By DAVID RAINER, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Although he may rank in the stratosphere among his peers after receiving the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Guy Bradley Award earlier this year, Michael “Matt” Weathers prefers to keep his feet firmly grounded in Alabama’s fertile soil.
Weathers, the Law Enforcement Section Chief with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division, became the first officer from Alabama to receive the prestigious award that recognizes his contributions to wildlife law enforcement in honor of Florida Game Warden Guy Bradley. In 1905, Bradley was the first wildlife enforcement officer killed while performing his duties of protecting wildlife. The award was established in 1988 to recognize the officers who have made outstanding lifetime contributions to wildlife enforcement, wildlife forensics and investigative techniques.
Instead of highlighting his contributions to enforcement efforts, Weathers wants to shine the spotlight on his Law Enforcement Section staff of about 150 employees, including about 130 Conservation Enforcement Officers (CEOs).
“I was honored and shocked I had been nominated for the award,” Weathers said. “It was meant to be a surprise. It certainly was. It’s an honor, but it doesn’t speak directly to me. It speaks more to the team that I’m a part of and that the accomplishments of our Section are impressive enough to garner an award. It really isn’t me. It’s a combination of the folks I work with every day and the officers who have made the programs we’re involved in the successes they are.”
Weathers said he wouldn’t have been considered for the award had it not been for the success of the programs and a deliberate effort to change the public perception of the CEOs and enforcement programs.
“I’m thankful for the team I have been a part of,” he said. “We have been really successful in initiating and creating new programs and improving programs we’ve had for years. We’re getting so much more contact with the public than what we once had.”
Some of the programs that constitute the day-in and day-out duties of the Enforcement Section not only include robust enforcement protecting the state’s wildlife resources but also Hunter Education Unit, Captive Wildlife Unit and numerous training programs. These specialty units and programs complete tasks like public shooting range and community archery park operation, inspection and licensing of captive held wildlife in the state and outreach programs benefitting all Alabamians.
Speaking of public shooting ranges, the Law Enforcement Section will again hold Night Vision/Thermal Open Range Nights at two public shooting ranges this year. These events are opportunities for the public to bring night vision and/or thermal sight-equipped firearms for a night of shooting.
“We have had strong demand for it since the first one,” Weathers said of open range nights. “We get phone calls every week about it. There are not a lot of places to shoot in the first place and very few places that will allow you to come out there and shoot at night. It is a good way to better use our ranges and give the public something there is a demand for. The goal of the open range nights is to give those people who plan to hunt the state’s special nighttime feral swine and coyote season a place to go and become familiar with their equipment in a safe environment.”
Swan Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Public Shooting Range will hold these night-shooting events from 8 p.m. until midnight on July 13 and October 5 at 18936 Harris Station Road, Tanner, AL 35671. Cahaba WMA Public Shooting Range will hold these events during the same time period on July 20 and October 12 at 3956 Coalmont Road, Helena, AL 35114. WFF firearms instructors will staff the range to ensure the event is safe for all who attend. There is no charge for the events, but attendees are required to have a Hunting License or Wildlife Heritage License, which allows access to all WFF-operated shooting ranges for the entire license year.
“The open range nights are just one example of an overall effort to engage with the public and make them better acquainted with Conservation Enforcement Officers and the programs that the Department of Conservation and Natural resources has to offer,” Weathers said. “Our officers are constantly busy and constantly in contact with the public to become better known in the community. When you consider that only between 3% and 4% of Alabama citizens are engaged in hunting and 10% in fishing, the vast majority of our population won’t have a chance to interact with our staff or really understand what they do for every Alabamian regardless of whether or not they hunt or fish. Our outreach programs are the best vehicle to make our agency known to everyone.”
