Learning to hunt may seem out of reach for those who didn’t grow up with hunting as part of their family experience. Fortunately, Alabama’s Adult Mentored Hunt (AMH) Program teaches all the skills needed to put wild game on the dinner table and help start new traditions. Getting started is as simple as signing up for a Hunting 101 workshop.
The daylong workshops take place at various Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) throughout the state and provide participants with an opportunity to learn hunting basics, firearm safety and handling, where to hunt and the equipment needed. Immediately following the workshops, participants are encouraged to use their new skills by small game hunting on the WMA with assistance from experienced mentors.
The program was designed by the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) for anyone with little to no hunting experience.
Registration for Hunting 101 is currently open. The first workshop of the 2022-2023 season will take place at the Swan Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) near Decatur, Alabama, on Sept. 24. There is a $20 registration fee for each workshop. To learn more about the AMH program or register for a workshop, click here.
“Hunting 101 is open to anyone with an interest in learning how to hunt,” said Brandon Holloway, Conservation Enforcement Officer and Regional R3 (Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation) Coordinator for WFF. “Our hope is that participants walk away from the experience with the skills and confidence needed to have a successful hunt on their own or with a hunting partner.”
To attend a workshop, participants must be at least 19 years of age and possess a valid driver’s license. Attending Hunting 101 is required to become eligible to participate in a three-day AMH hunt for deer or turkey. Workshop attendees will be notified by email if they have been randomly selected for an AMH hunt.
Additional Hunting 101 workshop dates for the 2022-2023 season include Oct. 1 at the William R. Ireland-Cahaba River WMA near Birmingham and October 8 at the Upper Delta WMA near Mobile. A Turkey Hunting 101 workshop is also scheduled for Feb. 25, 2023, at the William R. Ireland-Cahaba River WMA near Birmingham.