A group of novice hunters are gathering this weekend at Wehle Nature Center, a public piece of property supported by Alabama’s Forever Wild Land Trust and managed by the State Lands Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR).

A long weekend in Bullock County will include a three-day “Learn to Hunt Experience” designed to promote quail hunting and teach participants about hunting’s role in conservation.

The event is facilitated through a partnership among Quail Forever, the State Lands and Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries divisions of ADCNR, and the Minority Outdoor Alliance (MOA). The 10 participants, who arrived Friday and are staying through Sunday, will learn all aspects of upland hunting, including bird ecology and the basics of hunting with dogs, before taking part in a live-action bird hunt.

“This initiative is designed to offer nationwide experiences in welcoming environments that foster a diverse and empowered community of enthusiasts who share a love for upland birds, bird dogs and habitat conservation,” said Durrell Smith, president of MOA and creator of the Learn to Hunt curriculum.

Ashley Smith, CEO of Minority Outdoor Alliance, emphasized the importance of the Learn to Hunt programs in the organization’s engagement model. “Our engagement model is rooted in the understanding that in order to inspire the desire to protect and conserve our natural resources, it is essential that we provide safe spaces for connection to occur,” she said.

Several organizations are pitching in this weekend for a program introducing a group of novice hunters to upland quail hunting in Alabama’s Black Belt, one of six such events going on around the country. (Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association)

The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association (ALBBAA) assisted with the program on Friday.

“Alabama’s Black Belt offers some of the best hunting available anywhere in America, and it’s wonderful that these hunters will receive this vital training while also enjoying the natural beauty here,” ALBBAA Director Pam Swanner said. “We hope these novice hunters develop a lifelong love for upland hunting and will return to the Black Belt again in the future.”

The Alabama event is one of six around the country, with similar training weekends held in Colorado, Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Carolina. Participants receive both classroom and hands-on training.

Ashley Chance, manager of the Hunting Heritage Program for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, said “hunter numbers have been declining for decades,” leading to a corresponding drop in hunting license sales nationwide. Funding from license sales maintains vital habitat creation and management services necessary to offer recreational hunting opportunities for millions of Americans.

“Fewer hunters means fewer dollars for conservation,” Chance said.

The northern bobwhite quail is struggling to adapt to habitat changes across the Southeast. (David Rainer)

The “Learn to Hunt Experience” is one way Quail Forever and MOA work to recruit new hunters from a variety of backgrounds and cultures to help diversify the sporting community. This, in turn, can build a new set of hunters who buy hunting licenses, which then fund management activities.

“With bobwhite quail being on the decline for some time now, some of the culture of quail hunting has been lost,” Chance said. “Bringing new people in and exposing them to upland hunting is critical.”