Regarding the "Random" survey - Given the number of hunters in Alabama, a random sample of less than 5% should result in someone getting a survey once every 20 years. I've had a lifetime license for 30 years, and an annual for 8 years before that, and never received a survey card. Never met anyone else who did either.
If someone is getting then almost every year, the survey ain't random, and the state must be cherry picking the data for some reason.
I’m 48 never got 1 either, never even knew there was such a thing until my then 17 year old son got 1, then he got another one 2 years later. That was 3 years ago.
Let me edit that. I never knew if I got 1. I probably would have consider it junk mail just from the return address and thrown it away so I might have gotten one and just not known it. I got called for jury duty 3 months after I turned 18 but not since then. So I guess there is some randomness to it.
