Professional Documents
Culture Documents
in this issue...
EDITOR:
Warren Hinson
PUBLISHER:
Brent-Wyatt West ARTICLES
601 Interstate Park Drive
Montgomery, Alabama 36109
President’s Corner....................................................................................... 3
SALES OFFICES:
Bryan Elkins, Sr. Notes From The Trenches.......................................................................... 5
Jim Downing
601 Interstate Park Drive Mr. Bill Perryman Receives Lifetime Service Award..................................... 7
Montgomery, Alabama 36109
(334) 213-6229 Old Fashioned Fisherman Shares Fresh Tips.............................................. 9
Venison Chili............................................................................................. 71
The ACE Magazine is the official publication of the Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officer Association.
Purchase of advertising space does not entitle the advertisers to any privileges or favors from members. The
ACE Magazine does not assume responsibility for statements of fact or opinion made by any contributor. This
magazine is created and produced by Brent-Wyatt West. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
ACE Magazine 1
Mr. Bill Perryman
Receives Lifetime
Service Award
A CEOA was joined by officers from Wilcox County to
recognize Mr. Bill Perryman for his lifelong service to
the officers of Wilcox County, the Conservation
Department, and the State of Alabama. Mr. Perryman
has helped officers in Wilcox County for more than
twenty years. At the request of Officer Dan Quincy and
the recommendation of Capt. Kenny Blalock; ACEOA
awarded Mr. Perryman a lifetime service award and an
honorary membership in ACEOA. Mr. Bill with Capt. Blalock and CEO Dan Quincey.
ACEOA along with Officer Dan Quincy and his wife
Jackie held a dinner and presented Mr. Perryman his Through his service to the officers of our department
award. Officer Quincy coordinated the event and made Mr. Perryman earned a great deal of respect and admira-
sure that it was a surprise to Mr. Perryman. tion. Mr. Perryman tirelessly supported the officers in
Current and former officers from Wilcox County were Wilcox County as well as the mission that they undertake.
in attendance as well as Mr. and Mrs. Perryman along We are proud to have been in the company of such a
with family members. great gentleman. l
Our deepest sympathy to the family of Mr. William (Bill) Perryman. Our prayers are
with his beloved wife and family. In honor of Mr. Perryman, ACEOA has established
The William (Bill) Perryman Award to be given annually to a deserving person who
possesses the standards and dedication to the conservation department that Mr.
Perryman exemplified in his service to the Conservation Officers in Wilcox County.
tomed to that. You obviously can’t put tap water out of a Especially in the spring of the year, Mosley gives the
commercial well on them because the chlorine will kill fish the opportunity to hit artificial baits, as well.
them. Water out of natural well is OK, but I always use the “I fish the small tube jigs, and small Beetle Spins are
water out of the branch I catch the bait out of.” productive in the spring of the year in shallow water,” he
When Mosley launches his boat, he goes on a “milk run” said. “But I don’t go without a bucket of minnows. I’ve
to the spots that have produced for him over the decades. been out there when they wouldn’t hit anything but a
“Probably 20 percent of the water holds 90 percent of minnow. That may be because I concentrate more on
the fish,” he said. “You learn these places that are produc- minnows. That’s my mainstay.”
tive. That’s what I concentrate on. I look for structure. If And to maximize his efficiency on the water, there are
you’re fishing in the river, you look for a good tree top – always around a dozen ready-to-fish jugs in the bottom of
oak or hickory that’s been there for some time. The leaves the boat.
are all off and the branches are clean. Water depth, espe- “I might throw out a dozen jugs and let them fish for
cially in the river, is important. If you can find treetops up catfish while I’m catching crappie,” Mosley said. “Those
on a shelf, which was the old river bank before they built small catfish are hard to beat when they’re fried right.”
the Coffeeville Lock and Dam, that’s ideal. Mosley said he doesn’t really understand why some
“Fish feed out of the deep water into the shallow. fishermen launch their fancy rigs and run miles and miles
They’re coming out of 30 feet of water into 15. That’s my before they wet a hook.
favorite spot, especially in the fall of the year.” “They’re passing some of the best fishing there is,” he
Current has a great deal to do with where Mosley said. “That’s my opinion, but I don’t think you need to run
fishes. 15-20 miles to fish.
“When I’m fishing the river, you don’t want much cur- “The main thing is to find fish close by and concen-
rent,” he said. “Otherwise you can’t fish because you stay trate on that. That’s the way I operate. I don’t know a lot,
hung up. The current will wrap you up in the structure. but I catch enough to feed my family and share with my
Calmer water is best. neighbors.” l
“I fish sloughs in the spring of the year when the water
temperature rises. The fish come out of the river in the Visit www.outdooralabama.com to learn more about the
shallower water into the lakes to spawn. That’s when you Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources or to read previous columns by David Rainer.
catch them in 2-4 feet of water.”
En c o Co n struc tio n
EAGLE WHOLESALE Co m pan y
SUPPLY
Love, Respect, Patience and Persistence –
LAMBERT
Turkey hunting is often done the same way on the
Outdoor Channel and other popular outdoor channels.
The wild turkey deserves better. He is much too wise,
hunting a dead turkey. This did not bother me. I kept
Center, Inc.
day after other business is done, he will return to the place to hunt him. If I could choose only one species to hunt
where he heard that hen. I just don’t have the patience to forever, my choice would be the Eastern Wild Turkey not
General Contracting
do this but sometimes that is what it takes. No matter how for my successes but for my failures. He is formidable,
hard ‘get up and go’ is pulling at you, stay put. I guess this keen, alert and truly a remarkable bird.
215 Cr. Rd 485 • Hanceville, AL 35077
is a strategy in a way and I said I was not teaching strat- I would encourage P.O. Boxto361
anyone learn to hunt this bird. I
egy. Patience is a key prerequisite for turkey hunting. Jackson,
would also encourage themAL 36545
to learn to love and respect
256-734-0280
I often get into trouble with my persistence while turkey him. Hunt him with patience, and persistence. Hunt him
251-847-2129
hunting. I find myself hunting the same bird way too often. fairly. He deserves it. l
More Blaze were eager to be a part of this project and approved fund-
ing without hesitation. We met Blaze at our last board
meeting. Chief Craig Hill and Blaze’s handler were very
by Rusty Morrow, ACEOA Executive Director
appreciative of our donation. We were proud to be one of
M & H Tool
& Die, Inc.
416 West Grand Avenue
Rainbow City, AL 35906
256-442-6795
George W. Hall, MD
3719 Dauphin St. • Suite 102
Mobile, AL 36608
251-344-1502
(L-R) Associate D4 Director Grady Myers, State ACEOA President Chris Jaworowski, Chief Executive Director of Iron Men
Ministries Rick Murphy, ACEOA Executive Director Rusty Morrow, ACEOA Administrative Assistant Gayle Morrow.
A Gopher Tortoise heads back to its burrow, where it may find company in a variety of animals,
including the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.
The ACE Magazine 51
Board Outlawing Practice of “Gassing” Rattlesnakes – continued
eastern indigo snake has not been reported in the wild since Avery Bates, a five-generation commercial fisherman
the 1950s. There is a long-term project underway to re- from the Bayou La Batre area, said the current economic
establish the eastern indigo snake in Alabama. If the prac- crisis makes it unconscionable to consider restricting
tice of gassing continues, it could undermine our efforts.” commerce along the Gulf Coast.
Guyer said it’s harder to determine how much the “Why would anybody, in this day and time, want to put
“gassing” affects the gopher tortoise, a protected species anybody out of work when it’s so important to keep – not
in Alabama. “When you gas a burrow, the snakes can only keep five generations but 20 generations of fisher-
easily leave,” Guyer said. “The tortoise is reluctant to men – producing good, sound, healthy food from our
leave. Gas does bad things to lung tissue. This is a very waters,” said Bates, whose point was reiterated by several
serious concern.” representatives of the seafood industry along the Alabama
Board member Dr. Warren Strickland indicated he Gulf Coast.
would make a motion at the March 7 meeting, which will The board was also asked by avid dove hunter Anthony
be held at the Mann Museum at the Montgomery Zoo, to “Skeeter” Fillingim to move Baldwin County into the
ban the practice of “gassing” rattlesnakes. North Zone to allow an earlier season opening. Fillingim
Several speakers, including Edwin Lambert of the said that by the time the South Zone opens in early
Coastal Conservation Association of Alabama, requested October, the doves have scattered or departed due to
the designation of Florida pompano and Spanish mack- migratory patterns.
erel as game fish species, which would prevent commer- Because doves are a migratory species and regulated
cial harvest. by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, any changes to the
Bob Shipp, head of Marine Sciences at the University hunting zones in Alabama would have to be approved by
of South Alabama and vice chairman of the Gulf of the wildlife service. The earliest that could be done would
Mexico Fishery Management Council, said the two spe- be the 2011 season.
cies need game fish status. However, Conservation Commissioner Barnett Lawley
“Florida pompano is a species that has the potential to said a change to the opening dates of the South Zone
be a tremendous asset to our coastal tourism industry,” could achieve the same purpose if the public supports it.
Shipp said. “It is one of the few truly exciting and desir- Because of a board rule that no motion may be voted
able finfish that can be caught directly from shore while on unless discussed at a previous meeting, only propos-
surf fishing. Yet due to over-harvest by net fishermen, als were raised at the February 7th meeting.
first purse seiners and currently Alabama net fishermen, Among the proposals are the 2009-2010 seasons and
their abundance has declined dramatically. bag limits from the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
“Although the gill net ban in Florida has resulted in a Division. One of the changes for the proposed seasons
resurgence of the species along the Florida west coast, and bag limits would increase the unantlered deer season
which appears to have spilled over the Alabama shore- on National Forest Service lands in Calhoun, Clay,
line, a much greater improvement in these stocks could Cleburne, Franklin, Lawrence, Talladega and Winston
result if we banned gill netting of this species and declare counties. Another change would be to expand the alliga-
it a game fish.” tor season in southeast Alabama to include not only Lake
Shipp said results from the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Eufaula but also the rest of Barbour County, as well as
Rodeo indicate a significant decline in recreational Henry, Houston and Russell counties. The season would
catches of Spanish mackerel. also be expanded by seven days.
“As for Spanish mackerel, we have a similar but more John Thomas Jenkins, Director of Marine Police,
recent situation,” he said. “For much of the last century, stated the division has no plans to ask for regulations
Spanish have been abundant and well-managed along concerning a speed limit on Alabama’s waterways or a
the Gulf Coast. However, for the past several years, the 100-foot, no-wake zone from the shorelines.
commercial harvest has increased from several hundred- Board member Dr. Wayne May also said he is working
thousand pounds to nearly a million pounds.” on a motion that would refine the definition of certain
Philip West, representing the City of Orange Beach, aspects of the supplemental feeding regulations currently
asked for a buffer zone along the Gulf shore line around in effect. l
Orange Beach.
“Close to five million people visit the Alabama Visit www.outdooralabama.com for more information about
beaches each year and spend upwards of $1 billion,” the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources or to read previous columns by David Rainer.
West said. “We’re there to sell an experience. We believe
the proximity of that (gill netting) practice detracts from
that experience.”
The ACE Magazine 53
Gulf Coast Agencies Mount Massive
Search and Recovery Effort
by Lt. Scott Bannon, Alabama Marine Resources Enforcement
rain with limited searchers. Lt. Ryan Bennett of the around, phones began to ring with the news that it was
Alabama Marine Police showed up at the Command over. The mood took an immediate change; no one was
Center with news that a boat with two duck hunters sank celebrating the death of a child but celebrating the ability
near Point Aux Pines and they were in the water. With for a family torn apart by tragedy to move on. AMRD had
three boats able to get underway quickly, the men were put in almost 700 man hours, 300 boat hours and 24
recovered within ten minutes of the call. Both went to the hours on ATV’s now it was over.
hospital suffering from hypothermia, one was in near Saturday, day nineteen, the final chapter to the tragic
critical condition. story of four small children and the Officers of AMRD
On any given day, the nearest help would have been an was the funeral. With little family in the area, the mother
AMRD officer or the U.S. Coast Guard and both of them had asked if some of the officers involved in the search
would have taken nearly 45 minutes to reach the area. could serve as pallbearers. Representatives from Mobile
Was this the reason number four had not been found? County Sheriff’s Office, Bayou La Batre Police Department,
Sunday, day thirteen was coming to a close. Boats Dauphin Island Police Department and the Marine
were being pulled from the water, volunteers were grum- Resources Division were chosen.
bling about having to go to work and not continue even The day was ironic; four small children that brought so
the Salvation Army, who had supplied hot food and many people together through tragedy and spent the
drinks for two weeks, discussed not being able to return.
10ad1
final time of their lives in the water were going to their
The AMRD officers knew they would have to start cutting final resting place in the pouring down rain. The day
back hours to handle other issues. The mood was som- ended with the family providing a meal for all of the
ber; number four had not been located.
En c o Co n struc tio n
people who had given so much to bring closure.
EAGLE WHOLESALE
Was she nearby but had just been overlooked, had she
traveled to the Mississippi/Louisiana area or is she in the
Sunday, day twenty-one, the officers of the Alabama
Co m pan y
Marine Resources Enforcement Division begin a new
SUPPLY
Gulf of Mexico where there is very little traffic this time of week. What is in store for the future? Nobody can predict
year? The questions were endless. Then a call came that what events may occur but the officers of AMRD know
the body of a small female child had been found off the P.O.phone
that if and when that Boxrings
310029the “Fish cops” will be
P.O.ofBox
coast 815
south Louisiana, nearly a hundred miles away. prepared to act.Enterprise,
Prepared toALhelp36331
do what they can to
Cheers of joy were heard, hugs and handshakes went
Athens, AL 35612 601-759-3546 make it better. 334-347-8448 l
New Marine Police Recruits Sworn In — Photo by Mit Fontaine — (L-R) Director Jenkins, Rod MacLeroy,
Bart Lindsey, Willie Thornton, and Thomas Bobo.
The ACE Magazine 67
Venison Chili
by David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
the county. Prior to deer season in 1983, I completed the was there, below the dam in his state boat. He had his
academy and returned to Lowndes County for good. shirt off and was snatching for fish on the short wall
It was obvious that we were not very popular because between the floodgates and the powerhouse.
of the former Lowndes County officers. Fortunately, According to the rules dictated by Montgomery office,
things got better once the people of Lowndes County met we had to see Billy Bob place the nets. If we did not and
us and saw that we were in this for the long haul. It still found the nets in his state boat, he could say that he
was very difficult. pulled them up and they were illegal nets. Billy Bob knew
This probably should be in Part II of my stories; but it this, too. Remember, I said he was smart.
seems to be an ideal spot to elaborate on the problems Lt. Virgil Randolph had dropped off Mike and Byron
we encountered during the early days. that afternoon and went to a pre-determined hiding spot
Keith and I were patrolling an area in North Lowndes with his vehicle. After dark, Billy Bob had tied to the
County and encountered two individuals we suspected black buoys below the dam. We were convinced the nets
shooting doves off power lines on a public road. Unable were tied to the buoys. Radio traffic was limited. We had
to make a good arrest, we released the subjects with a borrowed radios from another agency so that Billy Bob
verbal warning. They immediately informed us that they could not monitor our traffic. Remember, he had the
had ridden with the prior disposed officers and would be same radios we used. Finally, we felt like we had him.
interested in riding with us and help us in the county. We Yeah, sure!
simply informed them that we did not allow riders and we For some unknown reason, Lt. Randolph left his loca-
would learn on our own. They informed us that Lowndes tion and was spotted by the Statesville lookouts. They
County was a rough county and told us to be careful. went to the fishing pier below the lock & dam and flashed
I give you this information because this was the first their lights. Billy Bob left the buoys and motored to the
negative contact we had made. Maybe it was coincidental. pier. He spoke to his lookouts and returned to the buoys.
Shortly after this contact, someone began tacking (square We believe he cut his nets and headed down river.
roofing nails) in our driveways. Keith and I spent several Keith and I watched him go past us in his boat. We
days getting to the Montgomery warehouse to replace went to the lock & dam and began dragging for the nets.
tires. We had the local Police Chief in Hayneville watching Because the generators were on, the nets disappeared
our residences but they were watching him and managed down river quickly.
to get us when he wasn’t there. Fortunately, the ware- Billy Bob obviously took his boat out at Steele’s
house had more tires than our friends had roofing nails. Landing and returned to the lock & dam searching for us.
In the early years, Keith and his family rented a house We observed him climbing on the top of the restrooms at
in Hayneville. Gayle, Kelli and I moved to Lowndesboro the fishing area looking for our observation points. He
and later built a home there. Requirements by the depart- even called me on the radio. I did not answer.
ment back then required us to be on the Hayneville tele- We were so close to closing this chapter on our “bad
phone exchange and could pretty much dictate where we apple,” but it didn’t happen. This detail had been compro-
lived in the county. These restrictions have now eased. mised and we knew we would not get this opportunity
In the spring of 1984, we received help from two young again. He was just too smart to do this again in this area.
and aggressive officers in Perry County. They offered to I close this “early years” chapter with just a short state-
help us work details to apprehend Billy Bob. Mike Nichols ment. Conservation Enforcement Officers are entrusted
and Byron Smith were our new recruits in this very diffi- with a great deal of responsibility. We often go places
cult situation. We had received information that Billy Bob other officers are not allowed to go. We are given greater
was working with a group of commercial fishermen in powers and our officers know this and are very careful
Statesville and operated out of Steele’s Landing on the not to abuse this power.
Autauga County side of the river. Every agency has had officers who abused their law
Night vision scopes were new; but we had acquired one enforcement power. Because of the turmoil in Lowndes
through another agency. Mike and Byron manned obser- County during my earlier years, it should not negatively
vation points at the Lock & Dam. Keith and I launched our reflect on the department. Our department addressed
boat at Benton and had chase responsibilities. I don’t these problems the best way they could. Their goal was
remember exactly how many nights we spent sitting in to remove these officers who had abused their powers
the mouth of Big Swamp Creek but we were convinced and to learn from these experiences.
this is where the apprehension would be made. Please read in our next issue Chapter II, “The Catch.”
On one of those evenings, Mike and Byron had reached This will be the end of an era as I share some very
the observation point in late afternoon. We were set up in comical events. Please stay tuned.
the creek in our boat. Mike informed us that Billy Bob l
The ACE Magazine 79