ALABAMA OUTDOORS

News on hunting, fishing and outdoor living in Alabama

The T-H Marine team of pro anglers Steve Kennedy of Auburn and Brent Crow of Hartselle, with teammates Bill Huntley and Charles Perkins Jr., surged into the lead after the second day of the PAA Corporate Cup on Pickwick Lake.

They are among the final 12 teams fishing today for a shot at $100,000. A pro and non-pro are pared and the four anglers combine their weight. The final weigh-in begins at 5 p.m. at McFarland Park in Florence and is free, along with an outdoors expo all day.

T-H Marine had 32.13 pounds for a total of 60.39 pounds.

United States Attorney Jim M. Greenlee announced today that Joshua Lee Garrison of Dundee, Mississippi, pled guilty in federal court in Oxford to killing a bald eagle on November 11, 2007 in Tunica County, Mississippi, in violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Violation of the Act carries with it maximum possible penalties for a first offense of one year in prison and a $100,000.00 fine.

A ruling in Louisiana about flood waters, navigable waterways and access to fish -- and, presumably, hunt -- on private lands apparently will stand for now after the Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

Here's the nutshell: Louisiana anglers were continually arrested in one of the parishes for fishing in what landowners said were private waters after flooding allowed access to new areas. The anglers were not prosecuted and arguments reigned about private vs. public access. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of landowners and the Supreme Court refused to consider further appeals.

B.A.S.S. writers Andy Crawford, who lives in Louisiana, and Senior Editor Ken Duke have been on top of the issue, along with the B.A.S.S. conservation staff.

The late John Powell of Montgomery, one of the pioneers of professional bass fishing, will be formally inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame during ceremonies at the 2009 Bassmaster Classic in Louisiana.

Powell is one of five inductees in the new class approved by the hall's board of directors. The other inductees are Irwin Jacobs of Minnesota, the late Tim Tucker of Florida, Woo Daves of Virginia and Steve Price of Texas.

Plano Molding Company has signed on as a sponsor for bass fishing, the latest sport sanctioned as a varsity event by the Illinois High School Association.

The legendary tackle company is not the first sponsor to help the IHSA's latest sport, but it is the first fishing-related company to do so.

SpecialTurner and Tori Appleton of Huntsville were all smiles after Turner's first successful squirrel hunting trip with their father, Chad.

Last year's miss lingered long enough for Turner Appleton to make good this year with his .410 when squirrel season opened last weekend in Alabama.

Turner and his father, Chad, had a successful hunt on some TVA property in the county. The big fox squirrel was Turner's first.

Squirrel and other small game seasons continue through Feb. 28.

This year, see what happens when amateur photographers take off their caps - and let the world revolve around their lenses.

Now through January, the collection of winning images from the 2008 Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest will travel the state, highlighting the best in Alabama's natural beauty.

These spectacular color photographs were all taken in Alabama, by amateur photographers, within the last two years. Plants and animals in the photos are all native. The winners represent seven categories, including: scenic/pictorial, birds, mammals, reptiles/amphibians/fish, other wildlife, nature-based recreation, and flora.

The second major birding event of the fall (after the recent migration count) comes this Sunday. It's The Big Sit founded by the New Haven, Conn., Bird Club and sponsored nationally by the magazine Bird Watcher's Digest.

The big what?

It's called "The Big Sit" because birders who participate (it's open to anyone and there's no fee) must confine themselves to a specific 17-foot-diameter circle from 12:01 a.m. Sunday until midnight.

Birders can come and go during the 24-hour period - and usually do. Weather, of course, can play a part.

The major Big Sit in North Alabama occurs on the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge under the direction of Refuge Project Leader Dwight Cooley.

Last year, the Wheeler's Big Sit counted 84 species. That was the highest in Alabama, the second highest among the national wildlife refuges (which embrace the event) and good enough for the top 10 in the country. That's an impressive accomplishment, especially in view of the fact that Cooley did most of this by himself. (I helped for a couple of hours.)

If you want to take part, the Wheeler event will be on the west end of White Springs Dike. So bring whatever you may want to eat or drink - and perhaps a bag chair and a hat for the sun.

Courtesy of Cooley, here are directions:

"Access to the site will be through the second refuge gate east of Day Park, not the one directly across from the Park. Because you can only access the gate from Alabama 20 east, anyone coming from the east or north should travel to the Decatur Boat Harbor and turn back north on U.S. 31/Alabama 20, taking Alabama 20 to the gate. The gate will be closed, but unlocked. After carefully exiting from Alabama 20, just open the gate, drive through, close the gate behind you and follow the dike road to the site. There will be a refuge vehicle parked there."

If you want to know more, visit www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/funbirds/bigsit