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Voting begins on March 25 and ends May 15

The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association (ALBBAA) wants to see your best turkey hunting photos again this year as part of its 12th annual Big Gobbler Photo Contest.

The Association promotes and encourages ethical hunting and fishing practices, and the annual Big Gobbler Photo Contest began on March 25 and runs through May 15. The competition is designed to further educate the public on the abundance of natural resources found in Alabama’s 23-county Black Belt region — Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Crenshaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Russell, Sumter, Tuscaloosa and Wilcox.

“As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, turkey hunters will again take to the woods throughout the Black Belt in search of a long beard gobbler,” said Pam Swanner, director of ALBBAA. “The Black Belt offers some of the very best hunting available anywhere, as well as stunning natural beauty. Add in the incredible food and entertainment scene, and it’s easy to see why so many turkey hunters flock to the Black Belt every spring.”

The winner of the contest will receive a Black Belt Strutter turkey call package, including a custom Alabama Black Belt Adventures edition glass pot call made from locally sourced Demopolis mock orange wood, and an Otis Elite universal gun cleaning kit, courtesy of Black Belt Strutter. The prize package carries a total value of about $300.

Alabama’s 2024 spring wild turkey season officially kicked off over the weekend with events for youth and hunters with disabilities. Turkey season begins Monday, March 25, in most areas of the state and runs through Wednesday, May 8.

To enter the contest, hunters must upload, through the ALBBAA website, a photo of a turkey harvested during the 2024 spring wild turkey season within the 23-county Black Belt region. The winner of the contest is selected exclusively through online voting.

Entries can be submitted and votes cast online on the ALBBAA website – https://alabamablackbeltadventures.org/news-more/shoot-the-black-belt/big-gobbler-photo-contest/

Participants are allowed one entry and must fully complete the online form with the necessary information, including person (or persons) in the photo and the county where the gobbler was harvested.

Hunters are reminded to comply with all game laws, including purchasing a valid hunting license. Licenses can be purchased online through the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR).

In addition, any photo depicting any violation of ADCNR regulations will be disqualified.

Only photos of turkeys harvested in the Black Belt during the 2024 season are eligible for this year’s Big Gobbler Photo Contest.

“It’s always a joy to see photos entered in the Big Gobbler Photo Contest, because they often showcase young hunters bagging their first gobbler or families hunting together,” Swanner said. “We have earned a reputation for having amazing turkey hunting in the Black Belt, and the contest showcases just how great it is.”

For information, go to www.alabamablackbeltadventures.org.