Historically, Alabamans loved to hunt.
They hunted everything: birds, big game, small game. For generations of Alabamans, dove and quail hunting was a fall ritual followed by squirrel and deer seasons in the late fall, duck and waterfowl seasons, and rabbit and turkey seasons in the spring. Wild hogs and coyotes can be legally hunted 365 days a year. While game continues to abound, there are fewer hunters than ever.
Various factors influence hunting, from connection to the land to the price of food. While many younger Alabamans have fewer memories of exploring fields and forests, inflation in food prices has made hunting more economically beneficial in decades. But even if they wanted to, more and more Alabamans don’t even know how to hunt.
That’s where Hunting 101 stepped in.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (AECNR) Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) has addressed this need by offering its Hunting 101 Workshops. Participants learn to hunt through the Adult Mentored Hunt (AMH) Program. from Alabama. The program teaches all the skills necessary to bring wild game to the table and help start new traditions.
Alabamians can get started in the AMH program simply by signing up for a Hunting 101 workshop.
“Hunting 101 is open to anyone interested in learning to hunt,” said Brandon Holloway, Conservation Compliance Officer and WFF Regional R3 (Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation) Coordinator. “Our hope is that participants leave the experience with the skills and confidence necessary to have a successful hunt on their own or with a hunting partner.”
The program is designed for anyone with little or no hunting experience. The one-day workshops are held at various Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) throughout the state and provide participants with the opportunity to learn the basics of hunting, firearms safety and handling, where hunt and what equipment is needed.
Immediately following the workshops, participants are encouraged to put their newfound small game hunting skills to use at the WMA with the help of experienced mentors.
Registration for Hunting 101 is now open. The first workshop of the 2022-2023 season will take place at the Swan Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) near Decatur on September 24. There is a $20 registration fee for each workshop.
Click here to learn more about the AMH program or sign up for a workshop.
Workshop participants must be at least 19 years of age and possess a valid driver’s license. Attending Hunting 101 is a prerequisite for eligibility to participate in a three-day AMH deer or turkey hunt. Workshop attendees will be notified by email if they have been randomly selected for an AMH hunt.
Workshops will also be held:
A Turkey Hunting 101 workshop is also scheduled for February 25, 2023, at the William R. Ireland-Cahaba River WMA near Birmingham.
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