Tag: Outdoors
Cullman’s Wildflower Garden: A hidden utopia
CULLMAN, Ala. - Tucked away in the wooded area of Sportsman Lake Park is the Wildflower Garden, a beautiful collection of natural and native...
McCaleb crowned Grand Champion at Governor’s One-Shot Turkey Hunt
Despite some challenging weather conditions, the Alabama Governor’s One-Shot Turkey Hunt last week was another resounding success with numerous hunters from across the nation...
Public support of conservation efforts at State Parks improve natural habitats...
Smoke billows into the sky, visible to nearby residents and motorists as a sign that something is burning in the Alabama forest.
It’s a prescribed...
Sportsman Lake Park lands on Alabama Birding Trails
CULLMAN, Ala. - Sportsman Lake Park, with its expansive lake, acres of trees, wildflower and butterfly trail and arboretum, is a destination for nature...
Sneaky snakes: The good, the bad and the misconceptions
CULLMAN, Ala. - Spring is almost here, and that means that soon enough, the snakes inhabiting north Alabama will make their way back out...
New trail opens for mountain bikers, hikers at Oak Mountain State...
SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. - A new trail named Room Service at Oak Mountain State Park opened recently, as members of the Birmingham Urban Mountain...
ACES: 4 ways to participate in National Bird Feeding Month
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. - February is among one of the most important months for feeding birds in Alabama, as backyard songbirds have limited access...
Rainer: Shipp leaves lasting legacy in marine fisheries
When I reflect on my 30-plus years of covering the outdoors in Alabama, several people who influenced and contributed to my writing come to...
Begin 2024 with a First Day Hike at an Alabama State...
Alabama State Parks is hosting 11 First Day Hikes as part of a national program designed to celebrate the new year and the great...
Cullman’s Jake Burkey finds success as off-road vehicle titan
CULLMAN, Ala. - Sometimes finding the right career path means going off the beaten path – literally. That’s the lesson of Cullman, Alabama resident...
4-H Adventure Classes begin in January
CULLMAN, Ala. - The Cullman County Extension Office announced an exciting new set of educational courses for Cullman County’s 4-H program in 2024. Three...
Ivey issues statewide ‘No Burn Order’
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday signed a statewide Drought Emergency Declaration – often referred to as a “No Burn Order” – prohibiting all...
ADCNR: Registration for 2023 youth dove hunts opens Aug. 21
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) provides several youth dove hunt...
Sheriff Gentry issues lake safety tips
CULLMAN, Ala. – With an increased number of incidents on the water this summer the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) wants the community to...
Zip in for some fun!
CULLMAN, Ala. – The ribbon was cut on the grand opening of Smith Lake Ziplines Friday, June 2, with representatives from the Cullman Area...
Cullman County parks summer events
CULLMAN, Ala. – Cullman County Parks and Recreation and the Cullman County Commission have many fun events planned for the public this summer. Cullman...
Editorial: Simple swaps toward sustainability
Today, April 22, is Earth Day! www.earthday.org/earth-day-2023
Sustainability can be a hot topic these days, and in a world as busy as ours, it's typically...
Voters overwhelmingly approve state parks amendment
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - By a wide margin, Alabama voters approved the amendment on last Tuesday’s ballot to provide as much as $80 million in...
Alabama’s forests: clearing the air
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. – One of the world’s largest sources of carbon can likely be found in your backyard. In fact, trees are some...
Roads and parking areas at Lake Guntersville State Park paved with...
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. - Officials with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management on Tuesday showed...
Research shows mosquitoes remember, avoid pesticide odors
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. – No one likes dealing with mosquitoes. As potential vectors of diseases, controlling mosquito populations is an important aspect of human...
Black bear cubs collared in northeast Alabama
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - To say Traci Wood has a passion for bears would understate her love for the small black bear populations on opposite...
Don’t be stumped by the 2022 timber market
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. – The Alabama timber industry is successfully healing after the COVID-19 pandemic’s temporary crippling of the market two years ago. The...
Cullman celebrates 34 years as Tree City USA
CULLMAN, Ala. - “This is a fun one!” Those were Cullman Mayor Woody Jacobs’ words as he prepared to open the 2022 Tree City...
Financial relief will soon be available to assist Alabama landowners adversely...
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Administered by the Alabama Forestry Commission, the Cogongrass Mitigation Program is made possible through a grant from the USDA Animal &...
Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries announces special Youth, Veteran...
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) has designated Saturday, February 5, 2022, as the second of the 2021-2022...
All oyster harvest zones to close January 21, 2022
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Pursuant to Section 9-12-28, Code of Alabama 1975 as stated by Rule 220-3-.02, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’...
Cullman County Master Gardeners share 2022 initiative for feeding birds during...
CULLMAN, Ala. - The Alabama Master Gardeners are educators trained by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. During their last meeting, they discussed taking an...
Eagle Awareness Weekends in Guntersville planned for January and February
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – Lake Guntersville State Park will host its popular Eagle Awareness Weekends starting in January 2022, through February 2022.
The events will feature...
National Wild Turkey Federation donates $122,000 for wildlife management
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Alabama Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) recently allocated $122,000 in Hunting Heritage Super Funds for wild turkey...
Begin deer season with food safety in mind
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala.—Withdeer season opening Oct. 15, Mark Smith, a wildlife scientist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, says hunters need a game plan to...
Tips and tricks to avoid picking up ticks
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Tick exposure can occur year-round, but ticks are most active during warmer months (April-September). Know which ticks are most common in your...
In Alabama, conservation Is for the birds
WASHINGTON D.C. - Whether called the Yellowhammer State or the Cotton State, an abundance of birds call the state of Alabama home. “Yellowhammer” in...
‘Truth in Nature is tight lines, steady aim and a cleansed...
CULLMAN, Ala. - Truth in Nature held an educational day for the young men of the Cullman chapter Saturday, June 26. The first half...
ATF promotes fireworks safety
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wants the public to be safe during the Fourth of July. Understanding the...
Guest Editorial: Protecting Alabama’s waters requires more than lawsuits
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Recent heavy rains put the spotlight on one of the most common yet difficult to resolve environmental concerns – untreated or...
Editorial: Don’t feed the ducks
A few years ago, I was employed in an area which harbored a substantial feral cat colony, 20 or so, with kittens. I was...
Federal, state programs guarantee boating access
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Hank Weldon is a native Alabamian and a traveling man. As a director of student and junior tournaments for Bass Anglers...
Palomino RV Resort hits full capacity for Memorial Day
CULLMAN, Ala. - Cullman’s investment in the development of an RV park, the Palomino RV Resort, at the Burrow Farm site on County Road...
Go Fish, Alabama! teaches basics of fishing
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Have you ever wanted to learn the basics of fishing, but didn’t know where to begin? The Alabama Department of Conservation...
Duck River Reservoir boat ramps closing at 5 p.m. today
CULLMAN, Ala. - The City of Cullman has announced the temporary closure of its boat ramps at the Duck River Reservoir today, May 20...
Oak Mountain State Park Interpretive Center reopens May 22
PELHAM, Ala. - The Oak Mountain Interpretive Center (OMIC) at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, Alabama, will celebrate its reopening Saturday, May 22,...
Deer: Attract or deter?
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. – Deer in residential areas—homeowners either love the friendly visitors or wish they would leave plants alone. While hunting season has...
New license allows hunting of feral swine, coyotes at night
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - With Gov. Kay Ivey’s signature this week, new legislation will provide hunters in Alabama with another opportunity to harvest two specific...
Getting outside to enjoy spring weather
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala.—Spring is here once again. That means getting the family together and spending time outdoors. However, sometimes we need a boost to...
Alabama PALS kicks off 2021 “Don’t Drop It on Alabama” Spring...
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The 2021 statewide “Don’t Drop It On Alabama” Spring Cleanup will be held during the entire month of April. The cleanup...
Hawley wants to leave turkey hunting legacy
At the recent Alabama Conservation Advisory Board meeting in Montgomery, one of the people who took advantage of the opportunity to address the Board...
Hunting antler sheds
Late winter and early spring can often be a dull time for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. Deer season is over, and turkey season has...
Avoid planting summer vegetables too early
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala.—In anticipation of enjoying summer vegetables, gardeners often plant too early causing them to struggle. In Alabama the often-warmer temperatures in late...
Controlled burns top tool for wildlife, land managers
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Social media has been filled with smoke and fire lately as many land managers, like the...
R3 campaign encourages Alabamians to get outdoors
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
With the social distancing requirements from COVID-19, many people have turned to the outdoors to escape...
Alabama hunters bagging big bucks this season
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Judging from the number of deer reported through the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division’s...
Winners of Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest announced
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The winners of the 2021 Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest are listed below. As usual, the judges had a very difficult time...
Special Youth, Veteran and Active Military Personnel Waterfowl Hunting Day Feb....
The Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) has designated Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021 as the second of the 2020-2021 hunting season’s Special...
Woodcock monitoring program tracks migration routes
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Seth Maddox will head out in February with other Division biologists to do some woodcock hunting....
Alabama State Parks provided safe haven for Alabamians in 2020
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama State Parks found a new purpose during an eventful 2020.
State officials kept the parks open as a safe recreational option...
Black Belt Adventures urges hunters to donate venison
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Hunters Helping the Hungry has provided more than a half-million pounds of ground venison to those...
WFF reactivates 800 number for Game Check
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
The toll-free Game Check phone number, 1-800-888-7690, is back and better than ever. The Alabama Department...
CWD detected in 2 additional NE Mississippi counties
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) recently received “suspect positive” Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) test results for two...
Tips for hunting the rut in Alabama
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
While the white-tailed deer rut has come and gone in a few areas in Alabama, hunters...
Last-minute Christmas gifts for outdoors enthusiasts
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Buying Christmas gifts for those who love the outdoors can be a daunting task simply because...
Public land provides opportunities to hunt rut all season
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Most people think the rutting activity of white-tailed deer in Alabama occurs mostly in January and...
Venison recipes perfect for holidays
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
When that Thanksgiving turkey has been reduced to a discarded carcass, it’s time to break out...
With piers closed, Thornton takes to Alabama’s beautiful beaches
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
With a nickname like Pier Pounder, David Thornton of Mobile has seen his favorite pastime disappear...
Parks officials working to reopen portion of Gulf State Park Pier
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Gulf State Park on Alabama’s beautiful Gulf Coast will be a beehive of activity now and...
Why do leaves change colors?
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. – Crisp, cool mornings and long shadows signal that fall has truly set in. With a transition into cooler weather, comes...
Feral hog population in Alabama shows no decline
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Despite an increased effort to mitigate the impact of feral hogs in Alabama, the hog population...
Enjoying a fire pit, responsibly
CULLMAN, Ala. - Fall is a great time to gather around a backyard fire pit and enjoy the cooler weather. Cullman Fire Marshal Chris...
Wood duck mates determine migration routes
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
In the waterfowl world, Alabama’s most abundant species, the wood duck, is not known for migrating...
Don’t get complacent about hunter safety
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Although the number of hunting accidents has held steady for the last several years, Captain Marisa...
Gulf State Park section succumbs to Sally’s surge
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
One aspect of living on Alabama’s beautiful Gulf Coast is the realization that the best-laid plan...
Reintroduction of the Eastern indigo snake in the Southeast
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. – The Eastern indigo snake, one of the longest snakes native to the United States, calls the Southeast home. Unfortunately, this...
What’s new for the 2020-2021 hunting seasons
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Deer hunters will find two new zones in the 2020-2021 Alabama Deer Zones...
Naturally Alabama: Plinking on the roof
Everyone is saying it: “This has been a crazy year.” The coronavirus has made its impact on human health and society around the world. ...
Alabama State Parks online campground reservation system now live
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Ready for a camping trip to one – or several – of the beautiful Alabama State...
How technology is making fishing more appealing to young anglers in...
CULLMAN, Ala.
-- Fishing is a fun outdoor activity that is loved by many people in Cullman,
Alabama. And with Cullman being home to some of...
WFF cautiously optimistic about spread of silver carp
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR)
Chris Greene is cautiously optimistic that an invasive fish species that can wreak havoc on...
Registration now open for Alabama’s Adult Mentored Hunting Program
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Learning to hunt may seem out of reach for those who didn’t grow up with hunting as part of their family...
ADCNR strengthens safeguards against nonnative species
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Due to ecological, economic, and human health and safety concerns related to the potential impacts of nonnative animals, Alabama Administrative Code...
Scaup limit reduced to 1; Sandhill crane registration opens soon
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
North America’s waterfowl breeding population annual survey is another aspect of the outdoors that has been...
Naturally Alabama: Danger follows the buzz of summer
Every summer here in Alabama, there is an eerie buzz in the woods. Those living close to water are used to the regular serenade...
Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest opens Aug. 3
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The 2021 Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest will begin accepting entries Monday, Aug. 3, 2020. This year’s contest is a joint project...
Summertime snake sightings
CULLMAN, Ala. - Reports of snake sightings are on the rise, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the snake population has increased from previous years....
Hunting season dates announced for 2020-2021
The 2020-2021 hunting season will bring big changes for white-tailed deer hunters in a few parts of Alabama with the creation of two new...
Naturally Alabama: Imported danger to our native hemlocks
Welcome to “Naturally Alabama!” For a while now I have desired to write a series of articles based on what I have encountered in...
North Zone dove season opens Labor Day weekend
Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Director Chuck Sykes wants to make sure dove hunters are not caught flat-footed this September when the season...
Weather safety on the water
CULLMAN, Ala. - With summer settling in for the long, hot foreseeable future, many residents are taking to area lakes for some fun in...
Participate in Alabama Backyard BioBlitz June 5
FAIRHOPE, Ala. - All Alabamians are invited to join Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in celebrating World Environment Day by participating in the...
Awesome Trail opens at Joe Wheeler State Park
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Those who love to explore nature have another opportunity with the opening of the new trail...
Asian giant hornets? Murder hornets? Not in Alabama
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. - Neighborhoods and social media are buzzing with hype as citizens are concerned about “murder hornets.” Alabama Cooperative Extension System professionals...
Controlling fire ants this spring
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. - Those preparing their summer vegetable gardens may find their plots already teeming with life, but not the kind they would...
How to start a vegetable garden
CULLMAN, Ala. - With quarantine still underway, some are itching to get outside and some are picking up new hobbies to pass the time....
Alabama’s outdoors provides solutions for social distancing
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
While Governor Kay Ivey and Dr. Scott Harris, chair of the Governor's COVID-19 Task Force, work...
Alabama State Parks naturalists to provide virtual programming
For all those nature lovers who are unable to visit one of the beautiful Alabama State Parks due to the COVID-19 precautionary measures, the...
Spring landscaping tips from Cullman County Extension Coordinator Tony Glover
CULLMAN, Ala. – Warm, comfortable weather is around the corner with the arrival of spring. The Tribune spoke with Cullman County Extension Coordinator Tony...
Conservation Advisory Board considers deer zones, turkey reporting
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
The first Alabama Conservation Advisory Board meeting of 2020 resulted in a wealth of good news...
First wild eastern indigo snake found in Alabama in 60 years
David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Traci Wood admitted holding the snake almost made her come unglued. No, she wasn’t afraid of...
‘This is the future of growing’
CULLMAN, Ala. – The North Alabama Agriplex talked hydroponic gardening this week, welcoming Cullman County Master Gardener Michael Weems to its Living Landscapes program....
Discover Alabama’s national forests through water monitoring
Alabama Water Watch (AWW), in partnership with the USDA Forest Service (USFS), is excited to announce the launch of a new water quality-monitoring project...
Live Christmas trees: Recycle and reuse
AUBURN, Ala. - The parties are over and the decorations are packed. Now, there is just one thing left to do – get rid...
