The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association, ALBBAA, on Monday announced Weston Lowery as the winner of its 14th annual Big Gobbler Photo Contest.
The winning image was taken on the second day of Alabama’s 2026 wild turkey season.
Lowery, a freshman at McKenzie High School, harvested a tom sporting 1-inch spurs and an 11½-inch beard, earning him the top spot in contest.
The winning photo, submitted by his mother to the 2026 Big Gobbler Photo Contest, quickly became a fan favorite, earning more than 2,200 online votes, more than double the total of the next closest entry.
As this year’s grand prize winner, Lowery took home an outdoor prize package that included a $100 gift card, Thermacell mosquito repellent, a gun-cleaning kit and a copy of “Black Belt Bounty,” a coffee table book showcasing hunting, fishing and outdoor traditions of Alabama’s Black Belt region. He also received a Buckmasters prize pack featuring a hat, Buck knife and a one-year subscription to Buckmasters Magazine.
The contest showcased hunters of all ages. Finishing second was 8-year-old Fischer Blake Evans of Barbour County with a photo celebrating his first turkey harvest, while 8-year-old Manning Adams earned third place with a youth weekend entry from Lowndes County.
Weston Lowery, a student at McKenzie High School in Butler County, received the most online votes to win the 2026 Big Gobbler Photo Contest.
“We are grateful for everyone who entered this year’s contest and for everyone who cast online votes,” said ALBBAA Director Pam Swanner. “It’s true that hunters flock to the Black Belt from all over the country to enjoy our abundant hunting opportunities, and the contest helps our organization fulfill its mission to educate the public about all of the incredible natural resources found in Alabama’s 23-county Black Belt region.”
“It’s especially gratifying to know that a teenager won this year’s contest,” Swanner added, “because young hunters will become the conservation leaders in the future.”
The Black Belt includes the following 23 counties: Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Crenshaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Russell, Sumter, Tuscaloosa and Wilcox.
