As Alabama’s 2023 turkey season begins, the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association (ALBBAA) is reminding hunters to enter the 11th annual Big Gobbler Photo Contest.

The contest is designed to showcase Alabama’s Black Belt, which is widely regarded as one of America’s best areas for wild turkey hunting, while also highlighting seasoned and new hunters. The winner of this year’s contest will receive a collectible trumpet call that is hand-turned, numbered (only 200 made) and signed by Preston Pittman and Ron Jolly.

“Springtime in Alabama’s Black Belt signals turkey season has finally arrived, and hunters eagerly take to the woods in search of the elusive black beard gobbler,” said Pam Swanner, executive director of the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association. “If you’re looking to enjoy the thrill associated with pursuing the largest game bird in North America, the Black Belt is the perfect place to be. Our region also boasts stunning natural beauty and incredible local establishments for food, drinks and fellowship before or after your hunt.”

Alabama’s 2023 spring wild turkey season began with a youths-only hunting weekend March 18-19. Turkey season in most areas of Alabama begins Saturday, March 25, and runs through May 8.

This year’s Big Gobbler Photo Contest, conducted on the ALBBAA website, begins March 25. Voting runs through Friday, May 12, to allow time for any photos submitted near the end of the hunting season.

Here are the contest rules and guidelines:

To enter the contest, hunters must upload, through the ALBBAA website, a photo of a turkey harvested during the 2023 spring wild turkey season from within the 23-county Black Belt region. The winner of the contest is selected exclusively through online voting.

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

Visitors to the contest webpage may vote once per day, per entry, per IP address. In the case of any dispute, the decision of ALBBAA officials is final. Photo contest winners from recent years are not eligible for entry.

The ALBBAA reserves the right to disapprove a submitted photo. Cause for disqualification of a photo can include, but is not limited to, the following:

• The photo content presents the subject in an unethical or disrespectful composition.
• The photo content is perceived to cast a negative perception of hunters and their contribution to the management of wildlife.
• A voting violation imposes an unfair advantage to others.

All sportsmen and sportswomen are reminded to purchase a hunting license online through the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources before heading afield.

The original uncropped photo submitted for the 2022 Big Gobbler Contest featuring Mary Elizabeth Kyser in Hale County. (contributed)

Only photos of turkeys harvested in the Black Belt during the 2023 season are eligible, including any gobblers taken during the youths-only hunting weekend.

“We hope hunters will participate in the Big Gobbler Contest and showcase the amazing turkey hunting in the Black Belt,” Swanner said.

Alabama has one of the longest wild turkey seasons in the country. Hunters are allowed to harvest a maximum of four turkeys, gobblers only, during the combined fall and spring seasons. Hunters are limited to one gobbler per day. Decoys are allowed only in the spring season but are prohibited during the first 10 days of the season. In addition, mechanical decoys are illegal in Alabama.

Each bird harvest must be recorded within 48 hours to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR). Hunters are reminded to comply with all game laws.

The ALBBAA promotes and encourages ethical hunting and fishing practices. The Big Gobbler Photo Contest is designed to further educate the public on the abundance of natural resources found in Alabama’s Black Belt region.

“We recognize that turkey season provides a prime opportunity for families and young people to enjoy the outdoors and create lifelong memories,” Swanner said, “and that’s why we invite you to visit the Black Belt as the weather warms this spring.”