By DAVID RAINER, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
The spring turkey season in Alabama is fast approaching, and some confusion exists on the dates of the Special Youth Hunt that precedes opening day of the regular season.
Marianne Gauldin of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division said this year’s opening day of the regular season falls on a Monday. That means the Special Youth Hunt will be on the Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding the opening day.
For Zones 1 and 3, where the regular turkey season is set for March 25 through May 8, the Special Youth Hunt will be March 23-24. The Special Disabled Hunt is scheduled for March 24. In Zone 2, the spring turkey season is April 1 through May 8, which means the Special Youth Hunt will be March 30-31, and the Special Disabled Hunt will be March 31.
Gauldin reminds hunters who pursue the Eastern wild turkey on Alabama’s wildlife management areas (WMAs) to become familiar with all the regulations regarding the WMAs.
“It’s important for WMA users to understand there is a WMA regulation in addition to the rules listed on the maps of the individual WMAs,” she said. “The regulation extends to all WMAs, and all WMA users should read the regs on the map and also be familiar with the WMA regulation (www.outdooralabama.com/WMARules).”
Gauldin said WMA users need to adhere to one older regulation and two new ones that apply to turkey season. Those regs deal with the use of turkey calls during preseason scouting, the use of certain game cameras and the use of drones.
The existing regulation states it is unlawful to possess or use any wild turkey calls to mimic sounds made by wild turkeys from March 1 until the opening day of youth turkey seasons and from the close of youth turkey season to the opening day of physically disabled turkey season or regular turkey season opening day on WMAs with turkey seasons.
One of the new regs states that it is unlawful for any unauthorized person to possess or use any game camera/device capable of monitoring remotely and/or capable of automatically transmitting photos and/or videos from March 1 through May 31 on any WMA without first obtaining written permission from WFF.
Also new is the reg that makes it unlawful for any unauthorized person to launch, land or possess or use any unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)/drone on a WMA without first obtaining written permission from WFF.
WFF Director Chuck Sykes said these regulations are used to ensure that everyone who takes advantage of hunting on public land this spring will have equal opportunities.
“We manage 750,000 acres across the state for public hunting opportunities,” said Director Sykes. “You’ve got everything from national forests, where you can hunt every day of the season to WMAs with specific dates and times to SOAs (Special Opportunity Areas), where you get drawn for your own spot for three days and don’t have to worry about anybody else being there. So, there are multiple opportunities for residents and non-residents to hunt public land in Alabama.
“It’s public land. It does get pressured. But there are birds there, so the people who do their homework, study the maps, do their scouting and have patience take birds every year.”
