago
and the boundary lines have
been marked so the public can
use the property,” Jaworowski
said. “It’s going to take a while
before it looks like the rest of
the property with food plots
and maintained roads and all
that. The road system is unim- An abundant feral hog population on the Lowndes WMA gives hunters ample
proved. There will be a speci- opportunity to take wild game, although hunters are cautioned to use gloves when
fied parking lot for the vehicles. dealing with feral hogs.

ACE Magazine  107

Forever Wild Adds Acreage To Lowndes WMA –
going to provide for some older age-class deer,” he said.
“There is a lot of bedding cover that should help deer get
some age on them. It’s going to provide a lot of deer
hunting opportunities, a lot of hog hunting opportunities
and waterfowl hunting opportunities along the creek. And
there’s a five-acre pond in the middle of the swamp that
should offer some waterfowl hunting, too.
“The biggest problem is it’s going to flood every win-
ter. That’s going to be part of the road problem. We’ve got
roads under water right now. With its proximity to Big
Swamp Creek and periodic flooding, access is going to
be challenging.”
The use of ATVs on the WMA is limited to one use only
– retrieval of a downed animal.
“They can go get the animal,” Jaworowski said. “It’s
not to scout or hang stands. It’s strictly to retrieve the
animals. That way, if you do walk in, you won’t have to
drag the animal that far.”
Jaworowski also cautions hunters who take feral hogs
to use rubber or plastic gloves to field dress and handle
the meat of swine to avoid potential contact with the
bacteria that causes swine brucellosis. He also advises
that the feral swine meat be cooked to an internal tem-
perature of 160 degrees.
Access to the Big Swamp Creek Tract is available on
the north and south sides of U.S. Highway 80 and there
are three parking lots off Brown Road. The WMA check
station is located about 4 miles north of Highway 40 on
Henderson Road.
continued
A valid hunting license, WMA license is required to hunt
any WMA in Alabama. To hunt deer, turkey or waterfowl,
a permit for the specific WMA to be hunted is required.
Lowndes WMA permits are available at local sporting
good stores or the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater
Fisheries District IV Wildlife Office at 1820-C Glynwood
Drive, Prattville, AL 36066 (Phone: 334-358-0035).
“It’s going to be great habitat for deer and hogs and
will provide some additional small-game hunting,”
Jaworowski said. “It’s a welcome addition to the WMA.”
Moody said this addition to the more than 144,000
acres acquired through Forever Wild can not only be
used by the current generation but for untold generations
to come.
“Forever Wild has been a real, real blessing for the
state,” Moody said. “It not only secures the future of
those lands and ensures public access, but it also means
these lands will be managed in a way that best benefits
the wildlife and what we’re trying to do. Not only is the
land secure, the habitat is secure and we can create the
type of habitat that is best for wildlife. Future generations
are going to reap tremendous benefits from what Forever
Wild has done in the past 18 years. It’s leaving a really
positive legacy in Alabama.”
Visit www.outdooralabama.com to learn more about
the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources or to read previous columns by David Rainer.
 l
03ad4
ACE Magazine  109
Characters, Jokes, Bells, and Lots of Grease
by Rusty Morrow, ACEOA Executive Director
I
n my past articles, I featured some of the bad things
that happened to Keith and me when we first came to
Lowndes County in 1983. Fortunately, as bad as these
things were, the majority of the people do not fall in that
category.
Once Keith and I had established ourselves in the
county, we were accepted with open arms. These stories
are about some of the loving people of Lowndesboro and
Lowndes County.
Lowndesboro, where I made my home, is a very close-
knit community. It is a very small area and represented
by very few families. It is a beautiful town, known primar-
ily for its antebellum homes, historic churches, and gra-
cious southern hospitality. Most of the residents are
located on a short stretch of Highway 29 (or Broad
Street). Lowndes Academy is located right in the middle
of Lowndesboro. Highway 80 is the main fairway and
feeds Lowndesboro on the southern end. It is located
about 12 miles west of Montgomery Airport and about 30
miles from Selma to the west.
Keith Mickle and I learned very quickly that the regula-
tion book that was issued each year by our department
was not the only regulation book issued in Lowndes
County. The other regulation book that was observed in
Lowndes County was the McCurdy book. To understand
this book, you have to get to know the McCurdys. When
I arrived, the two McCurdy monarchs were Mr. Lewis
McCurdy and Mr. Caswell McCurdy. Both of these guys
are real characters.
Lowndesboro Methodist Church
Mr. Caswell McCurdy has two sons, Cas and Garrett.
Mr. Lewis has three sons. Billy resides in Lowndesboro,
David lives in Wetumpka, and the third son lives in north
Alabama. Now you would think that is only a hand full of
people in the whole county, but in their prime, they were
a handful.
They made their living farming and raising cattle.
Wildlife and especially deer were a real problem- espe-
cially in the soybean business. So the McCurdys wrote
their own book on how to handle deer problems – kill
them – anytime – any day.
Now the crop damage program was not new to farm-
ers back then. They were allowed to remove deer under
this program if damage was determined by the local
warden. The local biologist signed off on the permit when
the local officer determined there was, in fact, damage to
the crops.
The program was there; now getting the McCurdys to
follow it. Believe it or not, Keith and I were successful.
This was a major chapter removed from the McCurdy
regulation book. It is amazing what teamwork and persis-
tence will accomplish.
Mr. Caswell struggled through deer and soybean prices
and finally gave it up. They became more diversified and
purchased equipment to build ponds and lakes.
One particular day, I was leaving Hayneville traveling
north on Highway 97 and passed Mr. Caswell going south
with his large four wheel tractor pulling two scraper pans.
There was nothing unusual until I crossed Highway 80 in
Lowndesboro and I saw Mr. Caswell’s truck sitting at the
intersection with no one in it. I stopped and got out and
noticed a tow bar on the front of the truck was lying on
continued on 113
Methodist Parsonage
ACE Magazine  111
Characters, Jokes, Bells, and Lots of Grease – continued

the ground. About this time I

looked up and Mr. Caswell was
coming back up 97 in his trac-
tor. I guess he finally noticed
that his truck was no longer
following him. The pin had
come out at the intersection
and left his truck sitting at the
stop sign. Now if this had hap-
pened to anyone else besides
Mr. Caswell, that truck would
have gone across Highway 80
and killed fifteen people in the
process. He hooked the draw
bar back to the pan and headed
back down Highway 97 like nothing ever happened.
Mr. Caswell loved to hunt and he had lots of land to
hunt on. He never really needed a hunting license until he
was invited to a dove hunt at a location other than his
own land. He really had a tough time remembering to
buy a license. Citations did not work. So every year I
would buy Mr. Caswell’s license and carry it with me.
Now, I know this isn’t legal. I know he is supposed to have
the license in his possession, but remember the term
“team work” from earlier reading?
More than one officer outside Lowndes County called
me on my radio with the familiar request, “I’ve got a guy
here who says you have his hunting license.” I would
reply, “Is it Caswell McCurdy?” and they would say “yes!”
I would simply say, “Yes, I’ve got it!” I did this for several
years until he turned sixty-five. I told him I wasn’t going
to carry his driver’s license for him.
It would be naive to say that Keith and I completely
changed the McCurdys; but because we became friends
and I was part of their community they tried to keep
Old Homestead
Pillars
things in check when it came to wildlife and hunting
seasons. The thing that never really stopped, even as
friends, were the practical jokes they pulled on me.
The McCurdys would love to find my State vehicle sit-
ting somewhere. They always had a grease gun in their
truck. It never failed that when I returned to my vehicle I
grabbed the door handle and got a handful of grease. I
could not be outdone by this. I started carrying my own
grease gun with me. I could always find a McCurdy truck
abandoned in the middle of their road or on the edge of
a bean field. Unfortunately, things escalated as they
began to let the air out of my tires. This forced me to
carry an air tank in my vehicle.
David McCurdy was by far the worst of the clan when
it came to letting the air out of my tires. He went a little
further by taking the valve stems out of them. It evolved
from a joke to a real inconvenience. We finally formed a
truce and moved on. Probably, during this era, if we had
kept score, it would have been a draw.
Billy McCurdy and I had a few encounters; but again,
it was about the McCurdy book.
It was probably because of Billy
that I had to arrest my Dad and
brother-in-law. Whether he was
trying to compromise me or
whether it was an honest mis-
take, I’ll never know. I do know
my Dad and brother-in-law
were not very happy with me.
Now, these two would not know
dove bait from cow manure.
Fortunately, Judge Bozeman
was kind to them and found
them not guilty.
The whole problem during
this time was that “McCurdy
continued on 115

ACE Magazine  113

Characters, Jokes, Bells, and Lots of Grease – continued

Book.” Once we got it out of

publication things were a lot
better.
Cas and Garrett really think a
lot of their Dad. They know he is
a real character and they know
his true capability when it comes
to wild game. I discovered their
depth of loyalty one day.
For a short time in
Lowndesboro, we had a lady
mayor. I’ll just refer to her as
Ms Elsie. One day she caught
up with me and wanted me to
pick up a dead doe deer in the
middle of Lowndesboro. I The Oaks
informed her that I didn’t do
dead deer. She told me to haul it off anyway. Remote doe into the back of his truck. I traveled up the farm road
areas were not far away so I did as I was told. I loaded the and eventually ran up on Garrett and Cas. I asked what
doe and drove down the dirt road behind Lowndes they were doing and received the reply, “nothing.” In
Academy. I got to the intersection of the two field roads order to set them up for the joke, I replied, “You look like
and there sat Mr. Caswell’s truck with the door open. He you are guilty of something and you’re nervous.” They
was no where around so I loaded the big, bloated dead continued to explain that they were not doing anything.
They got into their truck and headed back in the direction
of their Dad’s truck. I just followed along behind them.
When they arrived at the truck with the doe in back, a
young farm hand peeked over in the back of the truck
and saw the doe. He went straight over to Garrett and
whispered something to him. Garrett walked by the bed
of the truck with his head slightly cocked as not to give
the doe away. When I got out of my vehicle, I repeated
the comment, “You surely look nervous.” I was just about
to explode with laughter. It was all I could do to be seri-
ous. When I got out and headed for Mr. Caswell’s truck.
Garrett’s first response was, “Daddy killed that deer! –
Not us!” I could not hold it anymore and broke down and
laughed till I cried. How quickly they rolled over on their
Dad! Where was that loyalty? They knew, because he was
certainly capable, that he must have killed that doe.
I probably have had more fun with that prank than
anything I had ever done to them. They swore revenge.
They tried hard. I found a coffin in my yard once. They
started again on the grease. They were real civil as the
time went on and left me a paper towel under my wind-
shield wiper.
I can’t prove it but I know they benefited from this next
episode. I always had my vehicle serviced at George
Kelley’s Chevron on the Southern Boulevard in
Montgomery. One day a young service man asked me
what was with the bell. Surprised, I asked, “What bell?”
He explained there was one wired to the frame above my
St. Pauls Episcopal Church continued on 117

ACE Magazine  115

Characters, Jokes, Bells, and Lots of Grease – continued

real wheel. I looked under and, sure enough, there was a

big cow bell firmly attached by wire to the frame of my
Bronco. I asked the service man when he first noticed the
cow bell. He confessed it was about three oil changes
ago. I asked him why he hadn’t told me. He replied that
he thought I knew about it.
They could hear me coming miles away and knew
exactly who it was. Those people that know me know I
can’t hear anything. The bell would have still been there if
it had not been for the curiosity of the young service man.
I feel sure that Frank Sadler’s farm manager, Gary
Harden actually did it. No one really fessed up. You can bet
the McCurdy boys knew about it and benefited from it.
When it was finally discovered, they really had fun with it.
Through it all, we moved beyond just a Conservation
Officer and community hunters and farmers. We had
mutual respect for each other. We became bonded in our
friendship, our community, our respect for each other Steel Haven
and, just maybe, our love for practical jokes. l

02ad3

ACE Magazine  117

Renowned Bare Bow Hunter
Has Seattle Roots
by David Rainer, Outdoor Writer, Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources
W
hat would have become of me if I hadn’t had a father
who introduced me to the hunting experience at an
early age is anybody’s guess. I honestly can’t imag-
ine a life without the beloved outdoors adventures I’ve been
privileged to enjoy, and it is hard for me to comprehend
what it must be like for those not as fortunate.
Yet, today’s world is vastly different from that which I
reveled in as a Baby Boomer. My life back then was
outdoors. I lost my first job because I was busy picking
up a couple of bobwhite singles from a covey flush and
didn’t make it to the local drug store in time to complete
my cleanup chores. To me, the termination was no big
deal – I had more time to hunt after school.
However, some manage to find a way into the hunting
world despite the lack of a fatherly mentor.
Dennis Dunn is such a man. He hails from Seattle, a
place that conjures up images of dark-roasted coffee beans
and extreme environmentalists bent on preservation by
man’s exclusion rather than conservation through prudent
resource management. Yet he was able to overcome those
handicaps because he was introduced to archery by his
mother. Neither his biological father nor stepfather hunted.
His fascination for bowhunting never waned, nonetheless.
From the humble beginnings of arrowing squirrels, Dunn
has become one of the world’s renowned bowhunters, one
of only a handful who has taken all 29 huntable big game
species in North America.
And, Dunn has accomplished his quest using bows that
were devoid of sight pins or any other distance measuring
devices – in other words, bare bow. Neither does he use
release aids, only three fingers and a leather glove.
Upon reflection of his vast experience in his 43 years
afield, Dunn decided to chronicle his pursuit of the North
American Super Slam. The result is the coffee-table book
Barebow!
Dunn relives his “adventures and misadventures” dur-
ing his encounters with those 29 species. Yet, he has
done it in a way – purposely – that appeals to both the
hunter and non-hunter. He declined to include any of the
animals he had taken and chose to have wildlife artists
Hayden and Dallen Lambson illustrate the book through
species-specific art.
It is the pursuit of the non-hunter that now consumes
Dunn’s energy, a fact I discovered recently at the
Southeastern Outdoor Press Association annual confer-
ence in Punta Gorda, Fla.
“I’ve found that in general the anti-hunter is not ame-
nable to arguments of rationality and the facts,” Dunn
said. “They tend to think with their emotions and their
minds are made up. ‘Don’t confuse me with the facts’ is
the thing you run into there. The non-hunters constitute
about 80 percent of the population and they’re the ones
who will determine the outcome of this ideological debate
and struggle at the polls.
“The non-hunters are the ones who will determine if
hunting remains a legal human activity and most non-
hunters are not anti-hunting, per se. They’re just ambiva-
lent and have a vague understanding that hunting is used
as a conservation tool to benefit the resource that is so
dear to all hunters. The non-hunter is where we have to
focus our attention. I think the best way to fireproof
against the anti-hunting propaganda that’s coming is to
give them literature, like the book I just finished writing.”
Dunn has managed to convert his beautiful bride,
Karen, from the ranks of the anti-hunters.
“Like a lot of other anti-hunters, she bought off on a lot
of false concepts or images of what hunting is really like,”
he said. “It was a slow process. The first part of it had to
do with getting her to read enough stuff with factual con-
tent so that she started to question premises and assump-
tions of the stuff she had been getting from the mainstream
media. Finally, I gave her a book to read – In Defense of
Hunting by Dr. James Swan – and I recommend to any-
body. You cannot read that book and not come to under-
stand how vital hunting is – and I would go so far as to say
– to the preservation of western civilization.”
Dunn points out the vast majority of non-hunters are
not vegetarians and consume meat in some form.
“The typical city-dweller sees nothing connected with
death,” he said. “But eating is as much a blood sport as
hunting. Something has to die if you’re going to eat chicken,
beef, lamb or whatever. Once you approach it from that
point of view then you can talk to them about hunting being
more intellectually honest because you’re not paying some-
body else to do your own killing for you. You’re going out
and taking responsibility for the death of your own food.
You become part of the prey-predator drama, just as man
has always done – up until a few hundred years ago when
just about everybody had to hunt to survive.
“Now with modern animal husbandry where most
people live in the cities and buy their antiseptically pack-
continued on 121
ACE Magazine  119
Renowned Bare Bow Hunter Has Seattle Roots –
aged meat at the meat market or supermarket, most
modern citizens around the world have lost touch with
their ancestors and with their natural world that has
always provided man with what he needed to survive.
Hunters choose to reconnect with their ancestral soul by
immersing themselves in the forests, the fields, the
mountains and take that responsibility upon themselves
to provide food, as much as they can. And in that process
they are always in a position to be in touch their relative
insignificance in the cosmos when they find themselves
engulfed by the outdoor world, which is so awesome and
so vast, compared to what we live in in the big city.”
Dunn suggests that each hunter reach out to his or her
circle of family and friends who are non-hunters and
educate them.
“They have the contacts in place to get into the ears
and minds of those people,” he said. “They need to real-
ize non-hunters will determine their fate down the road.
Every hunter and fisherman has to become more proac-
tive at converting the waiting to be converted.”
The focus for all hunters should be the younger gen-
ANDY LEE
continued
eration, which has lost its connection to the outdoors.
“Children need to be introduced to the world of nature
as soon as possible and come to understand the prey-
predator drama,” he said. “If you introduce boys and girls
to hunting at an early age – definitely pre-teen if not pre-
10 – they come to learn in a hurry what life and death is
all about and how precious life is and how easily it can be
snuffed out. They learn empathy and compassion. They
learn self discipline. They learn patience as they learn the
skills of hunting. They learn delayed gratification. The
fact is that most young people in this culture, with our
urban environment, live from day to day by instant grati-
fication. That is not good for the future of civilization.
“The virtues that our parents and grandparents had to
learn to survive are not being learned by most young
people today in the schools they attend. Unless their
parents (or mentors) take the leadership role in teaching
them those virtues – and the outdoors life is one of the
best ways to do it – we’re all going to be in trouble.”
Visit www.str8arrows.com for information about
Dunn’s book. l
10ad17
ACE Magazine  121
HARVEST SELECT
Odds Favor Successful Waterfowl Season
by David Rainer, Outdoor Writer, Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources
W
ith abundant water in the nesting grounds and a
wet summer along the Mississippi Flyway,
Alabama’s waterfowl hunters currently have the
odds in their favor for a successful 2009-2010 season.
Add that duck numbers are up and it’s easy to get
pumped about the possibilities.
David Hayden, waterfowl specialist with the Alabama
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’
Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, said Alabama’s
waterfowl seasons will again fall under the liberal frame-
work with a six-duck daily bag limit and a 60-day season.
The 2009-2010 seasons are split to take advantage of
the weekend after Thanksgiving. The season will be open
for two days, Nov. 27-28, and then re-open Dec. 5 and
run through Jan. 31.
One canvasback per day has been added back to the
bag limit after a closed season last year. Also two scaup
per day will be allowed for all 60 days, whereas last year
the daily bag limit was one for part of the season and two
for the rest. One of the few ducks that hasn’t fared well in
recent years is the mottled duck. For that reason, the
mottled duck daily bag has been reduced to one bird.
Hunters may take six ducks per day with no more than
four mallards, only two of which may be female. The bag
limits on other species are: three wood ducks, one mot-
tled duck, one black duck, two redheads, one pintail, two
scaup and one canvasback.
Blue-winged Teal (USFWS photo)
Habitat-wise, nesting conditions improved in most areas
with the number of ponds and potholes up considerably.
“Total ponds for prairie Canada and the U.S. Midwest
is 6.4 million,” Hayden said. “That’s about a 45-percent
increase over last year and 31 percent above the long-
term average. We’ve got lots of water this year.
“From what I’ve heard at the flyway meetings, the
habitat along the migration route – areas between Canada
and the South – appears to be in good shape. What we’ve
got to do down here is hope for favorable conditions to
continue and not turn into drought conditions between
now and November.”
As usual, duck breeding success followed the increase
in nesting habitat.
“For most duck species, the numbers were up,”
Hayden said. “Generally speaking it was a good year for
waterfowl. For geese, that is not true. Most of the popula-
tions of geese did not have a good nesting season
because of a late spring. There was ice and snow cover
for a long period of time. But most goose populations
were good, so by and large, there are not any differences
in seasons or bag limits.”
The mallard is usually the benchmark used to judge
duck populations and that number looks good. The mal-
lard number is 8.5 million, which is up from 7.7 million.
“That’s a significant increase, about 13 percent, so
that’s good,” Hayden said. “That’s 25 percent above the
long-term average, which goes back to
1955. So that’s a good number of mal-
lards. Gadwall is another popular species
and is still way above its long-term aver-
age – about 3.1 million birds this year,
which is about the same as last year. So
they’re doing real, real well.”
Green-winged teal (3.4 million) and
blue-winged teal (7.4 million) numbers
are similar to last year. Both are above
long-term average. Pintail numbers are
3.2 million, up from 2.6 million last year,
which is a 23-percent increase and
20-percent above their long-term aver-
age. The canvasback count was 700,000,
which is 35 percent above last year’s
estimate of 500,000.
“Scaup (bluebill) numbers have been
dropping for quite a while, but the 4.2
million estimated for this season is simi-
lar to last year,” Hayden said. “That’s
continued on 125
ACE Magazine  123
 10ad17

WAYNE STUBBS
PLUMBING, LLC
CGF Construction
24910 Pepper Road
P.O. Box 247
Odds Favor Successful Waterfowl Season – continued
Troy, AL 36081
athens, AL 35613
down 18 percent from long-term average. But we’re 256-431-7917
“Teal numbers are up this year so we hope that the
334-566-7087
pleased to see them level off. We hope the downward cooler weather they’ve had this summer up north will
trend is over. Of course, we won’t know for another couple mean more birds in our area when the early season
of years to make sure these numbers hold steady.” opens,” Hayden said. “We’ve had a lot of rain in the

Crutchfield & Graves

Hayden said no goose population showed a significant middle part of the state and a lot of rain in the Tennessee

Mainsail Asset
negative 10-year trend. Production of geese was variable Valley, so I’m looking favorably at a good year. Of

Insurance
by region, but production is reduced from last year course, we’ve got to have the cold weather to push the
because of the late spring thaw.
“Water conditions in Alabama have been good this
year,” Hayden said. “I’m optimistic that we’ve had good
Management
birds on down.”
The use of non-toxic shot is required for waterfowl
hunting in Alabama. A valid hunting license and state
P.O. Boxthere
food production. Hopefully 361196
will be a lot of seed and 304
and federal S. Market
waterfowl stampsSt.are• Suite 230
required, as well as a
Birmingham, AL 35236
good mast crop with plenty of acorns for the birds. We’ve
Scottsboro, AL 35769
free Harvest Information Program (HIP) permit.
still got September and October to go through, and we
could have some dry 205-988-5099
periods, but it looks good now.”
256-575-0110
Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to
sunset statewide except for the area of the Mobile-
Waterfowlers get their first opportunity in the field with Tensaw Delta north of Battleship Parkway, west of
the special Canada goose season, which runs Sept. 1-15. Alabama Highway 225, south of the CSX Railroad
The bag limit is five per day with 10 in possession. The tracks, and east of the west bank of the Mobile River.
regular goose seasons are Sept. 26-Oct. 7 and Dec. In that area of the Delta, shooting hours are one-half
ANDY LEE
5-Jan. 31. The daily bag limit is five with no more than HARVEST SELECT
before sunrise until 12 noon Monday through Thursday.
two Canada geese or two white-fronted geese. The pos- Friday through Sunday shooting hours will be one-half
Certified Public Accountant
session limit of five shall include no more than four CATFISH
hour before sunrise until sunset.
Canada geese and white-fronted geese in aggregate. Visit http://www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/
The P.O.
specialBox
teal2412
season• is2224
set for Sept.
14th 5-20 with a
Street season-limits/ for allHighway 80
hunting regulations for the upcom-
daily bag limit of four and a possession limit of eight. ing seasons. Go to www.outdooralabama.com for more
After an early Tuscaloosa,
cool front in theAL 35401
middle of August, water- information onUniontown, AL 36786
the Alabama Department of Conservation
fowlers are reporting205-345-5300
seeing flights of teal already head- 334-628-3474
and Natural Resources or to read previous columns by
ing south. David Rainer. l

ACE Magazine  125

Alabama Marine Police Awarded
Two Homeland Security Grants
by Lt. Ryan Bennett
T
he Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources (ADCNR) Marine Police Division has been
awarded two grants totaling $545,194 from the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The
grants were awarded through the Port Security Grant
Program (PSGP) administered by FEMA, and will be
used to purchase two new patrol boats, one for the Port
of Mobile and one for the Port of Guntersville.
ADCNR will be partnering with The Alabama Department
of Homeland Security to utilize the new patrol boats as
part of an overall protection strategy for the state.
Yance Inge &
Alabama Homeland Security Director Jim Walker
said, “The larger patrol boats will be new assets to
Alabama allowing us to extend our protection capabili-
Associates, Inc.
ties on the water. The Alabama Marine Police will have
the ability to provide increased security and stay on
water-related incidents longer.”
The new boats will be larger than those in the current
Marine Police fleet, and can operate under severe weather
169 Dauphin St. • Mobile, Alabama 36602
conditions allowing for more flexibility in emergency situ-
ations. When necessary, the new patrol boats will serve
as mobile command and control platforms that can
251-432-2520
accommodate FBI, State Trooper or SWAT assistance.
The new boats will be in operation by the summer of
2010.
The ports of Mobile and Guntersville were chosen to
receive the grants based on their strategic importance as
shipping channels. Mobile is the 10th busiest port in the
country based on tonnage passing through the port. The
high amount of shipping traffic each port experiences
creates a need for more security resources.
According to Lt. Ryan Bennett of the Alabama Marine
Police Division, the communications capabilities of the
new boats are a welcome improvement over the03ad4 current
fleet. “The integrated radar, GPS, and chart-plotting
equipment give the boat all weather capabilities, and will
allow us to stay at a scene for days if needed,” Bennett
said. “This is a quantum leap forward over the way we’ve
had to operate in the past.”
The port security grants fall under the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and provide
funding to port areas for the protection of critical port
infrastructure from terrorism. The funds are primarily
intended to assist ports in enhancing maritime domain
awareness, and to prevent, respond and recover from
terrorist attacks.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and
enjoyment of Alabama ‘s natural resources through five
divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands,
State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn
more about ADCNR, visit www.outdooralabama.com. l
ACE Magazine  127
Henry County Youth Dove Hunt
by CEO Larry Doster
T
he Henry County Youth Dove Hunt was held on
October 3, 2009 near Haleburg, Alabama at Mrs.
Charlotte Doster’s farm. She has been a great host of
this hunt for the past nine years. Henry County was the
first county in Alabama to hold a youth dove hunt.
As usual, opening day of dove season in the south
zone was very hot; however, the hot weather didn’t stop
the enthusiasm of the sixty young dove hunters and their
sponsors. The day started with registration of the hunt-
ers and plenty of good food for lunch. Grilled hotdogs,
Success!
Quality time spent in the hot October sunshine on a good
dove hunt.
Group of young dove hunters ready to go hunting.
boiled peanuts, cookies, snacks and drinks were pro-
vided by local merchants that donated to the youth hunt.
ACEOA provided funding that made it possible for every
hunter that attended to receive as door prize. Dove
buckets, shotgun shells, dove decoys, and caps were
some of the prizes.
District VI Supervising Wildlife Biologist Bill Gray, Henry
County Conservation Officer Joe Carroll, and Larry Doster
would like to say “thank you” to everyone that helped to
make this a very enjoyable and successful day. l
Quality time spent in the hot October sunshine on a good
dove hunt.
Henry County CEO’s (L) Larry Doster and (R) Joe Carroll
register hunters.
ACE Magazine  129
Wilcox County Youth Dove Hunt 2009
by Rusty Morrow, ACEOA Executive Director
W
hen you attend a Wilcox County Youth Dove Hunt,
it looks like Christmas. To the fifty or so youth that
attend – it is Christmas!
Dan Quincy and all of his supporters (and believe me
there are plenty of them) do a great job providing two
youth dove hunts in Wilcox County. I am not sure about
the number of sponsors, but I am sure it is over thirty as
I look at the list.
ACEOA sponsors door prizes and two lifetime hunting
license for these events. Each youth leaves with a gift and
memories of a great hunt. I was fortunate to present
Katelyn Lambert her lifetime hunting license on the first
hunt. Dan presented Daniel Tillman his lifetime hunting
license on the second hunt.
My hat is off to the sponsors and supporters in Wilcox
County for two great Youth Dove Events. I promise to be
back next September. Check out the photos! They say
it all! l
ACE Magazine  131
Wilcox County Youth Dove Hunt 2009 – continued

ACE Magazine  133

Youth Dove Hunts: Right On Target
by David Rainer, Outdoor Writer, Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources
N
either rain, nor mud nor semi-auto shotguns
reduced to single shots due to the weather man-
aged to keep youngsters from having a quality day
in the outdoors at one of the Youth Dove Hunts hosted by
the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources (ADCNR).
That was proven at a recent hunt near Gilbertown in
Choctaw County, where 34 youths and parents/mentors
showed up despite a rainy forecast that turned out to be
right on target. The rainy summer pattern experienced
throughout most of Alabama had already rendered the
fields – a combination of hay and corn – into a soggy
bottom. But that didn’t deter the youngsters from having
a ball in conditions that left many with mud from head to
toe, plus big smiles on their faces.
Jena Perry, agriculture teacher at Southern Choctaw
High School and certified Hunter Education Instructor,
said a day in the outdoors can be an educational oppor-
tunity for youngsters and adults alike.
“It’s a great example of a family outing,” Perry said. “It
gives the adults something meaningful to do with their
kids. It keeps the kids out of trouble. The kids that are the
main causes of problems are the ones who don’t have
anything to do outdoors.
“Second, we want to teach the kids, and adults, more
about the environment and the importance of conserva-
tion, being stewards of our natural resources for future
generations and that it’s not just ours to waste.”
Perry said any experience outdoors, especially with
youth hunts, makes it much easier when it comes time to
take the hunter education course, which is required for all
hunting license purchasers who were born on or after
Aug. 1, 1977.
“Several of these kids here will be going through the
hunter education course as they get a little older,” she
said. “This is a great opportunity to get hands-on experi-
ence. When we talk about firearms safety in the schools,
obviously we can’t have functional guns in the school. So
for them to get to see it in action puts what they’re learn-
ing in the classroom to use.
“Plus, if we don’t have kids who want to hunt, there’s
no need for hunter education.”
Perry also thinks teaching agriculture and hunter
education goes hand-in-hand.
“I’ve always wanted to do something with kids and
teaching them the importance of agriculture and the
outdoors,” she said. “There are so many kids who never
go outside and they don’t have an understanding of how
agriculture and the environment relates to them.
Hamburger meat just comes from the grocery store, as
far as they’re concerned.
Perry said there is one particular aspect of hunter
education that she specifically stresses because the stu-
dents don’t seem to grasp it the first time it’s mentioned.
“It’s the importance of hunting laws,” she said. “The
laws are not just there to torture them – that laws serve
useful purposes. We make sure they understand that they
can’t hunt any land they want. The biggest thing is getting
them to understand that those laws have meaning and
continued on 137
ACE Magazine  135
Youth Dove Hunts: Right On Target – continued
they’re there for a reason – either their safety or the pro-
tection of the wildlife – and that it is important to maintain
the laws and not just a reason to give them a ticket.”
The Choctaw County youth dove hunt came about
after Riley Ezell of Butler and Vance Wood, Wildlife and
Freshwater Fisheries’ Conservation Enforcement Officer,
talked about reviving the youth hunt in the county after
several years of absence. “We thought it would be a good
idea to do it again,” Ezell said. “Vance just took the ball
and ran with it. If we don’t get these kids into the outdoors,
there’s just so much stuff they can get into that’s bad.”
Ezell lined up the dove fields through his uncle, Larry
Adams, who held the hunting rights and landowner Eddie
Driscoll. Bubba Carlisle provided all the equipment
needed to hold the event. Wood lined up sponsors for the
refreshments and drinks, while the Alabama Conservation
Enforcement Officers Association brought in its portable
trap thrower for a little skeet shooting before the hunt
started. “It was a community effort,” Ezell said.
“They’ve all had a wonderful time,” Perry said. “Several
of them have been running around sliding in the mud.
Some even stayed out in the rain. It didn’t bother them.”
Fun and safety are the two goals for youth dove hunt
organizers. “Adults stay right next to them in the field to
make sure the gun is pointed in a safe direction at all
times and no low birds,” Perry said. “They had adult
supervision shooting skeet and learned about gun safety.
“This is a family event and it helps preserve the tradi-
tion of hunting. They’re always learning in history class
about how our ancestors had to hunt to feed themselves.
It’s important for these kids to learn these skills and
understand the tradition of hunting, as well.”
And Wood said at the end of the day one youngster
provided all the incentive he needed to hold the hunt
again next year. “One of the boys came up with his big,
blue eyes and told me how much fun he had,” Wood said.
“That made all the work it took to put this on worthwhile.
That is what this is all about, right there.”
Several more youth dove hunts are planned by the
ADCNR for the 2009 seasons, mostly in the South Zone.
Hunts are scheduled Oct. 3 in Monroe, Henry, Geneva
and Escambia counties. Oct. 10 hunts are set for
Covington and Escambia counties, while Oct. 17 hunts
are set for Geneva and Barbour counties. Covington
County also has an Oct. 24 hunt scheduled, while Dale
County has a hunt set for Oct. 31.
Youth hunters must be less than 16 years old and
accompanied by an adult at least 25 years old or their
parent, with a valid state hunting license and a Harvest
Information Program (H.I.P.) stamp. All are encouraged
to wear eye protection and ear plugs.
Visit http://www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/youth-
hunts/reservations.cfm for contact information to make
reservations for one of the hunts. l
10ad14
ACE Magazine  137
Arrowood Heating
Youth Dove Hunts: Right On Target – continued
Choctaw County’s First Youth Dove Hunt Is A Hit
by Vance Wood
T
he First Annual Choctaw County Youth Dove Hunt
was hosted in Gilbertown, Alabama on September
19, 2009. There were a total of 41 youth dove hunt-
ers present, ranging in age from 5 years to 15 years old.
The Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers
Association, supplied skeet for the children and ammu-
nition. The children really got a kick out of shooting
skeet.
After shooting skeet the children and adults were
treated to a lunch, which was provided at no charge by
Bubba Carlisle and his family. Door prizes were given
away and the children took the field for an afternoon
hunt. Although the weather was less than desirable a
good time was had by all. Many thanks to ACEOA, Ace
Hardware and the many sponsors that made this hunt
possible. l
ACE Magazine  139
Cheaha State Park Provides
Mountaintop Getaway
by David Rainer, Outdoor Writer, Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources

T
ired of the hustle and bustle of life? Ready to get
away from it all? There’s likely no place in Alabama
better for a little peace and solitude than Cheaha
State Park this time of year.
Settle in with a good book near the fireplace in one of
the 10 stone cabins or rent one of the six chalets for a
panoramic view from atop Alabama’s tallest mountain.
There are also 30 hotel rooms, Bald Rock Lodge with 12
rooms that accommodate multiple guests, as well as a
restaurant with observation deck on the mountain ridge.
“Cheaha is a unique park because it’s the highest point
in the state of Alabama,” said David Odom, park man-
ager. “The views and vistas in the park are second to
none in the state.
“And, it’s 18 miles to anywhere from here. The nearest
store is 18 miles away, except
for the store right here in the ous spirits, there’s plenty to offer,
park. We are secluded.” as well.
One of the first parks acquired “We have several short hiking
by the state, the park’s history trails in the park,” Odom said.
starts in 1933. The original build- “We have a real pretty half-mile
ings in the park were constructed trail that goes out to Pulpit Rock.
by the workers of the Civilian Then we have Rock Garden Trail.
Conservation Corps and their There’s also a trail that goes
legacy can still be seen all under Rock Garden and goes
around the park in the many down to the lake. That’s a very
stone structures – cabins, Bald steep and rocky trail but a very
Rock Lodge and the observation beautiful trail. It’s just not for the
tower and CCC museum. All of weak-kneed or faint of heart.
the CCC structures have been “We have mountain bike trails
recently renovated with modern in the park with a 6.2-mile trail
amenities without spoiling the that’s mostly a real technical
historic charm. single-track, a really pretty trail
At 2,407 feet above sea level, on the side of the mountain. In
that feeling of being in the clouds July we have a mountain bike
is pervasive for those who enjoy race, one of the seven south-
the stunning sunsets and the eastern states points races. The
rise of the moon that seems race here ends the season. It’s a
almost touchable. 6-mile circuit where they race
“I think what people enjoy around the top and side of the
most about Cheaha is the relaxed mountain.”
atmosphere of the park,” Odom One of the most notable addi-
said. “You’re away from it all, tions to the park was dedicated
away from the phone, away from in 2000. The Doug Ghee
the TV.” Accessible Trail, a handicap-
Yet, for those with adventur- continued on 143

ACE Magazine  141

Cheaha State Park Provides Mountaintop Getaway –
accessible boardwalk 1,520 feet long that terminates at
Bald Rock, overlooks Anniston and Oxford, as well as
Talladega Superspeedway.
“One of the first people who got to go down it was an
80-something-year-old lady from the valley who used to
come up here when she was a teen-ager,” Odom said.
“They would ride a wagon up the old roads and then walk
out to Bald Rock. She had married and moved away. Her
three daughters brought her up and she rode her wheel-
chair out to the overlook, the first time she’d been to Bald
Rock since she was a teen-ager.”
Also, the park is located in the middle of the 280,000-
acre Talladega National Forest,
which offers hunting, hiking, camp-
ing. The national forest has 135
miles of hiking trails in the immedi-
ate vicinity of the park. The Pinhoti
National Recreation Trail is more
than 110 miles long with another
18-mile section on the southern end
that extends to the Georgia line.
For those who prefer to “rough it,”
Cheaha has 73 improved campsites,
semi-primitive camping, and primi-
tive camping.
The flora in the 2,799-acre park is
currently a mixed pine-hardwood
transition forest.
“The transition will be away from
pine to hardwood,” Odom said. “The
predominant pine on the mountain
is a white pine, which is not good for
pulp production. The dominant oak
up here is the chestnut oak. We have
the regular white oak, red oak, pin
oak, blackjack oak, all those, too.
We have four different types of hick-
continued
ory trees. We have a lot of dogwoods, rhododendrons,
mountain laurel. We have a flame azalea that has a
unique color, an orange color that grows on the mountain
ridge. It’s a wild azalea that usually blooms in late April.
People have tried to transplant them, but they won’t grow
if you take them down into the valley.
“The dogwoods bloom around Easter and the moun-
tain laurels bloom in May, so we have a spring color
season, as well as a fall color season.”
The abundance of oaks has produced a bumper crop
of acorns this year, which means the park is teeming with
white-tailed deer and gray squirrels, just to name a few of
the species that can be seen in the park. Birdwatchers
can also find plenty of species to view from pileated
woodpeckers to wild turkey.
The park’s peak season is during fall colors, which
usually starts the second weekend in September and
runs all the way to Thanksgiving.
“This time of the year, we get some travelers from up
north who have found the park and will come stay with
us a couple of days on their way south,” Odom said. “In
the spring, those same people will come back by on their
way north.
“All our cabins stay very busy until after Christmas.
We have one family from Louisiana with relatives in the
area that will bring a fully decorated Christmas tree up in
a U-Haul and stay in a chalet.”
The high demand for the cabins
and chalets requires careful plan-
ning for those who want to stay in
those facilities.
“Our cabins and chalets are
booked almost year-round,” he said.
“If they want a cabin or chalet, espe-
cially during the fall colors, they
need to call three or four months in
advance to book a facility.
“We have some guys who stay
here while they hunt the national
forest. We have some folks who just
come here to enjoy the lake and
swimming pool in the summer. And,
of course, we’ve got people who stay
with us every spring and fall race at
Talladega and they book for the next
race before they leave.”
For more information on Cheaha
or any of the other 21 state parks,
visit www.alapark.com.
NOTE: David Odom is now retired
and Hartley Frederick is currently the
Park Manager at Cheaha State Park.l
ACE Magazine  143
Alligator Season Ends With New Record
by David Rainer, Outdoor Writer, Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources

T
he 2009 Alabama alligator hunting season is offi- each year and we haven’t seen any decrease in numbers.
cially over with a new alligator added to the record The population is healthy.
book. The 701-pound alligator taken by Matt Thornton “There were more females taken this year. Generally,
of Mobile and his hunting partners was harvested on the females are smaller. I think the second weekend the hunt-
first night of the hunt in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta and held ers weren’t passing up as many gators looking for that
up for the remainder of the season. big one. That’s probably the main reason for the increase
The season was split into two areas this year with simi- in females taken.”
lar regulations for the Mobile-Tensaw Delta but a signifi- Sharp said although the harvest numbers weren’t
cant twist to the regulations for the hunts in the four-county quite as high as expected, he considered it a successful
area of Barbour, Houston, Henry and Russell. That season season.
in southeast Alabama ran from Aug. 21-31 and hunters “First of all, we had good, safe hunts,” he said. “We’re
were not required to bring the harvested animals to a not aware of any accidents. We’re getting more and more
central check station, as is required for the Delta. people who are experienced in hunting gators. We’ve got
The final numbers for the Delta were 78 gators taken guys who have hunted in the past, so we’re seeing a good
by 125 permit holders, a 62-percent success rate. bit of experience starting to develop. That’s always a
Chuck Sharp, supervising biologist with the Alabama good thing to have people more aware of what’s going on
Department of Conservation and what methods to use,
and Natural Resources’ and to develop confidence in
Wildlife and Freshwater the methods they’re using.
Fisheries Division, thinks In hunting, a 62-percent suc-
the alligators are starting to cess rate is not too shabby.”
adapt to the increased activ- Sharp said there has been
ity on the Delta. a definite preference for the
“I think part of it is the method of taking alligators
gators are feeling the pres- after much trial and error.
sure of the hunt,” Sharp said “I think most everybody
of the fourth gator season. is using the rod and reel
“The first year these gators with a snatch hook,” he said.
had never been hunted. “They’re using other meth-
These gators are long-lived, ods – harpoon and archery
so they’re adapting to the equipment – as intermedi-
pressure.” ate weapons. But you get
Still, hunters were able to so much more reach with
take 14 alligators larger than the hook and line that you
400 pounds on the first don’t get with the harpoon
weekend of the Delta hunt. or archery equipment. Even
“We saw a good number a crossbow is only good for
of big gators that first week- a few yards to get enough
end,” Sharp said. “As you penetration.”
take out these big gators, Thornton even resorted to
you’ve got one just a little bit bass tackle to get a line on
smaller ready to take its the record gator after a cou-
place. The hunting area is ple of hours of playing cat-
basically 100,000 acres and and-mouse. He had seen a
we’ve taken 78 animals off big gator in the area while
that large area. We are just bass fishing and decided to
taking off the surplus ani- hang out around Lower
mals in this population. We Bryant Landing. When they
do an annual survey in July continued on 147

ACE Magazine  145

Alligator Season Ends With New Record –
spotted the gator, he had to crawl over a limb to make his
getaway and the crew realized it was a big one.
“We sat there for 45 minutes waiting for him to come
back up,” Thornton said. “When he did finally come up,
it sounded like a whale coming up for air. We played that
game for two hours. I had been trying to cast saltwater
spinning rods that I use for snapper and king mackerel
fishing but I couldn’t get the distance I needed. So I
picked up my Curado reel and 7-foot rod I use bass fish-
ing and got him hooked. He went straight down and we
were able to get three more rods hooked up. Then we got
a rope with a snatch hook in him.”
When the gator came up, the team was able to get a
snare on him, but the gator submerged for another 30
minutes.
“We were lucky,” Thornton said. “Once we got him
hooked, it only took about 45 minutes to finish him off. I
think he wore himself out before we hooked him by stay-
ing down that long.”
Thornton and his buddies – Richie Hurt, Paul O’Dell,
Josh Parnell, Ben Harrell and Ross Odom – soon realized
the difficulty of dealing with a dispatched gator. They
moved to shallow water so Thornton and one of his bud-
dies could jump in to get better leverage on the 13-foot,
5-inch behemoth.
“The hardest part of the whole deal was getting him in
the boat,” he said of his 21-foot bay boat. “We got his tail
in the boat. Then with me and one other guy pushing and
the others pulling we finally got him in the boat. He filled
up the bottom of the boat.”
HARTFORD TIRE &
With several days left for hunters to report their gator
AUTO CENTER
harvest in southeast Alabama, Supervising Biologist Bill
Gray said 15 animals had been checked in with several
more expected to be checked before the reporting period
ends on Sept. 411.
00 West Main Street
Gray said three
H aalligators
r t f o r d , that
A L are
3 6 3in4excess
4 of 12 feet
and 400 pounds had been taken, including a 12-4,
627-pounder taken 3 3by4Bryan
- 5 8 8Hughes
- 2 1 2 of2 Gurley.
Scottsbor o Family
continued
The southeast Alabama hunt was lengthened and
expanded to the four-county areas for several reasons,
according to Gray.
“Last year we were completely rained out by Tropical
Storm Fay,” Gray said. “We wound up with only three
alligators harvested because of the weather. We were
basically looking for a way to provide the most amount
of hunting for the public. We also get a lot of nuisance
complaints in private ponds in the counties. We wanted
to expand it so the permit holders could work with land-
owners who needed alligators removed. We wanted to tap
into that resource. We’re trying to provide the most
access to resource we could.”
Although the final numbers are not in from the 80
permit holders, Gray thinks the new format has worked
10ad14
well.
“The drawback is that, as a biologist, you want to put
your hands on the animals you’re sampling,” he said. “We
just had to make our peace with that. But the folks and
processors are doing a good job of collecting the data.
The hunters really like it and it’s been manageable all the
way around. We’re considering it a success. Another
drawback is having to wait 10 more days to get all the
data collected and get the final tally.
“It also reduces the pressure at the reservoir (Lake
Eufaula) where people were stacked in there trying to
accomplish their harvest. People who work weekends or
work shift work can get out there during the week. I think
the changes have greatly enhanced the convenience and
enjoyment of it with this format. One thing I would
change is adding a couple of more counties where we
INTERSTATE BATTERIES
have considerable gator populations and problems. And
we might consider having a longer period of time to hunt.
The hunters really seem to like it because they can hunt
3505 Governors Drive
at their leisure more.”
Huntsville, Alabama 35805
Visit www.outdooralabama.com for more information on
256-519-2450
the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources or to read previous columns by David Rainer. l
ACE Magazine  147
TURNER INSURANCE &
2009 Talladega County
Hunter Education Event
by Jerry L. Fincher, ACEOA Associate Director, District II, Talladega County CEO
T
he Talladega County Hunter’s Education Association
held its annual appreciation day for its volunteer
instructors, their children and grandchildren, and
other youth from the community. We were anticipating
one hundred participants; however, the weather had other
ideas. Five inches of rain between midnight Friday night
and daylight Saturday morning created a muddy mess.
But, we still had approximately forty participants.
The soggy bunch enjoyed skeet competition, rifle
competition, fishing, as well as a 3-D archery range. We
ate fried catfish complements of my noodling activities
and hotdogs complements of Mr. Wesson, the manager
of Piggly Wiggly in Childersburg. The whole event was
made possible by a donation from ACEOA and the gen-
erosity of ACEOA associate member Bill Gaston of
Gaston Construction in Sylacauga. Mr. Gaston, (Chopper)
as he is known locally, allowed us to use his home and
private lake for the event.
In addition, I would like the thank Mr. Barry Hagan, Mr.
Donald Holdman, Mr. Glenn Stockdale, and Mr. Tommy
McGillberry. These men worked all day in the rain to
provide entertainment, food, and instruction for the par-
ticipants. I would also like to give honorable mention to
Mrs. Evonne Green. Mrs. Green is our newest hunter
education instructor and a shooting sports phenom. She
handily won her division in all three shooting sports
events, easily beating most of the male competitors.
The entire Talladega County area would like to thank
ACEOA for its commitment to hunter education and the
future of America’s youth. We would also like to thank all
the businesses who advertise in ACE Magazine, making
the ACEOA donations possible. l
ACE Magazine  151