I got a reply to my questions I posed to the Commissioner of the state of Alabama from Jerry de Bin
Chief, Information & Education, which I think is bureaucratic lingo for PR flak.

Chuck,

Thanks for taking time to email Commissioner Lawley with questions about the Conservation Advisory Board. I am pleased to respond to your questions as follows.

Q. Do CAB members consider the wishes of Alabama sportsmen?
A. Yes. It is important to remember that Alabama law only authorizes the Conservation Commissioner to promulgate regulations, with “advice” from the CAB and input from other internal and external sources. CAB members represent their diverse constituency in the process of advising the Conservation Commissioner on seasons & bag limits and other DCNR policies/regulations.

of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources requesting some information on CAB (Alabama Conservation Advisory Board)

I run two blogs here in Alabama. One is redneckin where I take shots at local and Alabama politicians in between running my mouth about fishing and hunting. The other is "The Rabbit Journal which is concerned with hunting rabbits with beagles.

One of my main concerns is the prospect that the big game hunters on the CAB are more interested in Deer and Turkey at the expense of small game, such as expanding the deer season into February.

Do the members of CAB take into consideration the wishes of Alabama Sportsmen?

Will a move towards antler restrictions and permits (one would assume lowering the number of deer taken in Alabama each year) lead to more traffic accidents because of a population increase?

Since my only concern with deer in Alabama is a few meat deer to eat each year, why do I need to manage our private lease to benefit others who want to hunt trophies?

Do the CAB members have email address's available to the public?

Since the CAB is an appointed body, are they answerable to anybody (meaning the public of Alabama)?

Is there anyway to contact the members of the Board for potential interviews concerning their stands on issues that effect all sportsmen of Alabama?

Is anything being done to keep the middle class or poor from being priced out of hunting besides the rather limited Forever Wild, which would be to the detriment of hunting in general, since many would start voting with the anti's if they don't have a stake in the sport

Looking forward to your responses and hopefully with a method of contacting the CAB members

Chuck over at The Rabbit Journal/ redneckin

I'll post his reply when/if he does

or the CAB.

Governor Riley has appointed another big game hunter, Dr. Warren Strickland, a Huntsville cardiologist, to the CAB. Of course the AP brings race to the story when none applies.

Instead I'm worried, as usual, about the influence of Deer and turkey hunters on Alabama game laws and seasons.
Oh, by the way, Dr. Stricland, supports antler restrictions and wants a permit season,,, like we don't have enough of the dang sage maggots anyway. Just ask one of the vehicle insurance companies

are at the vet having been spayed today. I hope that they don't hold it against me. Maizie and Dixie were happy like they were off to some great adventure. Julie, however, refused to meet my eyes and stayed in the corner of the holding pen when I left. Only the vet's cats really looked nervous as well they should. The hounds like cats and announced the fact rather loudly when the first strolled past. They say they taste just like chicken.

Now, I just need a six month old pup or two. Anybody got one they want to get rid of?

Now about the blog. I started to start a new one with it's own page for 05-06 but I only have two data bases on this site. Should I blow my last one or just change the page appearance and keep on keeping on?

Update. I've decided to keep this page going for the 05-06 Journal

According to Bryan Brasher in the Downtown Columbus Paper, the Alabama Conservation Advisory Board elected not to vote on deer extension. Does that mean we are out of the woods? No, all it means is that the CAB decided not to vote on matters not discussed at the previous months meeting. Now that they have discussed it, they are free to vote oat the next meeting. Please call to voice your objection and contact your Alabama legislative

if this unannounced meeting and vote goes through the way the deer hunters wish.
This group, the Conservation Advisory Board (CAB) needs to be reigned in. It altered both the use of decoys and the uses of crossbows without public notification of the vote. This time there has been no talk of extending the deer season beyond this vague mention in February.
It's hard enough to find land to hunt that is not tied up in deer leases as it is. This could make the rabbit season, in reality, only two weeks long at the most.

It's time to contact your Alabama State Represntative and let him know where you stand. You ladies that don't hunt and are married to men who deer hunt might want to contact them to. This plan could not only destroy rabbit hunting it could destroy hunting in general as the deer hunters will lose my support and vote on matters that concern them.

This is a good Saturday contact number

DIVISION OF WILDLIFE
AND FRESHWATER FISHERIES
(334) 242-3465

More contact numbers are here

A light misting rain escorted us out to the property past the Dixie, Alabama community where we were going to close out the 04-05 rabbit season. Brag and Tiny decided to lay out of work for the last hunt to join Cuz, Rye and myself, rimfire.

The dogs jumped as soon as we let them out of their boxes near the old farm house amid the planted pines on the former pasture land. It was a long race with the five hunters jockeying for position. It was wetter than the inside of a cloud in the planted pines and I was soaking wet when I fired a shot at the bunny streaking through a briar patch. Julie cast an accusing eye as she followed the unhurt rabbit toward where cuz waited. A shot rang out followed shortly by the sounds of silence as the dogs shutup….only to open back up. Cuz told me later that it looked just like Julie gave him the dirtiest look as she went by. Heh, welcome to the club.
The dogs ran him for almost an hour and a half before Brag knocked him down.

By lunch the score was Cuz 1
Rimefire 0
Brag 2
Tiny 0
Rye 0