ACE Magazine - Summer 11

Official Publication of the ACEOA WWW.ACEOA.
ORG SUMMER 2011
EDITOR:
Gayle Morrow
in this issue...
3 Where We Stand ............................................................................................... 5 Press Release Alabama Youth Dove Hunt .................................................... 11 ACEOA 2011 State Conference and Top Gun Competition ................................ 13 Press Release Mystery Man Revealed ...................................................... 35 Tornado Disaster Relief ................................................................................... 37 Beyond The Basics ......................................................................................... 45 Dove Season .................................................................................................... 61 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Host Youth Catfish Rodeos .............................. 65 Back in the Day .............................................................................................. 67 Butler County Youth Fishing Day 2011 ............................................................ 71 A-Team Fishing ............................................................................................... 75 Blue Springs Fishing Event Kicks Off The Summer .......................................... 79 The University of Alabama Outdoor Learning Center ...................................... 85 Snapper Fishing ............................................................................................... 91 Forever Wild ................................................................................................... 97 Kids Get Hooked at Fishing Derby ............................................................. 101 Alabama Marine Police Has New Director .................................................... 105 Press Release Oak Mountain Deer Management Program Expands ........... 111 Alligators Natural Wonder or Dangerous Predator? ................................... 113 Eufaula Youth Fishing Rodeo Goes On .......................................................... 115 Black Bears Part of Alabamas Ecosystem ..................................................... 119 Controlling Damage by Vultures ................................................................... 123 Clay Hill Farms Hosts Youth Fishing Rodeo .................................................. 127 Whos Been Digging In My Yard? .................................................................. 131 Outdoor Women Unlimited Continues to Stretch its Limits ........................... 135 Bass Anglers Sportsmans Society Returns To Alabama ................................ 139 2011 Montgomery County Youth Fishing Rodeo ............................................ 143 Natural Resources Youth Camp Teaches Environmental Lessons .................. 147 Forest Ruler Returns to Blue Spring Wildlife Management Area .................... 155 Buckmasters Expo 2011 ................................................................................ 159 Advertisers Index .......................................................................................... 161 Business Directory ....................................................................................... 181
2010-11 State Officers and Directors ..................................................................
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PUBLISHER:
Brent-Wyatt West 8436 Crossland Loop, Suite 207 Montgomery, Alabama 36117
SALES OFFICES:
Bryan Elkins, Sr. / Jim Downing 8436 Crossland Loop, Suite 207 Montgomery, Alabama 36117 (334) 213-6229
ON THE COVER Marine Police Officer, Jeremy Alford, represents District 5 and wins the 2011 Top Gun.
ACE Magazine is the official publication of the Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officer Association. Purchase of advertising space does not entitle the advertisers to any privileges or favors from members. ACE Magazine does not assume responsibility for statements of fact or opinion made by any contributor. This magazine is created and produced by BrentWyatt West. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.
Where We Stand
By Rusty Morrow, ACEOA Executive Director
CEOA has kept politics out of ACE Magazine. We have always been proud of our good endeavors. Our magazine shows many of the programs we sponsor. We are blessed with a very supportive reading public and corporate sponsorship. We will never change our support for outdoor programs. Our supporters should also understand that we have never hidden the fact that we are a Pro-Active Association. We fight for our Conservation Officers when we feel they are being treated unfairly. The past legislative session has redirected our priorities, when it comes to our officers. You might say we have been EDUCATED. I believe our readers will better understand our educational process if they understand why we were so involved in the legislative session of 2011. In the next couple of pages, I plan to provide some basic facts. I promise not to ramble, but you must know I am very intense when it comes to matters that directly affect our Officers. You must also understand that I will not down-play the economic condition this state was in when the Republicans gained control of the House and Senate. The financial situations were bleak to put it lightly. I understand they made a promise and had a job to do. This is not my first rodeo when it comes to the legislature. These men and women have a very difficult job. They are good men and women. They have my respect. With that being said, any Senator or House member that I mention in this editorial has my utmost respect. My intentions are to be positive. Many readers do not know that the Conservation Department does not draw from the General fund budget. This is important to know when I discuss several Bills that were introduced in 2011.The Conservation Department generates revenue from license sales, fines and the Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937. The Pittman-Robertson Act is an excise tax on firearms, ammunitions and other related products. It is given back
to the states for wildlife restoration and similar projects. These funds are earmarked for particular purposes. I have provided at the end of this editorial a summary of the Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937. Anti-hunters, anti-fishermen and anti-second amendment taxpayers do not support the Conservation Department. Hunters, fishermen and firearm buyers support the Conservation Department. With this information in mind, I plan to discuss two bills Senate Bill 257 and Senate bill 414. SB414 was passed and signed into law by the Governor and SB257 never came out of Committee. SB257, in short was a bill to repeal law enforcement subsistence, longevity pay and daily per diem. Overnight per diem was not affected. Most State law enforcement officers get $12.00 a day for every day they work over four hours. This helps with uniform cleaning and maybe a meal. If this bill had passed it would have taken as much as $276.00 from our officers pay check a month ($12.00x23 days.) Longevity pay is nothing more than a Christmas bonus passed into law that rewarded good reliable state employees that have put in their time. The amount depends upon the years of service over five years. The Conservation department employees do not abuse the per diem system. I worked twenty five years and probably can only count five nights I spent out of Lowndes County that paid overnight. When we had training and traveled to another county you might get $30.00 if you were out of your county for over twelve hours. These were few and far between. I truly understand how this could be abused but I know it wasnt in the Conservation Enforcement Division. In short, SB257 was a way for agencies to save money, fill in some budget shortfalls and pass the burden on to the state employees. You will see a trend forming. Senator Sanford from Huntsville sponsored the bill. It
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came from across the street from the Governors office. He introduced it and was bombarded with emails and phone calls. The opposition was immense. I believe our officers were somewhat responsible for Senator Sanford pulling the bill from Committee and never acting on it again during the session. We still have fears that it will be back in 2012. Senator Sanford realized the impact this bill would have on state law enforcement officers. $276.00 does not sound like much, but when you add health insurance being nearly doubled, its a lot. Senator Sanford was one of the legislators who had a really tough job. Being a Republican, he was expected to follow the Governors agenda. He made a decision based on the facts. State employees who havent received merit pay raises in two administrations cannot afford any more deductions from their pay checks. The people of Huntsville that sent Senator Sanford to Montgomery should be proud. He is a friend to ACEOA. Now SB414 was different, beside the fact it passed in the 2011 session and was signed into law by the Governor, it was engulfed in politics that was not based on facts. I promised to be positive in this editorial and I will be. These are the facts (somewhat condensed.) I know the facts because I was there. Its not the fact that a few Senators and Representatives made some errors; I just believe they were misinformed and did not know any better. I will get back to this assumption in a minute. SB414 was another agency fund saving bill. Designed to help the general fund short falls, it was not a Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA) bill. It does nothing to help RSA. State employees and teachers would contribute more. In the case of Conservation Officers, they currently contribute 6% per payroll. It will be increased to 8% by October 2012. The additional 2% wont go to RSA; it will go back to the agency to decrease the matching funds. In simple terms the agency gets 2% back in the Kitty. Our department could easily pay at the current rate. I believe they have the money. They had agreed to pay subsistence at the current rate in SB257. A key point here is that since we are not a general fund agency, including us in the bill would do nothing to help the general fund short falls. It would merely add additional burdens on already struggling teachers and state employees. Senator Pittman sponsored the bill and again it was sent across the street from the Governors office. I spoke at the public hearing on SB414. Since it involved all state employees and teachers several people spoke against the bill, including Dr. Paul Hubbard. Gunter Guy, the Commissioner of the Conservation Department did not speak, but assured me before the hearing that all agencies were included in SB414. Our Governor had sent word that no one would be exempt. I was still a little paranoid because Public Safety was not included in the bill from the beginning of the hearing. SB414 left the Committee with a favorable approval and Senator Pittman introduced an amendment that included Public Safety in the bill. All agencies were now included. I didnt like it but I accepted it. We made a gallant fight, but lost. I might add here, I let my guard down. I believed what politicians said. Now you may read something negative into this, but its true I believed them. It was a few days before the end of the session that I received an email from Chris Lewis, our ACEOA state treasurer, that Public Safety had been removed from SB414. One call to Danny Hester, Executive Director of the State Trooper Association, confirmed the rumor. To put it lightly I went BALLISTIC. I told you that when it comes to our Officers I am very intense. I will remain positive but it is difficult. For a general fund agency be removed from SB414 and a non-general fund be left in made no sense. The decision of the Republican caucus that removed them was not based on facts. With no time left in the session there would not be enough time to get us out of SB414. Representative Love moved SB414 through the House. He was, unfortunately, another legislator that Im really concerned that was misinformed on the impact of the bill. He made a remark to me that if they were not left out of the bill they would have to lay Troopers off. I will get back to this in a minute because it would do just the opposite. It is important for you to understand that it is not about Public Safety. It is not that they got preferential treatment in this bill. It is about understanding the facts. The fact
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is Public Safety has their own retirement system. It is called the State Police Retirement System. Included in this system is the ABC investigators and Attorney General Investigators. They contribute 10% to RSA per payroll. They do not pay social security. They are blessed by law to receive as much overtime pay as they want. This makes their retirement benefits very lucrative when they retire. Senator Pittman and Representative Love obviously believed that since they already paid 10% they should not have to pay more. Lets dont lose sight of what the purpose of what the bill was written for - to help the Agency in the Matching funds -putting money back. The fact is that Public Safetys matching funds per payroll are nearly triple of what the Conservation Departments are. Public Safety matching funds are your tax money. Coincidently Public Safety was excluded from both SB257 and SB414. I made an assumption earlier in this editorial that maybe some legislators had made some errors, either from being misinformed or just not knowing any better. If Public Safety had been included in SB414 the Agency could possibly replace retiring officers. Instead they face major personnel problems and a Crunch that 2% per payroll could have helped. Legislators thought they were helping but instead they were created further problems for our employees and some agencies that draw from the general fund budget. Im not being negative, Im just calling it the way it is. The impact that SB414 will have on our department trying to recruit young officers will be noticeable over the next couple of years. Merit pay is frozen, there will be no raises, insurance has doubled and now more money from our dwindling checks. How do you promise good times ahead for our department? How do you explain to our officers that SB257 could be back in 2012 and could get even more? How do you explain to our officers that the retirement system that many retired officers worked for, may not be the same when they retire. How do you build morale with all this going on? I will tell you how you do it. You do it with EDUCATION. ACEOA has redirected our priorities as stated on the first page of this editorial. This editorial and more in the next issues will start our state-wide educational program about the Conservation Department, how it is funded and major issues that affect our Officers. We feel it is important that our readers understand what our officers are facing in the future and the issues that face the wildlife resource of Alabama. Unfortunately these issues may depend on each other. You are our supporters. By educating you, you can pass the word in a more convincing manner. You know your local legislators. You can help us by educating them. Part two of this editorial will be in the fall issue of ACE Magazine. This will be close to the 2012 Legislative Session. Our word must spread statewide by then. Thank you for your continued support. I will leave you with this quote, Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. Thomas Edison Summary: The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to cooperate with the States, through their respective State fish and game departments, in wildlife-restoration projects. However, per statute, no money apportioned under this chapter to any state shall be expended until the state in question assents to the provisions of this chapter and has passed laws for the conservation of wildlife, which includes a prohibition against the diversion of license fees paid by hunters for any other purpose than the administration of said states fish and game department. The Act also provides for grants for hunter education programs and a mechanism for a multi-state conservation grant program.
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ACEOA 2011 State Conference and Top Gun Competition

By Rusty Morrow, ACEOA Executive Director
he 4-H Conference Center in Columbiana was the site of our 2011 conference and Top-Gun Competitions. What a great facility. The 4-H Center has all the venues for family fun, plus pavilions and conference rooms suited for a business conference. Most of our activities were held on site. The Top-Gun competition was held at the Shelby County S.O. range a few miles away. Our in-house instructors Vance Wood, Matt Weathers and Wendell Fulks created a course that tested even the best marksmen. They incorporated a few new wrinkles that included the assault rifles and shotguns. As usual, the competition focused mainly on their duty hand gun. The competitors had to run and shoot in reallife stressful situations. Our goal for the competition has always been that when it is over there is no doubt who is Top-Gun for the year. When the smoke had cleared, Marine Police Officer Jeremy Alford (D-5) took home the top honor. WFFLE Officer Jerry Fincher (D-3) placed second and WFFLE Lt. Chris Lewis (D-4) placed third. At the banquet on Saturday night Jeremy was given the gun of the year, a Taurus PT 1911 45. Thanks again to all our Competitors for making this a great event. Each year it gets bigger and tougher. We know our Conservation Officers can stand up to any other division when it comes to shooting. New for 2011 was the Ladies Top-Gun Competition. It really generated some interest. The competition was
limited to Officers wives and retired officers wives. The ladies shot at the 4-H Center. They shot 22 rifles and two different 22 pistols (One with open sights and one with red dot sights.) They also shot clays using a 20 gauge shotgun. These ladies took this competition seriously. It was really a lot of fun. At the banquet Saturday night, Ladies Top-Gun was presented to Ginnie Lush. She was the proud winner of a pink 380 Taurus pistol. Sabina Lucas placed second, and Judy Wadkins placed third. Congratulations ladies! Our key note conference speaker and educator was Attorney Will Sellers of Balch and Bingham attorneys at law. Will did a great job developing a PowerPoint presentation to show our officers methods of establishing partnerships that will help our Association grow. He really had some great ideas and got us on the right track. We appreciate Will taking the time to help us and we plan to keep him on board for all of our tax issues. Our conference ended with steak supper and a lot of door prizes from our supporters. ACEOA Directors and State Officers did a great job putting this Conference together. I truly appreciate their hard work. Special thank you to Gayle Morrow for her planning skills in making this conference happen. Enjoy the photos because they are the best description of the great time that was shared by all. Soon well be putting next years conference on the calendar. I hope youll plan to join us for a fun-filled day! l
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ACEOA 2011 StAtE COnfErEnCE And tOp Gun COmpEtitiOn continued
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Addie Weathers.
Austin Robinson.
Austin Robinson Junior Shotgun Winner.
Barclay Johnson Chase Little.
Barclay Johnson, Jasmine Jaworowski, Chase Little, & Addie Weathers.
Barclay Johnson winner of shooting clays.

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Chase Little ties Addie Weathers for 1st Place.
Group Effort.
Jackson and Stephanie Weathers.
Jasmine Jaworowski.
Kelly Lucas.
Kelly Lucas takes aim.

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Lewis and Lewis.
Michael Cox.
Michael Cox & Zach Lucas.
Michael Cox taking aim.
Sasha Jaworowski.
Zach Lucas.
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Attorney Will Sellers speaks to ACEOA...
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Tornado Disaster Relief
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Tornado disasTer relief continued
Lt. Nichols assisting with injured victim of tornado damage.
Lt. Nichols with young victim of tornado damage.

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Beyond The Basics

By Gayle Morrow, Editor
he Alabama Conservation Officer is a government on the nightly news. They just quietly do their jobs and employee assigned to management of freshwater walk away. Tornadoes swept through Alabama during the spring of fish, wildlife, marine resources, waterway safety, state lands, and state parks. Conservation officers are 2011.The April 27th sweep will go down in history as one certified at the state level as peace officers. To ensure of the most deadly systems not only in Alabama, but in the that wildlife is being protected, conservation officers have entire nation. Not only was the April 27th event historic a number of basic duties that they must fulfill. These in the number of tornadoes that day, more than 50, it was include but are not limited to Law Enforcement, licensing, also historic in the magnitude, intensity and path length of patrolling, investigating and education. several tornadoes. According to news reports, 243 lives were lost in Alabama due to the April 27th tornadoes. Alabama Most people do not realize that our officers often go Officers responded to areas throughout Alabama. We dont beyond the basics in their everyday duties. Because of have reports from all five divisions but we know that just their training in law enforcement, their broad knowledge in the division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries accordof Alabama land and waterways and their experience in ing to Assistant Chief, Kevin Dodd, the disaster response search and rescue, they are called upon when disaster strikes. They were there in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. involved 114 Division employees of which 95 were CEOs. They were there after Hurricane Katrina. When the Gulf Oil The response work spanned April 27 to May 31 primarily Spill devastated the Gulf in 14 affected counties. Coast, your Alabama Division expenditures in travel and overtime Conservation Officers payments exceeded $ were there. They are Number of deaths in each county from April 27th tornadoes. 440,000. your unsung heroes. LIMESTONE MADISON JACKSON They have stories to tell This issue of ACE 4 9 8 that you wont read in will tell some of their DEKALB 14 the newspaper or see stories. l FRANKLIN
243 TORNADO DEATHS
MARSHALL LAWRENCE 26 5 MARION CULLMAN 2 WALKER FAYETTE 9 4 JEFFERSON 21 TUSCALOOSA 43 BIBB 1 HALE 6 25 ST. CLAIR 15
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9 CALHOUN
TALLAPOOSA 1 ELMORE 6
NEWS STAFF
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Alabama Tornados
By CEO Jerry L. Fincher
he possibility of experiencing a violent thunderstorm or even a tornado is part of the price we pay to live in Alabama. The countless storm pits which dot back yards across our state stand as constant reminders of Mother Natures dark side. Usually these events are short-lived, result in little or no damage, and life quickly returns to normal. Every now and then, however, mothernature kicks it up a notch. On March 21, 1932 a series of tornadoes hit Central Alabama killing 268 people and
leaving 1850 injured. In a sinister twist of fate, one week later, on Easter Sunday, a funnel cloud hit the same area killing eight and injuring fifty. I personally remember taking refuge in a church basement in Shelby County as our state was hit hard by the super outbreak of April 3-4, 1974. This event produced 148 tornadoes and killed over 700 people across seven states; in Alabama alone, 86 people were killed and 949 injured. But, unless you were alive in 1932, you have never witnessed a tornado outbreak to rival the one we experienced on April 27th of this year. On that terrible day, the state of Alabama was ravaged by 21 tornadoes, many of them extremely violent, long-track tornadoes which left paths of death and destruction in their wake. As of May 09, 2011, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that during the 24-hour-period between 8:00 a.m. April 27th and 8:00 a.m. April 28th, there were 312 tornadoes that touched down across the country. These storms resulted in 309 fatalities, 236 of those in Alabama. As I stated earlier, most tornadoes in Alabama are small and stay on the ground for short distances. However, there was nothing normal about the tornadoes of April 27th. These were monsters which created their own rules. The tornado which hit Hackleburg and Phil-Campbell was an EF5 which stayed on the ground for 132 miles leaving a path of destruction 1.25 miles wide. The EF4 tornado which hit the Tuscaloosa/Birmingham area cut a path of destruction 80 miles long and reached a maximum width of 1.5 miles. While not always on the ground, this storm produced a tornado from the Mississippi line to the Carolinas. The April 27th tornado outbreak was special in another regard as well; never
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Officer Kevin Holsonback with the tub in which he took refuge.

before have we in Alabama been able to view tornados as we did on that day. In Alabama, the terrain, trees, and atmospheric conditions usually make it impossible to see tornadoes, much less film them. On April 27th, however, things were different. The atmospheric conditions were such that they were not totally rain-wrapped, and numerous remote-video sites made it possible for us to view these killers live as they destroyed our state. I watched with a sense of fear and fascination the surreal images that filled my television screen as first Cullman, then Tuscaloosa, and finally Birmingham were torn apart. Eventually, day gave way to night, effectively ending the live news coverage but not the destruction. The following day brought scenes of unbelievable damage, counts of the dead and injured, and numerous cries for assistance. The television news crews circled the disasters in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham reporting on the totality of the destruction as well as the horrors of individual tragedies. I can still see the faces and hear the cries of people attempting to return to their homes in order to search the debris for their friends, neighbors, and family members. Our local anchor man became so emotional that he had to walk off the set. Governor Bentley moved swiftly to activate the National Guard. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources was also activated and its officers deployed across North Alabama from Tallapoosa County to the Tennessee line. DeKalb County was hit hard by an EF4 tornado that ran through Rainsville, Sylvania, Pea Ridge, and Henagar to name a few of the neighborhoods and municipalities destroyed. At least 36 people lost their
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Conservation Enforcement Officer Kevin Holsonback standing at the remains of his parents home.
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lives in this storm and over 200 were injured. A temporary morgue was set up in the Rainsville Fire Department, and local law enforcement was overwhelmed as they worked to help the injured, recover the dead, and secure the area while dealing with their own personal losses. Twenty-one officers from State Lands and the Wildlife and Law Enforcement Sections of the Wildlife and freshwater Fisheries Division were deployed to DeKalb County. The Alabama Marine Police Divisions deployed another 12 officers to the area. All officers deployed to the area worked under the supervision of the DeKalb County Sheriffs Office and were dispatched from a central command center in Rainsville. We worked two twelve hour shifts each day until Friday, May 20th when the detail was dismissed. Our official duties included assisting local agencies with routine calls, using state trucks to distribute much needed supplies, and patrolling for looters. Our unofficial duties included everything from catching chickens to building temporary shelters for those left homeless by the storm. I would like to report that we did not encounter any looting, but there are always those who seek to profit from the misfortune of other people. At first, the fear of looting and the lack of electrical power created uneasiness across the county, resulting in every bump in the night being a prowler. As a result, the first few nights of the detail were spent responding to one prowler call after another. Most were nothing, but a few resulted in shots being fired by homeowners. The fear of looting quickly dissipated as the power was restored and the people realized the overwhelming law enforcement presence in the area. As shock and disbelief gave was to the reality that life goes on, many residents simply needed someone to listen to their stories, and what stories they were. As you might suspect, some were stories of death and destruction, but many were stories of miraculous intervention. Time after time I stopped at homes with only one wall left standing and listened as survivors stated that they were gathered behind that wall praying. I personally spoke to two individuals who found babies in perfect condition which had been blown unbelievable distances from homes where everyone else perished. One miraculous story of survival involved one of our own, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Enforcement Officer Kevin Holsonback. Kevin and a friend had gone to his parents home to check on the family dog. Upon hearing the warning sirens, they looked out to see the tornado bearing down on them. Not having a basement or a storm shelter, the two men took refuge in the bathtub. Feeling sure that they would not survive, Kevin and his friend said goodbye to each other. Seconds later, both men were outside the home in the debris field left by the tornado. Officer Holsonback was even able to use his cell phone to take a photo of the tornado which had just destroyed his parents home and killed nine of his neighbors. The only thing left of the home was the slab where the garage had been and the concrete front porch. Miraculously, both men escaped with only minor injuries. While it is unlikely that the news crews will report on this aspect of the storms, to me at least, the greatest story arising from that April day is the story of the people themselves. Every day of our lives we are bombarded with the negative side of humanity. The media constantly reminds us of the corruption and divisions among us. They tend to focus on all that is wrong with our society and our world, but there is a lot of good left. In fact, if we take the time to look, it is always there. A tragedy of this size simply magnifies it to the point where even the most skeptical among us must admit its existence. I found a shining example of this good in a man named James Johnson. James is a resident of Tennessee and a carpenter by trade. In spite of recently losing his business and just about everything he owned, he headed south, stopping to help the tornado victims and refusing to take any money for his labor. I asked him what he planned to do. He said, I plan to help as many people as I can until my money runs out. God has blessed me for many years, and I simply want to be a blessing to someone else. Many times I would pull to the side of a road where
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people were working to clean up the debris and salvage anything they could from what used to be their homes. I would ask them if they needed anything. A few of them would hurry to the truck to see what was there, but most would just say, No, give that to someone who needs it more than we do. I would look around to see what they needed, which was usually everything, and leave them whatever I had on the truck. Another thing I could not help but notice was the numerous American flags standing atop the piles of debris, testaments to the patriotism of these individuals. I was also impressed with the DeKalb County Sheriff, Jimmy Harris. He was genuinely appreciative of the departments efforts and showed a servants heart, working hands-on every day to make sure everyone received what they needed. Once, when we had gathered to eat, Sheriff Harris was asked to give thanks. He didnt recite a thirty second memorized blessing. He prayed a heart-felt prayer for his officers and his community, revealing qualities seldom seen in our politically-correct world. I witnessed teams of volunteers from as far away as Virginia, Indiana, and Pennsylvania giving of their time and talents to help in whatever way they could. Even people from areas with their own destruction such as Huntsville were there to volunteer. I listened as a man who had lost his own home consoled a neighbor who was questioning why God would let such a thing happen. He said, God didnt promise us that we wouldnt experience tragedy, but he did say that he wouldnt let us go through it alone. The churches in the area were particularly hard hit. However, the ones that survived the storm were quickly transformed into supply outposts. The ladies from the Mount Olive Baptist Church cooked day and night for everyone in the community. People emptied their personal freezers and brought the food to the church. Civic organizations and other churches cooked food and brought it to Mount Olive for serving. Along with some of the best home cooking I have ever tasted, the ladies of the church served up heaping loads of moral support. The church became the hub of the community, a place where both the body and the soul were fed. I met a man in Sylvania who had everything he owned blown away. I listened as he stood near the rubble of his former home and told me that once he could see 23 houses from his front porch. None of those survived, including the home where his mother lived. When I asked if he would rebuild, he said, No, Im afraid that I could never forget the images of my neighbors. Many of them were recovered from his front yard. I later learned that this man donated five hundred dollars to the church for supplies. I didnt get to go to all the places hit by the April 27th tornadoes. Officers in other areas may have had a completely different experience. I have been told that there was significant looting in some areas. However, I cant help but believe that most Alabamians are like the ones I encountered on Sand Mountain: a strong and independent people of faith, a people with a sense of pride in their communities and their country, a people with a genuine concern for their neighbors, a people who are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and work to solve their own problems, and it makes me proud to say that I live in Alabama. l
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District III Tuscaloosa Tornado Deployment

by Captain Dennis Sanford
n the afternoon of April 27, 2011, after the deadly tornado out break in Alabama, personnel from the District III Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division assisted the local agencies in their affected counties in rescue operations and road clearings. On the evening of April 27, 2011, CEO Jarrod Poole and Marine Police Officer Freddie Ingram responded to the Crescent Ridge Road and Alberta City areas of Tuscaloosa County and assisted in the rescue of numerous citizens from the devastated areas. These officers assisted in going from one collapsed home after another, pulling survivors from the debris. This went on into the early hours of April 28, 2011. On April 28th and 29th, 2011, personnel from the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division District III joined officers from the Alabama State Troopers, Marine Police and the State Lands Division working with the Region 8 Disaster Response Team. These officers conducted searches and provided security in the tornado devastated area of Crescent Ridge Road in Tuscaloosa County. The District III Captain, Lieutenant, two Sergeants, 12 CEOs, and one Lands Officer provided services during
this two day period. These personnel worked 12 hour shifts in assisting with tornado rescue and security duties. On April 29, 2011, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries personnel along with one State Lands Officer were relocated to assist the Tuscaloosa Police Department through their Central Incident Command Center. Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Officers were joined by many other agencies along with the military in their efforts. These officers used their assigned four wheel drive vehicles and ATVs to provide rescue, recovery and security duties in the Alberta City, Forest Lake and Rosedale areas of Tuscaloosa. Thirty officers from District III, District IV and District V were divided and assigned to the Alberta City Command Post, Forest Lake Command Post and the Rosedale Community Command Post. These officers worked 12 hour shifts and provided services through May 10, 2011, when they returned to normal duties. Equipment from the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division (four wheel drive pickups, ATVs, etc.) were essential in rescue and security operations due to limited access and impassable roads that were blocked by downed trees and debris. l
(Front row) Officer Jim Daugherty, Officer Dwight Thrasher, and Officer Brad Gavins. (Back row) Officer Kevin Hill, Sergeant Jimmy Postma, Officer Daniel Boutwell, Officer Dan Quincey, Sergeant Aurora Thomas, Officer Jarrod Poole, and State Lands Officer Josh Landrum.
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Dove Season
by David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
ith the opening of dove season only a few weeks that top-sown wheat is a bona fide planting practice away, Alabamas wingshooters are shifting their under conditions where there is good seed bed preparaattention to the onset of the fall hunting season tion and the ground is not excessively hard. It must be instead of the oppressive August heat. seeded evenly within a seeding range of no more than For those who have prepared a standing crop for dove 200 pounds per acre. So under certain conditions, dove hunting, there should be little concern about the dove hunting over top-sown wheat is legal. hunting regulations. A good many dove hunters have enhanced their chances of a successful dove hunt by planting crops that attract doves, which is the best way to avoid any enforcement interpretations. Hunting doves over a standing crop is and always has been legal, said Allan Andress, Chief of the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Divisions Enforcement Section. So if you plant millet or some other small grain, you can hunt over the standing crop. You can also hunt over the harvesting of that grain. With doves, you can also hunt over manipulation of that crop. You can mow it, burn it, trample it down. About the only way you can go wrong is if you harvest it, haul it away and then bring it back. Andress also said it is legal to hunt over other normal agricultural practices, such as small grain plantings, as long as the field is planted according to the governing agriDove hunters in Alabamas North Zone are only weeks away from the cultural authority, which in our state is the opening day of the first season, which runs Sept. 3 through Oct. 2. Alabama Cooperative Extension System. The South Zone opens October, 1, 2011. Most small grain plantings, according to the Extension System, not only require a well-prepared The Cooperative Extension System breaks Alabama into seed bed and broadcasting or drilling into the soil, but three distinct planting zones not to be confused with the hunting zones that determine when the top-sowing also covering the seed through culti-packing, disking or of wheat is an acceptable planting practice. The earliest raking or something of that nature, he said. The only exception to that is one that is commonly used in the fall, recommended planting date for top-sown wheat in the and that is top-sowing of wheat. Not just any top-sowing North Zone is Aug. 25, while the date for the Central Zone of wheat is legal. It has to follow certain guidelines. On is Sept. 1, and Sept. 15 for the South Zone. continued on 63 or after certain dates, the Extension System recognizes
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PHOTO BY DAVID RAINER
Dove SeaSon continued

See http://www.aces.edu/timelyinfo/ForestryWildlife/2004/ September/Dove_Mgt_in_AL_legal_issues.pdf for specific details. Last year, a difference of opinion on the legality of hunting over top-sown wheat between a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Agent and the WFF Division caused two youth dove hunts to be canceled. To ensure the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources had a correct interpretation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) regulations, WFF Director Corky Pugh asked Fish and Wildlife for a clarification of the regulations regarding intent. The regulations have not changed, Pugh said after receiving the reply from USFWS officials. If a field is planted according to the Cooperative Extension System guidelines, the determination of intent is not relevant. Specifically, the USFWS letter read: With respect to the intent of planting, this guidance stated that for the hunting of all migratory game birds, no distinction will be made between agricultural fields planted with the intent to harvest and those planted without the intent to harvest, as long as the planting is in accordance with the official recommendations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cooperative Extension Service. This guidance was re-issued in December 2010 as a Chiefs Directive. As far as planting aspects, some of the more common mistakes, one is they will plant it too early, Andress said of top-sown wheat. They will distribute it on ground thats not suitable, such as broadcasting on a hard-packed soil or distributing it in a grass-covered pasture where the soil would not be receptive to the seed. Sometimes we see problems when the seed is not distributed with a spreader. They might be put out by hand or by bucket or the back of a pickup truck. The seed has to be uniformly distributed. Another thing is multiple seeding. The Extension System does not recommend more than one seeding. Therefore, if the field is seeded more than once, it would make the field illegal to hunt doves over. Again, theres almost no way to get off track with a standing crop if you manipulate it there and never take the grain away from the field where it was grown. Andress said the USFWS policy that was confirmed was implemented in the year 2000. When you get right down to it, nothing has changed, he said. Weve had the same rules and regulations for a number of years. Last year, it got down to a highly subjective call from one officer on one field. With the clarification from USFWS, Andress said Alabamas dove hunters can proceed with their normal dove field preparation, as long as it abides by the guidance from the Cooperative Extension System. In laymans terms, if youre planting for dove hunting, you do not have to conceal that fact, Andress said. That fact will not be held against you. You dont have to claim youre doing it for some other agricultural purpose. Thats the principle we have operated under since 2000. That was one of the issues raised on the fields prepared for youth dove hunts last year. But we have affirmation that intent is not a factor that should be considered. We considered the fields to be well within accepted tolerances for normal agricultural practices. The Fish and Wildlife agent differed with us, and rather than subjecting ourselves, our guests and cooperators on the fields to conflict with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we suspended the hunts until those matters could be determined. Now that the intent issue has been resolved, Andress encourages Alabamas wingshooters to enjoy a safe, successful hunt and to be sure and follow the other rules and regulations regarding hunting doves. This was a situation on only a couple of particular fields and the average hunter should not be overly concerned, he said. I would recommend they continue to follow the rules like they have for the last 11 years and enjoy a good hunt. Dove hunters also need to remember that shotguns must be capable of holding only three shells; hunting licenses are required for anyone 16 or older or under 65; all dove hunters must have a HIP permit; hunters must have landowner permission to hunt; and no hunting is allowed within 100 yards of a residence without permission of the owner. The daily bag limit is 15 in both zones. The seasons for the North Zone are: Sept. 3-Oct. 2, Oct. 22-Nov. 5 and Dec. 10-Jan. 3. The South Zone seasons are: Oct. 1-Oct. 30, Nov. 24-Nov. 27 and Dec. 3-Jan. 7. Visit http://www.eregulations.com/alabama to view or download the Alabama Hunting & Fishing Digest for a complete guide to hunting and fishing regulations. Be sure to catch the next episode of Outdoor Alabama Live, which will include questions and answers on doves and dove hunting. Watch at www.outdooralabama.com webcast on Tuesday, Aug. 16 at 6:30 p.m. l
ACEOA Magazine 63
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Host Youth Catfish Rodeos

by Kelli Little
n June, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alabama River Lakes Project, hosted two Annual Youth Catfish Rodeos. One was held at a Corps of Engineers pond in Millers Ferry and one was held at a Lowndes Wildlife Management Area Pond. The fishing rodeos are free and get great participation from local youth. There were approximately 100 kids (under 16) at each rodeo. This year the ACEOA gave away two lifetime fishing license at each event. Kayleigh Hunter (age 4), Kamilah Robinson (age 6) were the big winners. These fishing rodeos are a great way to promote outdoor recreation. The ACEOA will also be giving away a lifetime hunting license at a Youth Dove Hunt in Lowndes County. The hunt will be held in September and sponsored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Alabama Department of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. l
Millers Ferry Winners with Officer Dan Quincey.
Lowndes winners with Ranger John Williams.

ACEOA Magazine 65
Back in the Day

by Conservation Officer Dick Mowbray
m not the oldest game warden in the state, but I have night hunters. In 1972, George Wallace was Governor, been on the job longer than any other officer we have Claude D. Kelly was our commissioner, Charles Kelly was now. Back in 1971, the Department of Conservation our director, and Major Ed Farish was in charge of law promised the state legislature that if the department enforcement. The Department of Conservation and Natural was given hunting and fishing license Resources had recently separated from what is now the Forestry Commission, increases it would put two game wardens in each county and maintain them. and all the Conservation officers voted The legislature listened and passed the to become full State Law Enforcement license increase. The department hired Officers. None of the new officers had over forty new officers. had any training, and there was not On February 16th, 1972, Captain even a police academy. Dan Ward and Lt. Lynn picked me up My starting salary was $253.50 in Hartford, AL, at about 6 AM, and bi-weekly (now it is more than 10 we rode to Montgomery where I was times that). There was no such thing as a forty-hour work week. Back then, sworn in. All I was issued was a pair during hunting season, it was common of green boots, a snake bite kit, thirty credit cards (fifteen for my car and to work 80 to 90 hours per week. We fifteen for a boat), and a new 1972 got one day a week off, no weekends Ford Crown Vic. The department had off, and we worked every Christmas, hired the officers before they had any New Years, Fourth of July, and Labor equipment for them. I was not issued a Dick Mowbray Day. We stayed away from our homes uniform, a pistol, handcuffs, or even a year-round from sunrise until after state radio. The car had a 429 engine, no air-conditioning, sunset. All officers drove cars, and there was only one no FM radio, no blue lights, and no siren, but boy would 4-wheel drive bronco per district. Because I had no radio, it go! All the vehicles were ordered with clear windshields I was given a walkie-talkie and was told to cut it on every (so you could see better while driving at night without hour, on the hour, so my supervisor could get up with me. headlights on) and Naugahyde (vinyl coated fabric) seats Most game wardens, then, were accused of being will(which would burn your hiney up in the summer time). ing to give their own mother a ticket. A lot of us would Since I did not have a uniform, several other officers felt have, because we were all threatened by a law (Title 8, Section 80), that said it was a fifty dollar fine for any game sorry for me and gave me a couple of shirts, but I still did not have any pants. I wore blue jeans for the first two warden who failed to enforce the game and fishing laws. months. I did not have a state issued pistol, so I wore Since we lived out of our cars, all officers carried a box of food with them. There were no McDonalds or my 22 cal. high standard 9-shot revolver with a brown Hardees in the rural counties. We ate c-rations that we tie-down, quick-draw holster. My first issued pistol was a used .38 police special. Since we didnt have FM radios scrounged from the National Guard, and you were not in our vehicles, most officers added an FM converter. My considered a real game warden unless you carried a P-38 first emergency equipment was a small tear-drop shaped (small military can opener). During the mid-seventies blue light and a foot operated siren located above the Chesters Chicken came out in selected service stations. dimmer switch. Back then, we put cut-off switches on This was a great change from potted meat or sardines continued on 69 our break, tail, and back-up lights to help us catch the
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Back in the Day continued

and crackers. Later, someone invented a microwave oven and Stewart sandwiches came along. You couldnt get any food from a gas station at night, though, because they all closed at 6pm. There was even a period when gas stations couldnt open on Sundays. Over the years, the department slowly changed, and now we have some of the best equipment available to law enforcement. Our vehicles are now 4-wheel drive trucks which not only have FM radios, but also cassette players, cloth seats, power windows and door locks, light bars and sirens, two radios, and a Southern Linc cell phone. We are also issued an AR-15 Rifle and a 20 ga. pump shotgun. Thirty years ago we furnished our own handcuffs, billy clubs, flashlights, batteries, jumper cables, tow chains, and all other field equipment. We have come from a plain old 38 pistol on our gun belt, to a semi-automatic 40 cal. Glock. Today we have handcuffs, pepper spray, a baton, a flashlight, and even extra ammo, all furnished by the department. Our equipment and training are unmatched by any other law enforcement agency in the state. The job has changed a great deal over the last forty years. The officers now are smarter, safer, and able to spend time with their families. Wildlife populations have increased more than anyone could have imagined. I worked fifteen years before I saw my first wild turkey in Geneva County, and three years before I saw my first live deer. Educating the public, good law enforcement, and sound wildlife management have made people realize that Alabamas wildlife program is one of the best in the Nation. Yep, over the years, the job has changed tremendously, but it has changed for the better. I enjoy my job now, just as much as I did 39 years ago. I have always said if I had two bad days in a row, I will quit; but that has not happened yet. l
ACEOA Magazine 69
Butler County Youth Fishing Day 2011

by Don Reaves
he Butler County Youth Fishing Day was held on June 11, 2011 at the American Legion pond in Greenville, AL. Thirty-six kids, ages 5 thru 12, participated in this years event. The pond had a section netted off, thanks to the Fisheries Section from the Spanish Fort office. The journey was long for those men, but they were glad to assist. We were very thankful for their assistance. The netted off area was stocked with approximately 800 pounds of catfish that was purchased from Suttons Fish Farm Cody Hallford (of Greenville), winner of lifetime fishing license. in Clio, Alabama. The kids were pre-registered through the Butler County ing some good ole catfish. The Greenville Jaycees provided Sheriffs Office. After a brief safety talk they started catchvolunteers to prepare grilled hot dogs and hamburgers for everyone. The cooking was done while officers from the Alabama Department of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, volunteers from the Sheriffs Department, and the American Legion assisted kids with their fishing adventure. After about three hours of stink bait and scorching temperatures, everyone was ready for some cool air and good food. The American Legion building was just the right place to find both. Every kid was given a raffle ticket at the beginning of the event to hold on to for door prize drawings at lunch. Thanks to our sponsors generosity, we
Group of door prize winners.
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were able to give away eight Zebco rod and reel combos, a Shakespeare combo, several cricket cages and a grand prize of a lifetime fishing license. This years sponsors were the Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officer Association, the Greenville Jaycees, the Butler County Sheriffs Department, Freds of Greenville, the American Legion and the Department of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. l
ACEOA Magazine 73
A-Team Fishing
apt. Bobby Abruscato pushed the throttle forward anywhere that looked like they might have clientele that could be potential fishermen, Abruscato said. We had as he maneuvered the 24-foot bay boat between never done that before. We took out an ad in Great Days pilings of the Dauphin Island Bridge and headed to the grass beds at the west end of the island with speckled Outdoors (magazine) and we did some online advertising. trout on his mind. Id say the combination of the three got us some business. The A-Team had been sailing along with as much This trip was more of a rarity than the norm for 2011. business as it could handle in 2009 and the bookings The two anglers on board me and Bobby Cleveland, outdoors editor of the Jackson (Miss.) ClarionLedger have been fishing with the inshore guide for more years than wed really care to admit. Since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster, Abruscato and his fellow A-Team Fishing Adventures captains have welcomed a majority of new customers onto their boats because of the stigma of the oil spill. Id say we have about 75 percent new business, Abruscato said. The old customers who are coming back are the locals who know the fish are safe to eat and have fished with us for years. The people we lost are the ones who were coming down here to vacation. They were coming down for a week and would fish with us a day or two during the trip. Those are the people Im not Bobby Abruscato, inshore fishing guide on the Alabama Gulf Coast, hearing back from right now. sails a plug across a grass bed on the west end of Dauphin Island That perception that oil has tainted the entire Gulf Coast caused the A-Team captains to change in the dawns early light. the way they do business they went looking for it. This is the first year since Ive been guiding that weve for 2010 were on par with 2009 when the extent of the done any advertising, Abruscato said. With word of Deepwater Horizon tragedy was realized. mouth, outdoor writers and the radio shows and stuff The word that we were going have this oil thing, the weve been doing, we havent needed to advertise. But we word really didnt get around until early May, Abruscato didnt know if the business was going to come back. We said. The explosion where the guys lost their lives was were talking late last summer and in the fall and we didnt terrible, but it was a couple of weeks after the rig blew want to be sitting around this May wondering whether up that everybody realized weve got this rig 5,000 feet under the surface and they dont know how to cap this business was going to come back. There was a big it. So thats when it started. People started calling and question mark as to whether it was going to come back. cancelling trips. We went from our best year in 09 to So Abruscato and his fellow captains Chip Deupree our worst year in 2010. and brother Joey Abruscato had 15,000 business cards They shut down Mississippi Sound the third week in printed and started distribution. continued on 77 We went everywhere that would let us put cards out
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A-TeAm Fishing continued

May. There was one opening in Grand Bay to get in and and a charter boat captain (Allen Kruse, captain of the out. Luckily, all the boom wasnt necessary, but it sure Rookie) committed suicide because of it. did make it difficult for us trying to fish. The closure was There are people who are being affected a lot worse than me the people actually supplying seafood to the big thing. Then it got crazy. I even had some people from Birmingham this spring and we caught a nice redfish. eat, Abruscato said. If that perception (as unsafe for We held it up, took pictures and I consumption) is not corrected, released it. They said, Why did then youre going to see people you do that? Oh, I know, its the lose something theyve done their oil. I said, No, it has nothing to whole lives. do with the oil. We just dont kill Abruscato is optimistic that redfish. So that shows you that one the darkest days are in the past, year later, weve even got people although he realizes it took action from Birmingham who think we to get the recovery started. still have a problem with the oil. I feel better, but I think if we People ask if its safe to eat the fish had sat on our hands and waited all the time, all the time. We never for that business we lost in 2010 to stopped eating the seafood. We come back, wed probably be down had the best fish fries weve ever 50 to 70 percent probably still, he had last year. said. If we hadnt done what we Although Abruscato says he did to go out and generate business, we wouldnt be anywhere close to cant completely relax because marine scientists arent sure when where we are. Were still not back the full extent of environmental to 2009 and the bookings we had at damage will be evident, he does the start of 2010, but we can keep realize there are several positive chugging along with three guides. aspects of the spill Abruscato shows off a nice redfish that fell for Outstanding inshore fishing The good thing is that NOBODY a live shrimp under a popping cork. doesnt hurt, either. During our was fishing, he said. With the half-day trip, we caught speckled closures and all the charter captains running VOO (Vessels trout and loaded the cooler with white trout. We also of Opportunity) boats, all the commercial guys and reccaught and released 10 slot redfish. The fishing is fabulous, Abruscato said. Just like our reational guys werent fishing. For species like speckled trout, that are prolific, these fish just blossomed. The trip, we just kind of winged it. We went to places where population just explodes. Just one year of pressure off I havent even been guiding. We just went there because of that is going to be a good thing. we wanted to try some different things and we caught The other thing is there is going to be some money fish. It was the day before a neap tide with very little tide available for coastal restoration. Whether that gets spent movement and it was windy. Thats the way its been go correctly is the key. We need public water access. Our where you need to go and catch fish. And it hasnt always ramp situation in Alabama is ridiculous. You cant launch been like that in Alabama. a boat on the east end of Dauphin Island on a busy The one thing Abruscato, above all else, said that he weekend. Billy Goat Hole is basically the only ramp in has learned from the oil spill disaster is gratitude. Mobile County thats on Mobile Bay. The other thing is Ill never complain about having to get up at 3:30 to fisheries monitoring. There should be money available to get ready for a guide trip ever again. get a better handle on whats going on with our fisheries. Visit www.ateamfishing.com or call (251) 661-7696 for As far as negatives, and he admits they are big negamore information about an inshore fishing excursion on the Alabama Gulf Coast. l tives, Abruscato said 11 people lost their lives on the rig
ACEOA Magazine 77
Blue Springs Fishing Event Kicks Off The Summer

by Ken White
he great thing about the youth fishing event held here at the park is it has become a tradition and now serves to kick-off the Memorial Day weekend and our summer camping season, noted Blue Springs State Park manager, Terry Carter. Backing that statement up was Phillip and Jennifer Carlson of Anniston, AL who was fishing the event and camping at Blue Springs for their first ever visit with their three daughters. We were looking for a different place to camp on Memorial Day weekend and found this event listed on the www.alapark. com website. We try to go to the different state parks on Memorial Day and this one looked as if it would be interesting so here Phillip and Jennifer Carlson and Family of Alabaster, AL found out about we are, stated Phillip Carlson as he baited the event on www.alaparks.com website when looking for another line for one of the several rods they a different place to visit and camp. were using. What is this event they keep referring? It weekend. Begun fourteen years ago this Memorial Day is none other than the annual Blue Springs Youth Fishing Rodeo, which takes place the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend by conservation enforcement officer Mike Heath of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources-Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, this event has grown into a major morning of outdoor fun and catfishing for youth from a wide surrounding area. The basic model of this and the other youth fishing events held within District IV is simple. Break the entrants into three different age divisions to keep the competition on a level playing field, close out the weigh-in with a lunch of hot dogs, chips and sodas, add an awards presentation and then give away a lot of door prizes via a drawing of registration tickets and you have the recipe for a successful youth fishing event. It also
Corks are in the water and the fish are biting.
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Blue SpringS FiShing event KicKS OFF the Summer continued

helps to have a great venue such as Blue Springs State Park and a perfect little pond full of catfish just waiting for a chunk of chicken liver, red worms or home-made catfish bait to be delivered for breakfast. Such is the case at the Blue Springs Youth Fishing Rodeo and 142 entrants registered for this years event. Registration opens at 7:00AM and the fishing competition begins at 8:00. The anglers get to fish for two hours to try and catch their seven catfish limit. To make the fishing and the competition fair and fun, once an angler catches his or her limit they are required to stop fishing and weigh-in so others will have a better chance of catching their limit. The fishing comes to a close at 10:00AM Sgt. Aurora Thomas and volunteers get the prizes sorted out for final weigh-in and determination of for the door prize drawings. the winners. A lunch of hot dogs, chips and sodas takes place as the winners are tallied and is Park manager Terry Carter and park assistant Mark followed by the award presentations. Once the age-group Jernigan. Handling the cooking chores was volunteer and special awards are made the mornings event closes Jimmy Priest assisted by several local volunteers and parents. Sponsors make this event a hit with the youth with a drawing of registration tickets for door prizes. All anglers leave with a memento of the morning and usually as well, as they provide for the various items required catfish to eat for supper, that is, once the cleaning is done. for the luncheon and for the awards presented. Without The winners of this years event are as follows: the substantial assistance of organizations such as the Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association it 06 Years: 1st C.J. Morris 12 lbs. 11 oz. Bike continued on 83 2nd Hunter Price 9 lbs. 13 oz. Rod/Reel 3rd Serenity Riffle 9 lbs. 08 oz. Tackle Box 79 Years: 1st Christian Brown 2nd Westin Walker 3rd Faith Brown 11 lbs. 02 oz. Bike 10 lbs. 13 oz. Rod/Reel 6 lbs. 14 oz. Tackle Box
1013 Years: 1st Antonia Toney 12 lbs. 14 oz. Bike 2nd Cassandra Gifford 12 lbs. 03 oz. Rod/Reel 3rd Levi Burkes 11 lbs. 10 oz. Tackle Bag Big Fish: Little Fish: Daniel Williams Jordan Johnson 4 lbs. 01 oz. 01.2 oz. Rod/Reel Rod/Reel
It takes a lot of hard work and planning to put together an event of this nature and it takes good people to lend a helping hand. Assisting conservation enforcement officer Mike Heath were officers Larry Doster, Jerry Jinwright, Sgt. Aurora Thomas, Lt. Chris Lewis, Blue Springs State
Winners of AGES 7-9 (l-r) Westin Walker-2nd Place; Christian Brown-1st Place; Faith Brown-3rd Place.
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Blue SpringS FiShing event KicKS OFF the Summer continued

communities, as well as vacationing visitors from Florida and north Alabama counties. These youth are the future of our great outdoor world. The impact these sponsors and volunteers have on these youth because of a simple, fun morning spent catfishing is incalculable. l
03ad9
Winners of AGES 0-6 (l-r) C.J. Morris- 1st Place; Serenity Riffle-3rd Place; Hunter Price-2nd Place.
Mr. Rooter
Winners of AGES 10-13 (l-r) Antonia Toney-1st Place; Cassandra Gifford-2nd Place; Levi Burke-3rd Place.
would be much harder to have such a large and successful event as the Blue Springs Youth Fishing Rodeo. This morning of cat-fishing brought together youth, parents and friends from 25 different surrounding towns and
SUPPORTS THE ACEOA

256-233-3055
1330 Fletcher Street N.W. Huntsville, Alabama 35801
ACEOA Magazine 83
The University of Alabama Outdoor Learning Center

he smile that persisted on Riley Boykin Smiths face indicated that the mission he had embarked upon several years ago had reached fruition. The unveiling of The University of Alabama Outdoor Learning Center in Hale County recently was the culmination of the efforts of numerous people and organizations, spearheaded by Smith, the former Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The $500,000 learning center project is located on a former family homestead known as Tanglewood, which was bequeathed to the university in 1949 by Alma Bishop Williams. Managed by UAs Department of Biological Sciences, Tanglewood has served as a UA field station for decades. The addition of access roads, field planting sites and study stations to the property created added valued for the universitys natural resources minor. I came to realize that if you didnt go to Auburn or
Georgia or Mississippi State or another like institution, that you were not exposed at all not even a little bit to anything associated with management of our forests or game or wildlife, Smith said. Enjoying all of that since I was a young boy, it became important to me to try to do something about it. Of course, Im an Alabama graduate. We started talking to the folks up at the university and they were immediately receptive. The course is a minor; its broad; its general, but its going to give students enough of a background to ask intelligent questions and make reasonable decisions in the management of their own property or in their jobs in the workplace, say in the real estate business for example. Weve got a tractor, a disk and this will give students a good, solid, general background and education in land management and wildlife management.
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The University of Alabamas new Outdoor Learning Center will provide students who minor in natural resources an avenue to hands-on experience at the universitys Tanglewood property in Hale County.
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Attendees at the centers grand opening got an up-close view of the facilitys new tractor, including, from right, Bev Leigh of the Alabama chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), Riley Boykin Smith, Tim Gothard of the Alabama Wildlife Federation and Donna Leggett of the NWTF.
Robert (Bob) Olin, UAs Dean of Arts and Sciences, said the outdoor learning facility will allow students to study and conduct research among the pines and hardwoods of the Bishop Biological Station in a variety of weather conditions. The main facility houses an indoor classroom with all the modern audio/visual amenities, as well as a combination lab/kitchen. The covered outdoor meeting area, replete with stone fireplace, will serve as the classroom in all but the most inclement weather. Olin said the natural resources minor is offered to students in the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Commerce and Business Administration. It teaches Alabamas future land owners and managers how to care for Alabamas vast natural landscapes, whether corporate forests, hunting or public preserves, or family farms, Olin said. It includes an interdisciplinary curriculum of UA courses in the life and earth sciences and advanced courses focused on water, wildlife, timber, landforms, and ecological relationships.
I know Dean Barry Mason (Alabama Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration) will agree wholeheartedly that this program has remarkable patrons in Riley Smith, Tim Gothard of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Bev Leigh and other members of the National Wild Turkey Federation and our friends at the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. They, along with our faculty, envisioned students spending a lot of time with the land, experiencing topography, different types of forests, soils, water flow, wildlife and land management practices first hand. Tanglewood is intended for this type of education. Smith praised the persistence and tenacity of Olin in the quest to put together the natural resources program, as well as building the learning facility. When we first started talking about the curriculum, it was apparent that if we had a place in the country, rather than just going to class in Tuscaloosa, the course
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would be much more effective, Smith said. So we started seeking funding for this facility. I cant say enough about Bob Olin. He has been absolutely wonderful. We had some stumbling blocks, but he refused to be stopped. Smith said the project got significant contributions from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources State Lands Division, National Wild Turkey Federation, Alabama Wildlife Federation and Ben May Trust in Mobile. Im immensely excited over the potential of this course, Smith said. We have the potential to affect thousands of students who didnt go to Auburn or another land-grant school. And the National Wild Turkey Federation is going to take the Alabama model and take it into every state in the union. Theres only one land-grant institution in each state, so this will reach a large number of students. This is really a great start, and I cant tell you how excited I am. Gothard said the Outdoor Learning Facility at Tanglewood is a tool to broaden the scope of education available in Alabama, and eventually across the nation. Basically, the UA natural resources minor gives us the opportunity to expose students who are in other disciplines to the fundamentals of natural resource management, Gothard said. These facilities will provide launching points for hands-on study of how natural resource management works. And where thats going to pay off is a lot of these students are not going to go into forestry and wildlife. Theyre going to be working in other business arenas, or they may be involved in the management of family land and natural resources. What were going to have is people in other professions who understand the basics of natural resources management and that translates into good decision-making in the different professions theyre in. Patti Powell, Director of State Lands, said the Outdoor Learning Center will hopefully facilitate a better understanding of land and natural resources management for not only the students but the public in general. We appreciate the importance of a facility like this, not just because it continues and enhances the attachment to the land that we so want to see in young adults, Powell said. People often ask what we do, why we do it and what it means. Im excited that we can start pointing to the work that goes on here as a small example of why the land is so important why understanding the management of our land and resources is so important. Olin said more than 32 guest lecturers in life sciences and natural resource management will offer their expert opinions on a variety of related topics at the Outdoor Learning Center before entering the field with students. Youll find students returning here to catalog and analyze samples from the woods, gaining the field knowledge and passion for the land that will serve them well as tomorrows land stewards, Olin said. These facilities represent learning in service to an important need in our state, and we look forward to it benefiting landowners throughout Alabama. They are the result of an enjoyable and productive partnership between the university and our land and wildlife conservation friends. We trust that this is just the beginning of a long relationship aimed at nurturing Alabamas beautiful natural treasures. l
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Snapper Fishing
he sonar bottom machine read 120 feet as the inert bottom about 29 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico suddenly came alive. The graph lit up with multicolored blips hovering with 20 feet of the artificial reef on the sea floor. Capt. Bobby Kelly put the Fairwater II in idle and said, Come on up. As he bumped the transmission into reverse, those blips quickly ascended from the reef that was once a World War II Hellcat fighter plane. Within seconds, the graph marked fish from the bottom all the way to about 25 feet under the boat. All right boys, let em down about 25 feet, he said over the intercom to his charter of 11. In no time, rods
Large red snapper was the norm on a recent trip 28 miles out into the Gulf of Mexico on board the Fairwater II with Capt. Bobby Kelly. Chris Pike of Jasper (left photo) shows off the largest snapper of the day at 18 pounds, while Gregg Miles of Winfield (right photo) admires a beautiful snapper that was hooked only 25 feet under the boat. Deck hand Greg Shows gets ready to dehook a big snapper caught by Hannah Kelly, the captains wife.
were bent and anglers were struggling to hang on as big red snapper inhaled the Spanish sardines that dangled from the circle hooks. Soon deck hand Greg Shows was as busy as one man can get on the stern of a charter as the anglers reeled in one huge snapper after another. I ran into Kelly the day before the season opened at the Blessing of the Fleet at Zekes Marina at Orange Beach and he said, Come go with us Saturday on our family trip. Were going to where the big ones live. Indeed, that was where Kelly had taken us and he had set a 15-pound minimum for a keeper, which had his dad, 78-year-old Chuck Kelly scratching his head when he was told his 12-pounder was going back into the blue-green water.
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I cant believe were throwing snapper that big back, Chuck said. But the captain knew that at the depth the fish were biting, there wouldnt be any release mortality. The released fish readily swam back down to the reef. The big snapper are going to be way high up in the water, as high as you can possibly fish, the younger Kelly said. For a long time, the prevailing theory on snapper fishing was that you had to drop the bait down to the bottom to get a bite. However, it has become apparent that method only rarely produces big fish now that the red snapper population has rebounded dramatically. I think its because the amount of fish has changed, Kelly said of the change in fishing techniques. When I started out as a teenager, we did just like that. We dropped it to the bottom and came up a few cranks. Now, the population of snapper is so great, we were in 120 feet of
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water and marking fish 20 feet under the boat. We caught them the other day swimming around the boat; I mean nice fish right under the boat. Kelly said after the charter industry rebuilt its artificial reef system destroyed by Hurricane Ivan, the fishing has been getting better and better. Since about 2007, it really took off, he said. Id say its doubled every year. I tell my family each year, The fish are going to be bigger next year; the fish will be bigger next year. We started out in 2006 on this trip keeping 18- to 20-inch fish and weve progressed all the way to this years 15-pounders. We threw back 10-pound snapper all day long. Kelly said even on his four-hour trips, he can catch a limit of snapper without any problem. I mean nice ones, seven-eight-pounders, he said. And thats without getting to anything fancy in my
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Snapper FiShing continued

(coordinates) book. We could have limited out on the first spot with 10-pounders. We could have been finished in 20 minutes. This time last year, Kelly had no idea the future would hold such good fishing, especially during the height of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Like a good many of the charter captains, Kelly worked in the Vessels of Opportunity (VOO) program. Unlike some, he said hes been treated fairly by BP. We worked for 76 days and BP paid me everything I asked for, he said. I think theyre trying to make it right. There are naysayers, but I dont think they had their paperwork in order. I followed it to a T. I provided 1099s, bank records and the letters of employment they asked for. I know there are some people that do, but I dont have any complaints. Its the stigma of the oil spill thats still hurting the charter industry, Kelly thinks, especially with the debate over whether the lesions found on snapper caught this spring are related to oil contamination. I can tell you we have caught zero fish with lesions, he said. Its the style in which I fish. With the two studies, Bob Shipp said they were fine. What they didnt tell you in the other study (done by Jim Cowan of LSU) was that this guy went out and caught every single fish on that wreck. We, as recreational fishermen, are not going to see that diseased fish. If youve ever had an aquarium, if you have a sick fish, it goes to the corner of the aquarium and doesnt eat. I dont know how many thousands of pounds of snapper weve caught this year and weve yet to see any lesions, any sores. So the probability of the recreational angler seeing it is pretty slim. Kelly said his bookings in early June were a little slow, but he said the rest of June and July look strong. On his four-hour trips, he incorporates trolling for king mackerel as he heads for the near shore reefs to catch snapper. Of course, the snapper season ends at 12:01 a.m. on July 19, which frustrates captains like Kelly to no end. Weve been begging for common-sense management, he said. Thats all we want. A 48-day season with the snapper we have is unreal. On opening day, I had a trip with mostly kids and we limited out with 8- to 10-pound snapper. I never went faster than 8 knots and never was more than 14 miles offshore. Ten years ago, I would have had to run 35 miles and burn I dont know how many hundred of gallons of fuel to do that. It just doesnt make a lot of sense. Our six-hour trips are very popular in the summer and its able to produce a large amount of fish, something we didnt see five years ago. For us to catch 10-pound snapper on a six-hour trip five years ago was rare. Now it is very common. And I expect it to continue to be very commonplace. Kelly said the charter boat industry is quickly undergoing a transition from corporate entertainment to family adventures. I think were done seeing the groups of corporate guys with the strong, strapping men coming out to show how big a fish they can catch, he said. What were seeing now is mom, dad, granddad and all the kids going on an entertainment trip. Thats what we provide good quality entertainment and catching fish. Most of them dont want to keep all the fish they catch. They want to keep enough for dinner. Theyre not wasteful and theyre happy. Thats what our industry is going to and thats great. And the good thing with the snapper population like it is, if somebody insists on catching big fish, we dont have to run 40 or 50 miles to catch what we did on this trip. Visit www.fairwaterfishing.com or call Kelly at 251-747-3126 for information on charter trips on Fairwater II, which can accommodate up to 22 passengers. Capt. Tom Ard runs sister boat, Boll Weevil, for up to six passengers. l
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Forever Wild
he Forever Wild ball is, as they say, in the court of the Alabama voters now that the Alabama Legislature has voted to put re-authorization of the public land acquisition program on the November 2012 ballot as a Constitutional Amendment. Despite the uncertain future, it was business as usual at the Forever Wild Board meeting last week at Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds. The board was apprised of the properties that have been recently closed, as well as the short list of desirable properties that have been nominated for purchase. Greg Lein, State Lands Division Assistant Director who oversees the Forever Wild program, said significant purchases that were closed included 160 acres that would become part of the Freedoms Hills Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in northwest Alabama, while a 1,536acre tract currently in the Little River Canyon WMA has been purchased. Also, a 2,500-acre tract that would become part of the Barbour County Wildlife Management Area in southeast Alabama will be closed this week. The 1,536-acre tract along Little River Canyon is part of the Little River Canyon WMA and has been under a no-cost lease, Lein said. Now that is secured forever through this effort. The Barbour County WMA Dixon addition adds 2,500 acres to the east side of the WMA. A year ago, Forever Wild purchased another 3,500-acre addition to Barbour. That is one of the few wholly stateowned Wildlife Management Areas and its nice to be able to grow that a little more. Historically, these are properties Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries had hoped to have. Some of these tracts were in the WMA years ago and then withdrawn. Now, here we are making it a permanent part of the WMA, which is pretty exciting to
the staff because there is a lot of history to that WMA. Since its inception, Forever Wild has purchased lands for general recreation use, nature preserves, additions to Wildlife Management Areas and state parks. Land types vary from coastal wetlands to mountain tops. Each property is evaluated in four categories nature preserves, state parks, recreational and WMA potential. The Forever
Wild program has completed the purchases or long-term leases on 222,771 acres located throughout the state. More than 184,000 of those acres are open to hunting. Forever Wild receives 10 percent of the interest and capital gains from the Alabama Trust Fund, up to a maximum of $15 million a year. Forever Wild received $10.1 million this past fiscal year from the fund, which collects royalties paid to the state by companies that produce natural gas in Alabama state waters. Lein said monthly checks from the trust fund usually range from $700,000 to $1 million a month, although current economic conditions have reduced recent checks to the lower end of the range.
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Federal funds available to the program right now are also at a low ebb. Current obligations reduce the money available to less than $1 million, according to Lein. The balance is down right now because of all these great properties theyve bought, Lein said. Theyve been very active in undertaking those opportunities and bring them to a close. Of course, the results of that are you spend your money. Our earnings this year have been less than they have been historically because of the economy. The fact is the trust fund and the interest earnings are subject to the economy and health of the economy. Thats what people talked about in this last term of the Legislature. Forever Wild is already prorated by the structure of the fund itself. So when the economy is poor, the earnings are poor and the program doesnt have as much to work which originates in Alabama, to be eventually connected to the Appalachian Trail. The board also voted to pursue the purchase of the Heron Bay-Portersville Bay Wetlands tract, a 1,115-acre parcel in Mobile County, contingent on additional money being acquired through federal grants. The Coon Gulf-Blue Hole Addition in northeast Alabama was also approved for a first appraisal. The property is adjacent to the State Land Divisions Forest Legacy tract. Lein said the board meeting was just an example of how much more additional work needs to be done through Forever Wild. You can talk about Wildlife Management Areas, or you can talk about State Parks, but irrespective of those categories, theres a lot yet to be done, Lein said. Just as weve seen this year, there are so many new nominations, so much new interest in this program and the opportunities it provides, I think there is absolutely an interest on the part of the public to see this go another 20 years. We hope thats what happens. N. Gunter Guy Jr., Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said Alabama voters approved the original authorization of the program with 83 percent of the vote, and he feels the people will be receptive to an extension. We just need to make sure we get the public, the voters, educated that its back on the ballot again and get them to support it, Guy said. I think its a fantastic program. I think there are a lot of benefits the public doesnt realize. But the board, myself and our department (ADCNR) are acquainted with the benefits. That includes hunting land were able to procure to replace hunting land that is lost. People dont realize how much public hunting land we lose every year that this program replaces. Plus, there are the other recreational aspects of Forever Wild everything from hiking, biking, trail riding, canoeing and bird-watching, just to name a few. All of those things have a significant economic impact on the State of Alabama in a very positive way. Thats really the kind of communication we have to get out the voters, so theyll know this program should be re-authorized come November 6, 2012. l
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with. We have a natural proration process thats built into Forever Wilds funding. Thats what we have to live under. Thats why its so important to look at grant opportunities and donations. Thats why all the things that help stretch our dollars through these partnerships become so important. The board voted to pursue a first appraisal on 762 acres adjacent to Weogufka State Forest in the area of Flagg Mountain. The potential purchase of that property, which contains significant stands of longleaf pine, from The Conservation Fund would allow the Pinhoti Trail,
Kids Get Hooked at Fishing Derby

by Ernie Stephens
he Bankhead National Forest held the nineteenth annual Kids Fishing Derby on Saturday, June 11 in celebration of National Get Outdoors Day and National Fishing and Boating Week. The Forest Service, which hosts the yearly event to help interest young people in wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation, stocked a pond with 400 pounds of catfish and invited area youngsters to try their luck. A total of 65 children (with accompanying adults) from surrounding counties came to the Black Warrior Work Center on the Bankhead National Forest to compete for trophies in three age categories. Contestants fished for approximately 1 hours and the winners in each age group were decided by measuring the longest fish caught by each individual. In the 56 year old age group, Owen Watkins of Houston took the first place trophy and a trophy for biggest fish overall with a 19" catfish. Weston McVay of Falkville captured second place. Kayla Thorn of Double Springs won the first place
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Rewards of a great day!
Various Door Prizes.
Proud fisherman!
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trophy in the 79 year old group with a 16" entry. Hunter Warren of Houston won the second place trophy. In the 1012 year old category, Brody McVay of Falkville took the first place trophy and Natalie Key of Double Springs took the second place trophy. In addition to the fishing competition, a casting contest was held in which Emmarea Bailey of Double Springs won in the 56 year old division; Caleb Simms of Houston won in the 79 year old division; and Andrea Jacques of Arley won the 1012 year old division. All three received a new rod and reel as their prize. Jerry Grace of Double Springs and Desirae Yost of Danville were the lucky winners of the lifetime fishing license door prize drawing sponsored by the Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association. The Derby concluded with drawing for door prizes, awarding of trophies to contest winners and a hotdog lunch. l
Fine Catch!
Fishing license winners with Officer Stephens.
Lifetime Fishing License winners.
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Alabama Marine Police Has New Director

fter Steve Thompson he said. So I think it will make a accepted the job as Director statement for the Director to make of the Alabama Marine arrangements to drive up and hop Police Division recently, it became in the boat with the officer and ride apparent almost immediately with them for a couple of hours that he plans to be a hands-on and let them know I appreciate administrator in terms of showing the job they do. support for his officers and personAs one of the five divisions nel in the field. in the Alabama Department Thompson, a 31-year law of Conservation and Natural enforcement veteran, is in the Resources, Marine Police is process of visiting each of the four responsible for the routine safety districts to meet each of the 57 patrol of Alabamas waterways. officers and other field personnel. It also oversees the registration of all pleasure boats, licensing of Ive been making my rounds, boat operators, boat and marine said Thompson, who spent much accessory theft, as well as a stateof his career in the Montgomery Police Department. The men and wide boating education program. women in Marine Police work hard. Marine Police assists other govThey have a calling. Its a tough ernmental agencies in enforcement job to be a Marine Police Officer. activities that relate to homeland Col. Steve Thompson Theyre out there in the elements, security, maritime and waterway whether its cold or heat. Theyre smuggling, drug interdiction, and on the water day in and day out, whether its in the Gulf other serious crimes. The Division also oversees more of Mexico or the Alabama River. It takes a dedicated than 1,600 hazard and control markers and zones on person to do that. Im really impressed with the quality Alabamas waterways. and professionalism Ive seen so far. You dont often find the experience and knowledge As Director, its my goal to get out in the field and that Steve Thompson brings to Marine Police, said meet the men and women of Marine Police. I plan to get Conservation Commissioner N. Gunter Guy Jr. Steve has proven through the years that his leadership skills have out and ride in the boats with them and talk to them. I served him well in the supervision of large enforcement want to give them what they need to do their jobs and improve morale and make our Division more efficient departments and developing a rapport with the local and effective. community groups, as well as state and national organiWhen he hops onboard with the officers, Thompson said zations. Those skills will make Steve a valuable asset to he plans to express how much the officers are appreciated. the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Sometimes when you get up in the rural lakes and Thompson said his four-year career in the Marine Corps rivers, the officers really dont see supervisors that often, continued on 107
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established the guiding principles in his life, and he used his older brother, Danny, as a role model. Youve heard the saying, Once a Marine, always a Marine, said Thompson, who grew up boating and fishing on Lake Jordan and Lake Martin. Its affected me my whole career in terms of self-discipline. Ive taken care of my people, leading by example. Thats from those four years in the Marine Corps. When I joined the Montgomery Police Department in 1980, I followed basically in my big brothers footsteps. After I got out of the Marine Corps, he told me, Hey, Ive got your application (to the Montgomery Police Department). I just walked in the door from overseas, the Far East, and I filled out the application. Thompson said there wasnt any hesitation when Danny handed him the application, though. I had always wanted to be a police officer, said Steve, an avid hunter, recreational shooter and occasional fisherman. When I was about 12 years old and my brother became a police officer, I would hear stories and things they did. I was fascinated. Ive always wanted to get into law enforcement. During his first stint at the Montgomery PD, Thompson was a member of the SWAT team for 12 years. He started out as a sniper and eventually was promoted to team leader. He graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va., in 1994. In 2003, Thompson retired from the City of Montgomery as Deputy Chief of Police with the rank of lieutenant colonel and took a job as Chief Deputy in Boone, N.C. Thompson was soon in for a shock when he realized the vast difference between life in Boone, in the Appalachian Mountains, and Montgomery, nestled on a bend in the Alabama River. For a guy from south Alabama, that was an eyeopener, he said. Its beautiful in the summertime, but I had no idea it snowed that much and got that cold in the South. The first week I was there, I was getting gas at a local station. It started snowing so hard I couldnt see the road 10 yards in front of me. At night, it got down to seven degrees below zero. I was thinking, What in the world have I done? Despite his relatively short stint of four years in Boone, he is proud of the changes he was able to institute while he was there. For a variety of reasons, Thompson decided to head back to Alabama, where then Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright reinstated Thompson as Deputy Chief, a position he held until his retirement in March of this year. I had a good tour there, said Thompson, a certified firearms instructor and Distinguished Expert Marksman. I started a lot of things up there a K-9 unit, a SWAT team. I started a highway interdiction unit and was able to start a seized drug fund account that paid for equipment that really upgraded the department. It went from Mayberry to the 21st century, literally. Ive always enjoyed a challenge. But its not about me. Its about the mission and my command and what they do for the citizens of the state. I plan to make Marine Police the shining star among state enforcement agencies. I will have to say that Marine Police is already one of the most well-trained staffs in Alabama. They go through the police academy and are constantly training on the boat-handling skills, life-saving techniques and enforcement techniques. They constantly hone their skills. And I have such an efficient administrative staff that it freed me up to do some of the things I wanted to do; the main thing is to get out and spend some time with the field staff. Although his assessment is still underway, Thompson said the Divisions equipment is in relatively good shape despite the current economic constraints. Our shop guys, the mechanics, are doing a good job of preventive maintenance for the fleet and outfitting the boats, he said. These shop guys are the guys behind the scenes, but believe you me, they do an outstanding job. These guys need to be recognized. They do an outstanding job. Despite all the distractions the modern world may produce, Thompson wants to ensure the Division never loses focus on its main purpose. Our No. 1 goal is to protect lives and property, he said. Whats different from other enforcement agencies is Marine Police mainly does it on the waterways. Each district has its own specific operations. You have different environmental conditions on the Gulf Coast compared to the rivers in the north half of the state. But our mission is the same protect lives and property. l
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AlAbAmA mArine Police HAs new Director continued
Commissioner N. Gunter Guy Jr. & Col. Steve Thompson
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Alligators Natural Wonder or Dangerous Predator?

by Justin Brock, Wildlife Biologist, Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
ew wild animals living in Alabama today are able to bring out the darkest fears in our imagination. The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is one such animal. This animal is dangerous and does warrant some caution by anyone who ventures into its habitat. But, is it really the mindless man-eater of our nightmares? Alligators are becoming more common in Alabama with populations increasing from very low levels in years past. What does that mean to anyone enjoying the many outdoor activities this state has to offer? The simple answer is: be aware of your surroundings. A person needs to know if an area is inhabited by alligators before visiting that area. Alligators are found in many aquatic environments in Alabama, with the majority of the population living in the southern portions of the state. They are also found in the more northern regions of the state, but are limited by the colder temperatures during winter months. The alligators inhabiting these northern regions were most likely once sold as pets and became too big to live in an aquarium, so the owners released them into the wild. Alligators prefer freshwater areas, but may find suitable homes in brackish water environments. However, they are most successful in marsh type habitats where they have a suitable food supply and nesting areas. When people decide to visit or live in areas where alligators are thought to inhabit, they should be aware of situations that can be dangerous for themselves and others. Children and pets should not be allowed to swim
or play around the waters edge when alligators may be present. Alligators are carnivorous and could view them as potential food. Instead, swimming and other related recreational activities should be done in safe locations under the watchful eyes of an adult. Feeding of alligators also should never be allowed. Alligators generally are not aggressive and are wary of humans. However, in areas were feeding occurs, alligators associate people as a source of food and may lose their natural fear of humans. This makes them much more dangerous than normal and the chance of them harming someone becomes greater. It is also important to stay away from areas containing nests or young alligators. Females are known to aggressively protect their nest and young. By disturbing a nest or catching young alligators it could be possible to provoke a female that is protecting her young. By keeping a safe distance from any alligator and being aware of their presence, it is possible to safely coexist with these predators. It is important to realize they are not just mindless creatures hunting humans, but wild animals with their own place in Alabamas outdoor world. Through knowledge and awareness, we will be able to safely enjoy alligators as one of Alabamas natural wonders. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabamas 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
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Eufaula Youth Fishing Rodeo Goes On

by Ken White
he week saw rain falling and thunder roaring and threats of severe thunderstorms were being forecast for the night and early morning hours preceding the scheduled Eufaula Youth Fishing Rodeo. With the scale of devastation, which had been wrought across our great state just two weeks earlier, no one knew what impact these forecasts might have on the event. While the numbers of youth attending were down a bit, it turned out to be a beautiful spring morning and one that really lent itself to enjoying the great outdoors. Especially when that enjoyment has to do with the action of a Nine year old, J.T. Searcy of Eufaula brings another one to the bank. catfish on the business end of a fishing line. Saturday, May 14, found the youth arriving at Hillside Ranch for a great morning of fishing fun and 0-6 Years: 1st Tyler Morris 18 lbs. 13 oz. Bike camaraderie with old and new friends. Hillside Ranch has 2nd Zoe Morris 14 lbs. 03 oz. Reel hosted the event for several years now and owners, Ken 3rd Grace Haney 14 lbs. 01 oz. Take-Me-Fishing Kit and Jeri Ludlam, had the pond area in pristine condition. Families got the youth registered in one of three age divi7-9 Years: 1st Matt Richards 22 lbs. 4 oz. Bike sions and then setout to find their preferred fishing location 2nd Janita (J.T.) Searcy 14 lbs. 12 oz. Reel around the pond. Rod and reels were double-checked, 3rd Kyle Meyers 3 lbs. 3 oz. Big One Tackle Box bait was put on and corks adjusted as everyone awaited 10-13 Years: 1st Andrew Meyers 14 lbs. 11 oz. Bike the starting siren. At exactly eight oclock the siren did 2nd Lauren Garlits 14 lbs. 4 oz. Reel wail and the fun began. 3rd Tengeric Davis 0 lbs. 15 oz. Double-Sided Sachel The fishing was absolutely fantastic and every youth attending managed to catch at least one or two catfish. To Big Fish: Zoe Morris 2 lbs. 11 oz. Reel help keep the fishing competition on a level playing field, Little Fish: Tyler Morris 0 lbs. 03 oz. Reel the event is divided into three age categories. This keeps the competition close and interesting for the two-hours It takes a lot of help and support to put on these fishof fishing allowed. Following the close of the fishing day, hotdogs, chips and soft drinks were served. This was ing events and it takes people. Fortunately the Alabama followed by the announcement of the winners and then Department of Conservation and Natural Resources the great prize giveaway took place. Every registered Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division understands angler not only had a great day afield but left with a nice this and supports the efforts of officers such as Sgt. Aurora Thomas who puts the Eufaula event together. Assisting with door prize as well. continued on 117 Winners of the age divisions are as follows:
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Eufaula Youth fishing RodEo goEs on continued

the event were officers Nate Foster, Richard Hartzog, Mike Heath and Jerry Ginwright. Handling the cooking chores was local volunteer, Jimmy Priest. It takes great sponsors to assist in providing for the food, special awards and door prizes and a host of local businesses contributed to the event success. Supporting the event in a substantial manner was the Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association and without this type of support and contributions the event would not be able to do what it does. Introducing our youth to the great outdoor world is just one more way of giving back that makes a huge difference in the life of a youth. Lifes lessons learned at such outdoor events cannot be measured for years to come but will form the foundation of our outdoor management practices and philosophies in that future. l
Tyler Morris is on his way to winning his age division.
Five year old, Zoe Morris gets some valuable help from his grandfather, James Morris.
Grace Haney shows off her catfish with dad Lee Haney lending a hand.
Kyle Meyers from Eufaula has a good un on the business end of the line.
First place winners in the age divisions are (l-r) Andrew Meyers (10-13 yrs.), Matt Richards (7-9 yrs.), Tyler Morris (0-6 yrs.)
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Black Bears Part of Alabamas Ecosystem

by Steven W. Barnett Certified Wildlife Biologist, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
ecent sightings of black bears in different parts of Alabama have many wondering if the animals presence in the state is increasing. The heart of bear country in Alabama consists of piney woods hills, titi thickets and river swamps. This has been the case for hundreds of years. In the midst of these natural habitats is a relatively new landscape that is becoming increasingly prevalentcleared land with stone and wooden dwellings. The occupants of these habitats are humans. People who move into these once rural settings are unaware and unfamiliar with the native wildlife that continues to exist in surrounding woodlands, including black bears. The remaining core habitats of the protected black bears in Alabama are located primarily in Mobile, Washington and Baldwin counties. Bears once roamed throughout the state before the alpha predators (people). Based on current and verified reports of sightings, sign, road kills, game camera images as well as movement patterns of radioed bears, some animals are thought to be establishing home ranges in other regions of Alabama. Changes in bear range and movements may be the result of a combination of factors such as altered habitats due to development and a natural growth in the density of black bears. What this all means is an increased chance of bearhuman encounters or conflicts. And in these outlying,
suburban/rural settings, the back yard of homes is where the two meet. If you live in bear country, the key is to educate yourself on how some human actions may alter the behavior of black bears. Most conflicts are related to the animals search for food. Bears have an acute sense of smell and if one unwittingly leaves groceries outside, bears may come to investigate, eat, and return for more. Sources of food include deer feeders, pet food, trash receptacles, and even bird feeders. Although black bears in Alabama typically display a flight response around people, bears that continue to get an easy meal near your home may keep coming back. Bears that are conditioned to associate food with people may lose that natural fear, which raises the bar on possible aggressive encounters. Most potential bear conflicts can be avoided through implementing fairly simple preventative measures. First, if you do not want bears in close proximity of your home, then discontinue any feeding of wildlife, period! And if you live in a neighborhood, all the nearby residents need to abide by this recommendation for it to be most effective. Second, do not leave any uneaten pet food and the bowls outside for any length of time. Third, place trash outside on the day of pickup and not before. Store trash inside the residence or keep it in an enclosed shed or garage. Double-bag your garbage and periodically
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Black Bears Part of alaBamas ecosystem continued

disinfect trash cans. Sometimes, protective fencing around other sources such as gardens may be necessary. Keep in mind that if you live or move into bear habitat, the animals will most likely remain in the area, but by following a preventative strategy, most of the close-tohome encounters can be avoided. The implementation of the previously mentioned preventative measures may be all that is needed to avoid conflicts. Trapping and relocating of bears in Alabama is often unproductive. Moving a nuisance bear to another area may end up just moving the nuisance somewhere else. Also, bears have an excellent homing instinct and have been documented traveling up to 400 miles from the relocation site. So, the relocated bear may end up back at the original trap site. The Alabama Black Bear Alliance (ABBA) is a conservation organization that represents a broad coalition of diverse interests with the goal of working cooperatively and voluntarily for the conservation of the black bear in Alabama through research, education and habitat management. Much of the information in this article including preventative conflict strategies is a result of ABBAs educational efforts. Visit their website at www.alabamablackbearalliance.org to learn more about living in bear country. Bear sightings can also be reported and submitted electronically from this website. Also, please report all bear sightings to your local Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater officials. For more information, contact Steven W. Barnett, Certified Wildlife Biologist, Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, 30571 Five Rivers Boulevard, Spanish Fort, AL 36527; phone 251-626-5474. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabamas 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
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Controlling Damage by Vultures

by Bruce W. Todd, Wildlife Biologist, Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
wo species of vultures, also known as buzzards, sometimes scratch vehicle paint, pull off wiper blades and molding, destroy car covers and leave behind fecal are common to the Southeast. Both are similar in matter and vomit. Vultures may tear and consume vinyl appearance. The larger brown one, sporting a red seat covers on boats, tractors and automobiles, damage head, is the turkey vulture (Cathartes aura). The smaller pool covers and boat canopies and destroy cemetery black vulture (Coragyps atratus) has a dark gray head. decorations. Roosting buzzards on electrical transmisThese two birds can be distinguished in flight by tail sion towers and lines may cause power outages. Homes length and wing characteristics. The black vulture has may sustain damage to asphalt a short tail, only slightly longer than its outstretched feet. It also shingles, caulked windows, and has distinctive white markings other surfaces. Bones, carcasses, on the tips of its wings. Turkey and large volumes of fecal matter vultures have longer tails and may also be left behind. Damage hold their wings in a shallow from roosting birds may result in v-shaped formation while soardecreased use of property, death ing aloft. of ornamentals, limb breakage, Both buzzards are alike in unsightly stains on furniture, residences, and walkways, and that they are scavengers and depend heavily on carrion as contamination of water sources. a food source. However, there In order to curb some of this are differences in their feeding damage, many varied control strategies. Black vultures depend measures can be used. on sight to locate food sources, Vulture conflicts must be while turkey vultures also use solved with non-lethal means scent as a locator. Black vuldue to their protection under the tures are more aggressive and Migratory Bird Treaty of 1918. opportunistic and will take food In order to discourage buzzards away from feeding turkey vulfrom roosting on rooftops, a taut tures. Black vultures have been wire affixed 8 inches above a known to consume eggs, rotBlack Vulture ridge or other perch site may ting vegetables and fruits, live be successful. The wire may be birds, skunks, opossums, turtle hatchlings, fish, newborn electrified with a fence transformer to increase effectivelivestock and poultry. Both species of vulture may cause ness. When a primary roost tree is involved, removing that tree may cause birds to vacate the area. In communities depredation in rural areas but the black vulture is linked to livestock and poultry losses. Buzzards can also become where pyrotechnics and firearms are legal, shotguns nuisances in urban and suburban settings. using regular shot shells or bird whistlers to harass Residential and commercial damage inflicted by roostbirds may be used. Automatic LP gas exploders using ing and loafing buzzards can be extensive. Buzzards will continued on 125
PHOTO BY STEFAN EKERNAS
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Controlling Damage by Vultures continued

propane cannons with timers have been successfully used to move roosting birds. Lasers have also been used in combination with pyrotechnics. There are also ultrasonic and audible sound generators marketed for the sole purpose of dispersing pest species. After dispersing birds, buzzard effigies have been employed to discourage birds from returning to roost sites. Successful treatments are dependent on some basic principles. To be effective, a combination of methods should be employed. Also, the sooner a problem is discovered and treatment is initiated the more likely you are to have success. Harassment of roosting birds should begin at dusk and continue till dark. If birds are present at dawn and throughout daylight hours, harassment should continue. Simple measures used to disrupt normal patterns of behavior such as water spray, noise, or flashing lights may be effective if you are persistent. Success may still be slow in coming; it may take as much as two to four weeks. For more information, contact Bruce Todd, Wildlife Biologist, Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, 30571 Five Rivers Boulevard, Spanish Fort, AL 36527; phone 251-626-5474. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabamas 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
Turkey Vulture
PHOTO BY THOMAS WOODRUFF
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Clay Hill Farms Hosts Youth Fishing Rodeo

by Ken White
e have been feeding the fish and the pond is ready, John Dorrill announced with a smile on his face. John and his family own Clay Hills Farm located just outside Troy, AL and they again opened their great facility and pond for the Pike County Youth Fishing Rodeo held June 18th. Clay Hills Farm is a beautiful place and the pond site and amenities available make it a perfect site for such an event. Judging from the youth registering for the event, the youth knew they were in for a great morning of fishing as the lake was full of catfish just waiting for a morsel to come their way. The registration began at 7:00AM and folks were already in line when the table opened. The event follows the basic format the other youth fishing rodeos in the district use so registration was divided into the three age groups. This grouping of 0-6 yrs., 7-9 yrs. and 10-12 yrs. assures the competition is matched fairly even for the event. The actual fishing began at 8:00AM following introductions of the hosts, sponsors in attendance and a short rules meeting. For this event each youth angler could
Corks in the water as fishing gets started.
keep ten catfish for the weigh-in. After a youth caught a limit of ten fish they were asked to bring their catch to the scales which, of course, made it a little easier for those that were still trying to finish out their limit. The siren sounded at 10:00AM to end the two-hour fishing competition and the remaining anglers brought their fish to the scales to be weighed. While the winners were being tabulated a nice lunch of fried chicken, chips and sodas was furnished by the Troy Wal-Mart Supercenter. This luncheon was followed by the presentation of awards to the overall winners. Winners in the age divisions were as follows: Age 0-6 yrs. First Place Serenity Riffle Second Place Braden Renfroe Third Place Richard Eagerton First Place Denver Thomas Second Place Cameron Davis Third Place McKenzie Williams 4 lbs. 04 oz. 3 lbs. 10 oz. 3 lbs. 05 oz. 7 lbs. 03 oz. 4 lbs. 09 oz. 4 lbs. 02 oz.
Age 7-9 yrs.
9-year old, Denver Thomas adds a fish to his winning stringer.
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Clay Hill Farms Hosts youtH FisHing rodeo continued
First Place Winners: Noah Williams (10-12 yrs.), Denver Thomas (7-9 yrs.), Serenity Riffle (0-6 yrs.)
Door prize winners check out their prizes.
Age 10-12 yrs. First Place Noah Williams Second Place Will Woodson
5 lbs. 03 oz. 4 lbs. 04 oz.
Awards went to the first place winners of each division and a drawing was held from all entrants for a bicycle for a boy and a girl. Winning the boys bike was Wood Jinwright and the girls bike winner was Anna Claire Dorrill. Following the awards presentation a drawing was held for door prizes from the tickets given out at the time the youth registered for the event. Special thanks go to the John Dorrill family and Clay Hills Farm for again acting as hosts for this event. It takes a lot of volunteers and it takes sponsors to make such an event a success and thanks go to all the local
businesses and individuals contributing to the event with special thanks to Wal-Mart. The Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association was a major funding sponsor and their support is greatly appreciated. The support of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division is greatly appreciated. Assisting with this event and helping to insure its success was conservation enforcement officers Blake Nowling, Jerry Jinwright, Sgt. Aurora Thomas and Lt. Chris Lewis. It takes special folks to make such an event happen. For many the key words are giving back and mentoring which is nothing more than an absolute commitment to the future of our great outdoor world and its continued protection for generations to come. l
Six year old, Richard Eagerton with the first fish he has ever caught.
Boys and Girls Bicycle Winners, courtesy of Troy Wal-Mart SuperCenter: (l-r) Wood Jinwright & Anna Claire Dorrill.
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Whos Been Digging In My Yard?

by Myron Wiley, Biologist Aide, Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
ave you ever walked out into your well-kept yard and found the sod dimpled by a multitude of coneshaped craters several inches deep and wide? How about mulch around shrubbery plowed up and scattered or small plants in your garden destroyed and the entire area looking as if rooted up by hogs? If so, you likely have been visited by a nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus). This species is one of about 20 existing species of armadillo originally from South America. The nine-banded armadillo is the only one of these species found in the United States. Armadillos are about the size of a house cat or opossum, but pound for pound, these animals can do nearly as much damage as a feral hog when it comes to digging up the yard. By scientific classification, the nine-banded armadillo belongs to the order Cingulata, which is a group of animals that also includes the anteaters and sloths of South America. The majority of their diet consists of beetles, grubs, earthworms, and other soil insects and
invertebrates. These food items are what attract armadillos to lawns, flower beds, and gardens. Armadillos locate these subterranean animals with extremely keen senses of smell and hearing. Prey is unearthed with large claws on short, stout legs specifically adapted for digging, and are captured with thick, sticky saliva on the armadillos tongue. The armadillos voracious appetite for insects is not all bad. Many of the creatures they consume are known to be lawn and garden pests that can do considerable damage to yards and gardens. For example, it is common to see a crater in the top of a fire ant mound where it has been dug open by an armadillo searching for ant eggs, developing larvae and adult ants. Armadillos are known locally by many other common names. The bony plates that cover and protect their bodies has led to descriptions such as armor-plated opossum and opossum crossed with a turtle. Although not closely related to any of these animals, these common references to their appearance are fairly close to the technical description. Their family name Dasypodidae roughly translates to Turtle-Rabbit. The natural fright response of the armadillo when startled is a vertical leap before fleeing, a dangerous reflex when approached by a vehicle that might otherwise pass over without harm. This fatal trait spawned the nickname hillbilly speed bump, and made them a frequent highway casualty. Prior to 1850, armadillos were not found north of the Rio Grande River except for fossilized evidence of extinct species. Due to a combination of factors, such as human colonizacontinued on 133
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P.O. Box in My yarD? continued Whos Been Digging 297 Red Bay, AL 35582 tion with its accompanying habitat alteration, extirpation 256-356-9320
of large predators, and intentional release or escape of captive animals, the armadillo has rapidly expanded its range at a rate 10 times that considered normal for mammals. Now abundant throughout most of Texas and other southern and southeastern states, armadillos have been observed as far north as Illinois and Nebraska, and westward to Colorado. Due to its abundance and wide distribution, armadillos have become a nuisance animal to many homeowners in suburban and residential devel212 US Highway 80 East opments, especially where wooded36701 Selma, Alabama areas with favorable burrowing and nest sites are included or nearby. 334-872-6767 Controlling armadillos on your property is not an easy task. In many cases it might be better to tolerate the occasional visitor than to take on the expense and possible collateral damage of control attempts. If frequent and serious damage is occurring, some action may be necessary. Removing individual animals by trapping and relocation/elimination, use of repellents, fencing of specific 586 Mitchell Avenue areas (fencing must extend below ground), and control of Albertville, with pesticides to minimize soil insects and invertebrates AL 35951 food sources are some of the methods most commonly
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20354 Highway 280 East Phenix City, AL 36867 recommended. Any method used has its limitations, 334-448-9800
with practicality, environmental pollution, and long-term effectiveness being major concerns. Whatever method is used, whether mechanical or chemical, be careful to do so in a manner that minimizes danger to people, pets, or other desirable wildlife, birds and fish. If handling of the animal is involved, either for relocation, consumption (yes, armadillo meat is edible), or disposal, be aware they can on rare occasion be infected 14368 Hwy. communicable with leprosy, which may be41 Suite 8 to humans by contact orRussellville, AL 35653 Handle the by eating undercooked meat. animals or meat with sanitary and culinary methods as you would any wild game to prevent contracting communicable diseases that may be present. Photos and detailed descriptions of control techniques and equipment can be viewed on numerous web sites by using search engines. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabamas natural resources through five 27786 Highway 78 West divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, Carbon Hill, AL 35549 State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn 205-924-4754 more about ADCNR visit www.outdooralabama.com. l
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Outdoor Women Unlimited Continues to Stretch its Limits Every Year with the Annual Southern Classic
by Whitney Wood
utdoor Women Unlimited continues to stretch its limits every year with the annual Southern Classic. It is an adventure filled weekend of excitement and challenges waiting around every corner. The mission of Outdoor Women Unlimited (OWU) is to educate women in outdoor adventure, while encouraging them to further develop their skills and ultimately increase the participation for their entire family in the great outdoors. OWU challenges its members to seek the ultimate challenge in their weekend at the Southern Classic and step outside their comfort zone to experience the excitement of the great outdoors.
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OutdOOr WOmen unlimited COntinues tO stretCh its limits continued

This year at the Southern Classic, members were in for a special treat of industry leaders and representatives as their instructors in the classes offered throughout the weekend. In attendance were leaders in the outdoor industry with experience and training in a variety of different events. Leaders represented companies such as Summit Treestands, Knight and Hale, Longleaf Camo, Leupold, Gamo Air Rifles, Hunter Specialties, and many more. This new twist allowed women to not only learn the different techniques and skills in a specific area of the outdoors but to learn with the latest and greatest in outdoor products (some of which were not even on the market). It was a new venture for OWU and the members and industry leaders both enjoyed the opportunity to learn from both audiences respectively. We want to thank our volunteers and supporters of OWU, without each one of these individuals our program would not have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of so many. ACEOA continues to be a strong supporter of our program and this years Southern Classic was no exception. We want to thank all ACEOA members, who volunteered their time and service to make this years classic fantastic. As the voice of women in the outdoor industry, OWU continues to push the limits and encourages its members to do the same. Through the Southern Classic and continuing throughout the year in the various specialized NO Limits Clinics offered to members, OWU fosters a strength and independence in women to challenge themselves and experience the new and great things OWU has to offer. Rebecca Wood: Founder, Executive Director, Whitney Wood: President Lisa McNeil: Membership Director, Sec/Treasurer
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Bass Anglers Sportsmans Society Returns To Alabama

he Bass Anglers Sportsmans Society is headed said Logan, retired CEO of Time-Warner, Inc. When back to Alabama, the state where Ray Scotts vision ESPN bought it and moved it to Orlando, where Disney is turned what was once a friendly competition among located, for them it was a strategic decision and seemed bass fishermen into a multi-million-dollar industry. to be a good fit. Although Montgomery, the birthplace of B.A.S.S., was in The problem we had is that its a long way from the running, the new owners of the Bassmaster franchise everywhere. If you look at where the tournaments are have opted to relocate from Celebration, Fla., near Orlando, held, other than one or two that are held in Florida, to Birmingham, a move that is scheduled to be completed by Nov. 1 this year. Two of the three partners in the new ownership, Don Logan and Jerry McKinnis, were in Montgomery last week for the Toyota All-Star Truck Week and the season-ending Evan Williams Bourbon AllStar Championship on the Alabama River. Logan, an Alabama native and current Birmingham resident, teamed with McKinnis, who hosted The Fishin Hole on ESPN for 44 years, and businessman Jim Copeland to purchase B.A.S.S. LLC from ESPN almost a year ago. While the anglers who qualified for the championAlabama native Don Logan (l), teamed up with businessman Jim Copeland and ship, which was eventually TV fishing personality Jerry McKinnis (r), to purchase Bassmaster won by rookie Ott Defoe from and related entities last year. The partners announced B.A.S.S. will move back Tennessee, were plying the to Alabama when it relocates to Birmingham by November 1st, 2011. river for bass, Logan discussed what went into the decision to move to Birmingham. its a long way to north Alabama or South Carolina or Ever since we bought Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. busiOklahoma or Texas. We thought we would be better off ness from ESPN, we always knew we probably needed in a more central location. So we started thinking about continued on 141 to look at the location and where it was headquartered,
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it. We told the employees from day one that we would do that at some point after we became familiar with the business. Weve been operating it for about a year, so about six weeks ago we told the employees we had made the decision to move it back to Alabama. Two locations were in the running Birmingham and Montgomery, where Scott had started BASS in 1967. Scott reportedly offered the new ownership team a 75-acre parcel to try to sway the deal in Montgomerys favor. Eventually, Birmingham prevailed because of its more central location, better air travel access and availability of employees skilled in information technology, publishing and marketing. I actually met with Mayor (Todd) Strange last year at this event, said Logan, who spent 22 years with Southern Progress Corporation, which currently publishes Southern Living, Cooking Light and Coastal Living magazines and published Progressive Farmer until 2007.Word had already leaked out that we were buying B.A.S.S. He talked to me about moving it to Montgomery if we completed the deal. I told him if we decided to move, wed give him a shot at it, and we did. They put a very aggressive proposal in, and we considered Montgomery and thought it would be a great home for B.A.S.S. again. But for a variety of reasons, we felt Birmingham was the best location. Birmingham was a little more centrally located in terms of getting to places to the north and west. You have better air service. There are a lot more non-stops to a lot more locations. Our people travel a lot. That was important. And the other thing, when you move a business, you always have a certain number of people who cant or dont make the move. Birmingham had a lot of experienced people in the fields we work in marketing and sales people, editorial and creative people like art directors and designers. Because of Southern Progress and a lot of other media businesses there, we felt there would be more sources we could draw talent from. And over a period of years, as we hopefully grow the business, there will be a lot of talent available. Logan said ESPN did a lot of things right, mainly the television programming and other media ventures that are of higher quality than what is seen in other parts of the outdoor world. Logan also credited ESPN with bringing big-name sponsors onboard. However, Logan, an avid bass angler himself, wants B.A.S.S. to refocus its attention on the everyday angler. We want to get back to the grassroots level, whether its the angler who only gets to fish on the weekend or the angler who is teaching his kid to fish, he said. So we want to follow B.A.S.S. from the grassroots level all the way to the professional angler who competes in the Elite Series and Classic. We want to make all aspects better. We want our magazine to be better. We want our television production to be better and more widely distributed. Were running a number of our shows on the Outdoor Channel this year for the first time ever. Our Internet activity has expanded dramatically. Weve already had more page views in 2011 than we had for all of 2010. Were doing streaming video from the Open series that we couldnt do before. We think we have a great opportunity to get to that multitude of anglers who want to fish more and catch more fish and serve them better. Everything we do is on the table for review to see if there are ways to make it better. There are no plans right now to make anything dramatically different, but we will be looking at different things downstream. McKinnis, head of JM Associates, which was recently added to the B.A.S.S. LLC portfolio, has been in charge of the Bassmaster TV production since 2000. He said it was easy to make the decision to move to a more centrally located area, but the timing had to be just right not to interfere with the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, as well as the Bassmaster Classic in February. We had this window of opportunity between now and when the holidays start, McKinnis said. If we dont do it now, wed have to wait another year. Its a natural move for us. Birmingham is a great city. It gives access to good people. And were still working hard to build a great, great staff. Weve got a lot of good folks who are making the move to Birmingham, so thats going to be a good start for us. Ive got so much energy and enthusiasm about this whole thing. Im excited about it. I never considered (ownership) until ESPN called me and asked if I had any interest. Thats the first time Id thought about it. But its a big undertaking. Its been harder than I thought it was going to be. Its been overwhelming, but the upside is better than I thought it was going to be. l
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2011 Montgomery County Youth Fishing Rodeo

by Vance Wood
n June 18, 2011, the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office and the Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association partnered for the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office Annual Youth Fishing Rodeo. The event was held at the newly acquired County Fishing Lakes on U.S. Hwy 231 South in Pike Road, Alabama. A lot of hard work went into getting the property ready for events such as this. Montgomery County Sheriff D.T. Marshall and Chief Deputy Derrick Cunningham utilized a vast array of resources from funds, personnel, inmates and equipment to help make the fishing rodeo an enjoyable experience. Trees and Lifetime Fishing License Winner (l-r) Grandmother Barbara Taylor, CEO Kirk Smith, debris were cleared, grass was planted and Anaya Taylor (age 7), CEO Vance Wood and Chief Deputy Derrick Cunningham. parking areas were put in place. DCNR Freshwater Fisheries personnel, Doug Darr and Graves to beat the heat. By 7 oclock that morning there were Lovell, assisted with pond surveys and shocking to rid the approximately 125 youths registered and catching fish. catfish pond of the remaining game fish. The Montgomery Some did better than others. That all depended on the County Sheriffs Office supplied approximately 750 pounds bait they were using. It appeared that stink or blood bait of catfish for the attending youths to try and catch. worked the best, but most of the girls said that they were The youths and their parents began to roll in early not going to use that stinking stuff. It did not seem to bother the boys much of course. The event concluded with a lunch provided by the Sheriffs Office and the awarding of door prizes provided by the ACEOA. Youths received a variety of fishing rods, tackle boxes and one lucky youth was the recipient of a Lifetime Fishing License. Honorable mention also goes to Academy Sports for providing additional funding for this event. Thank you, Sheriff Marshall and Chief Cunningham, for your inspiration to our youth and sharing Alabamas great outdoors with them. You and your staff are mentors that the ACEOA is proud to be associated with. We look forward to working with you in the future. l
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Natural Resources Youth Camp Teaches Environmental Lessons For The 16th Year
by Paul E. Hudgins, R.F.
he Butler County Forestry Planning Committee has once again held another successful camp for area students. Spending three days and two nights in the deep woods of Butler County is not the typical way most kids want to start their summer vacation; however, for twenty-eight students from across Butler County, they chose to do exactly that. Once chosen by their school to attend the camp, students spend three days and two nights at Mussel Creek Hunting Lodge, a rustic cabin located on private property in north Butler County. The Butler County Forestry Planning Committee (FPC) sponsors the Natural Resources Youth Camp with tremendous support from the forest community, local businesses, and interested individuals. For sixteen years the FPC has offered this hands-on camp for area sixth grade students at no cost to the students.
The camp gives kids the opportunity to learn about our forest environment and how it relates to Alabamas economy, as well as the important role it plays in our everyday lives. Campers leave the televisions, telephones and radios behind to take part in the adventure. The camp offers students something to do from 7am to 11pm and often later if youre the last to get a shower. The camp begins with students being given a compass and a crash course on how to use it as well as how they can determine their distance by pacing. The students are then broken into groups and compete in an orienteering course that stretches across open land and wooden terrain. Of course, one requirement of the orienteering course is a pair of snake leggings. This activity requires the students to work together as a group and individually in order to complete the rugged course. Students are required to complete at least
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Youth Camp teaChes environmental lessons continued

the Alabama Forestry Commission takes the students on a tour on the Project Learning Tree Activity, A Tree Factory. This activity demonstrates to the students what is really going on inside the tree. Mrs. Hildreth also gave the students a presentation on what some of the many different products are that are derived from a tree. After Mrs. Hildreths presentation, students identify different types of wildlife habitat and what it takes to improve wildlife on their property with Mr. Thagard Colvin, Wildlife Biologist, Retired, and Department Conservation & Natural Resources. Finally, Mr. Ricky Miller, Marine Police Office with the Department of Conservation, discusses open water and boating safety. Hunter Ethics and Preserving Our Hunting Heritage follows water safety and is the last scheduled event of the day before we take a trailer ride. Each night, well after dark, the students are loaded onto the FPCs tour trailer and driven through the woods of South Alabama. While the purpose of the ride is to look for nightlife, we did take time to call some Bard Owls and this year we were lucky enough to call up a pair of Owls that perched on a limb just above the trailer.
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one leg of the course themselves without any assistance from their team. With awards given at the end of camp to the group that can complete the course in the fastest time and with the most correct points located. Only once have we had a team to get completely turned around and miss a portion of the course. While some students are learning about the orienteering course, others are learning about power line safety from Mr. Phillip Baker, System Engineer with Pioneer Electric. Still others are learning about home fire safety from the Greenville Fire Department and their departments smoke trailer. These two activities work in conjunction with the orienteering exercise to ensure the students have a busy first morning. After a hearty lunch, the students were treated to a soil education activity entitled Dig It. Mr. Ben Moore and Mrs. Beth Chastain, both with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, teach this activity to the campers. This activity shows students how different land covers can affect soil movement and how the soil movement could eventually impact creek sedimentation. While there is still time, Mrs. Madeline Hildreth, a forester with
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Early on the second day, the kids learn how to identify different wildlife tracks with Mr. Mike Older of the Alabama Forestry Commissions Covington County office. Mr. Older uses the Project Wild Activity, Making Tracks to introduce students to the different types of tracks made by Alabama wildlife. If making tracks isnt enough, Mr. Mike Sievering and Mr. Jerry Fiest taught the campers about fur bearer management and trapping techniques in Alabama. Campers learned how and what it takes to control nuisance animals in Alabama by using trapping as a safe and effect way to control damage. While the day is still young, the campers are treated to an educational and live flight demonstration from some of Alabamas birds of prey. Winged Ambassadors gives the kids an up-close and personal look at some of Alabamas bird of prey and what role they play in the environment. After spending time with some birds, the students are treated to A Cooperative Environment with Mr. Jimmy Stiles. The students are given a hands-on, upclose encounter with some of Alabamas local inhabitants.
An alligator, pine snake, king snake, tree frog, toad and legless lizard are just a few creatures that the kids get to touch and even hold, if they dare. Even some of the adults opt out of holding a snake! Students follow up this activity with a chance to explore and learn what really lives in a local creek with Mr. Ken Weathers from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Fisheries Section. The students take creek samples using nets and look through the samples to make an evaluation of the creeks overall condition. Once the condition is determined, the students have time to explore, play and swim in Mussel creek. After spending some oneon-one time with one of Alabamas creeks, the campers are treated to some local native Indian history by Mr. Charlie Clark, Executive Director, Farm Service Agency and Ms. Elishia Ballentine, Publication Specialist with the Alabama Forestry Commission and Native American. Mr. Clark and Ms. Ballentine share with the campers some stories and artifacts of the Native American culture. After a dinner of barbequed ribs and some fixins of a Cajun low country boil, the students learned
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about firearms handling and safety from Mr. James Altiere with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The third and final day starts off with an early morning walk with Mr. Charlie Kennedy, President of the Alabama Ornithological Society. Mr. Charlie as he is affectionately called explores with the students the woods of Alabama looking for a variety of birds both large and small. The rest of the final day camp is spent learning to shoot skeet, black powder, .22s and archery. For some of the students this is there first time ever shooting a firearm or pulling a bow. And for others, this is there opportunity to show everyone how good they really are, or how good they think they are. For the past sixteen years, the girl campers have always given the boys a run P.O. as a 297 for the top shooter. Girls Box general rule listen to the instructors betterRed are easier to teach. And this year and Bay, AL 35582 was no exception to the rule. 256-356-9320 To closeout the camp experience the campers are
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RED BAY BODY SHOP
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given several books and other nice prizes for attending 20354 Highway 280 East the camp. Special awards are given for the best shooter in Phenix City, AL 36867 each of the firearm events, as well as top shot in archery. An experience of a334-448-9800 one-way that one lifetime! That is just camper described their experience. l
North Alabama
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Forest Ruler Returns to Blue Spring Wildlife Management Area

By John S. Powers, Wildlife Biologist, Alabama Division of Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries
o be a ruler, one must have a domain. Conversely, every realm must have a ruler. The forest region in the extreme southern part of Alabama was once ruled by a creature so impressive that the generic portion of its scientific name, Drymarchon, entitles it forest ruler. The Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) is making a comeback in the Blue Spring Wildlife Management Area due to a partnership effort by several organizations. The Eastern indigo is recognized as the longest snake in North America. Specimens have been reliably recorded that were over 8.5 feet long and weighed more than 10 pounds. Indigo snakes are not only impressive in size, they are beautiful as well. As its name implies, the overall coloration is a deep, lustrous, bluish black. Most have creamy or reddish areas on their chins, throats and cheeks.
Small indigos are sometimes mistaken for black racers, but the two differ in several ways. The anal scale of indigo snakes is of one piece while that of the black racer is divided. Older indigo snakes tend to be somewhat heavy bodied and move more slowly than the slim, quick black racer. Indigo snakes have rather large, smooth scales except for some large males that have a few rows of lightly keeled scales down the center of their back. A keeled scale is one that has a light ridge down its center, which makes it somewhat rough to the touch. Black racers have more heavily keeled scales over their entire bodies. Truly mature large indigo snakes cannot readily be confused with any other species. Despite their size, indigo snakes usually are relatively docile, rarely attempting to bite when handled. Eastern indigo snakes once were distributed throughout virtually all of Florida, the southeastern portion of Georgia, and extreme southern Alabama. They may have inhabited the southern tip of South Carolina and extreme southeast Mississippi as well. In peninsular Florida they ranged over a wide variety of habitat types and habitat associations using stump holes, hollow logs, animal burrows, etc. for refuge in the winter. Throughout northern portions of their range (northern and panhandle Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, their existence has been closely associated with habitat mosaics that include high, dry, sandy ridges, usually forested with longleaf pine and scrub oaks. Suitable habitat, on a large scale, seems to require an interspersion of these sandhill
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Forest ruler returns to Blue spring WMA continued

habitats with pine flatwoods and lower, more densely vegetated wetland areas. Gopher tortoises and the burrows they excavate seem critical to the existence of indigo snakes. These burrows, most often dug in the sandy soil of the dry ridges, provide indigo snakes refuge from both winters cold and summers extreme heat. Gopher tortoise burrows also are used by female indigos as sites for breeding and for laying eggs (an average of nine per clutch). Indigo snakes, juveniles in particular, utilize lower wetter portions of their home range during the warmer months of the year for foraging, while the higher drier portions are used more heavily during the winter. Indigo snakes are active during daylight hours. They are opportunistic feeders who prey on small mammals, birds, lizards, frogs, toads, and other snakes, including venomous species. They seem to prefer snakes, including rattlesnakes, over other foods because indigo snakes are immune to the venom of the native pit vipers they are likely to encounter. Large indigo snakes are even known to feed on smaller members of their own species. Indigo snakes often subdue their prey, after grabbing it in their powerful jaws, by thrashing and beating it against the ground and anything else that is available. They do not kill their prey by constriction. Very young indigos primarily feed on invertebrates in wetland habitats. Populations of Eastern indigo snakes have declined dramatically in recent decades, and the species was federally listed in 1978 as threatened across its range. Primary reasons for the species decline include exploitation in conjunction with the pet trade, continuing habitat loss and fragmentation, and mortality associated with the gassing of gopher tortoise burrows by rattlesnake hunters. Road kill, deliberate persecution by humans, and indirect poisoning from pesticides and herbicides have contributed to the species decline as well. While legal protection at both the federal and state level has significantly reduced the wanton killing and profit-motivated collection of the species, the loss and fragmentation of habitat suitable for the indigo snake continues. While native populations of indigo snakes are still relatively common in portions of Georgia and Florida, they are quickly becoming more and more fragmented. The species is now rare in the panhandle region of Florida, and they may have disappeared entirely from Alabama though scattered reports of their presence do occur. Restoration efforts aimed at the indigo snake have for the most part involved protection and proper management of what large blocks of suitable habitat that remain within the species range. Much of this habitat is owned by either state or federal agencies. Large tracts of land are required to support stable populations of indigo snakes whose home ranges can exceed 250 acres in size. Efforts to protect and/or re-establish indigo snake populations in Alabama have included both conservation of suitable habitat and efforts to reintroduce the species to areas it is or was believed to exist. Experimental restocking took place from the late 1970s through the mid 1980s in areas of suitable habitat in Autauga, Baldwin, Bullock, Covington, Escambia, Mobile and Washington counties. These efforts may have produced limited though poorly documented success. In 2005, Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) non-game biologists in cooperation with Auburn University and the privately funded Orianne Society conducted surveys within the state but produced no evidence of indigo snake populations. Subsequently, WFF, in cooperation once again with Auburn University and the Orianne Society, began a new reintroduction effort in the Blue Spring Wildlife Management Area, which is a part of the USDA-Forest Service owned and managed Conecuh National Forest. In June 2010, 17 captive-bred juvenile Eastern indigo snakes were released. Each of these snakes was implanted with electronic devices that allow for identification and tracking so that their movements, behavior and survival can be monitored. About half of the indigo snakes have survived and appear to be thriving. It is too early to declare a victory in the effort to re-establish the indigo snake to its former haunts, but the tide may be turning. In the not too distant future, on the Conecuh National Forest at least, we may be able to proudly proclaim that the forest ruler has indeed returned. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabamas 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
ACEOA Magazine 157
Buckmasters Expo 2011

by Rusty Morrow
he Expo 2011 was a great event, as usual. Our booth was busy for three days. It is always a great opportunity to promote ACEOA and show all the great things we do to thousands of visitors. It is also a chance to renew old friendships that I have made in the past. Good friend Bill Jordan and son Tyler Jordan visited the
booth Saturday and signed autographs. Bill really liked the cover of our Spring 2011 Issue of ACE Magazine. We used a Realtree design for the Buckmasters BADF Life Hunt Issue. Thanks to all our Directors and State Officers that helped at the booth. ACEOA is already looking forward to the Expo next year. l
Officer Jerry Fincher giving us a hand.
Officer Chris Lewis and Kenneth Jackson holding down the fort.
(L-R) Rusty Morrow, Tyler Jordan, Bill Jordan and Jerry Fincher. Bill Jordan with Realtree, Inc. was happy to see one of his Realtree patterns on the front of ACE Magazine. He spent some time in the ACEOA booth on Sunday.
ACEOA Magazine 159

ACE Magazine - Summer 11

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ACE Magazine - Summer 11

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Official Publication of the ACEOA WWW.ACEOA.

ORG SUMMER 2011

Where We Stand continued

Where We Stand continued

ACEOA 2011 State Conference and Top Gun Competition

ACEOA 2011 StAtE COnfErEnCE And tOp Gun COmpEtitiOn continued

ACEOA 2011 StAtE COnfErEnCE And tOp Gun COmpEtitiOn continued

ACEOA 2011 StAtE COnfErEnCE And tOp Gun COmpEtitiOn continued

ACEOA 2011 StAtE COnfErEnCE And tOp Gun COmpEtitiOn continued

ACEOA 2011 StAtE COnfErEnCE And tOp Gun COmpEtitiOn continued

ACEOA 2011 StAtE COnfErEnCE And tOp Gun COmpEtitiOn continued

ACEOA 2011 StAtE COnfErEnCE And tOp Gun COmpEtitiOn continued

Austin Robinson Junior Shotgun Winner.

Barclay Johnson Chase Little.

Barclay Johnson, Jasmine Jaworowski, Chase Little, & Addie Weathers.

Barclay Johnson winner of shooting clays.

ACEOA 2011 StAtE COnfErEnCE And tOp Gun COmpEtitiOn continued

Chase Little ties Addie Weathers for 1st Place.

Jackson and Stephanie Weathers.

Kelly Lucas takes aim.

ACEOA 2011 StAtE COnfErEnCE And tOp Gun COmpEtitiOn continued

Lewis and Lewis.

Michael Cox & Zach Lucas.

Michael Cox taking aim.

ACEOA 2011 StAtE COnfErEnCE And tOp Gun COmpEtitiOn continued

Attorney Will Sellers speaks to ACEOA...

Tornado Disaster Relief

Tornado disasTer relief continued

Lt. Nichols assisting with injured victim of tornado damage.

Lt. Nichols with young victim of tornado damage.

Tornado disasTer relief continued

Tornado disasTer relief continued

Beyond The Basics

243 TORNADO DEATHS

Beyond The Basics continued

Beyond The Basics continued

Officer Kevin Holsonback with the tub in which he took refuge.

Beyond The Basics continued

Beyond The Basics continued

Beyond The Basics continued

Beyond The Basics continued

Beyond The Basics continued

District III Tuscaloosa Tornado Deployment

PHOTO BY DAVID RAINER

Dove SeaSon continued

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Host Youth Catfish Rodeos

Millers Ferry Winners with Officer Dan Quincey.

Lowndes winners with Ranger John Williams.

Back in the Day

Back in the Day continued

Butler County Youth Fishing Day 2011

Butler County youth Fishing Day 2011 continued

PHOTO BY DAVID RAINER

A-TeAm Fishing continued

Blue Springs Fishing Event Kicks Off The Summer

Blue SpringS FiShing event KicKS OFF the Summer continued

Blue SpringS FiShing event KicKS OFF the Summer continued

SUPPORTS THE ACEOA

1330 Fletcher Street N.W. Huntsville, Alabama 35801

The University of Alabama Outdoor Learning Center

PHOTO BY DAVID RAINER

The UniversiTy of AlAbAmA oUTdoor leArning CenTer continued

PHOTO BY DAVID RAINER

The UniversiTy of AlAbAmA oUTdoor leArning CenTer continued