Patoka Sportsman 12-4-21

Patoka Sportsman 12-4 & 12-5-21

Indiana’s Muzzle Loader Season begins this weekend and continues through December 19. If you’re like me and still haven’t harvested your buck yet there’s still time.  The archery and crossbow seasons also continue through Jan. 2.

This has been a very strange year for deer hunting for me and several of my friends.  I have trail cameras out and have watched specific deer for an entire year, sometimes longer than a year.  The last week of October there were 5 or 6 different bucks using the same trail.  The next week nothing.  It’s like they disappeared. No pictures.  No sightings.  I’ve hunted pretty hard during bow and the first week of gun season and have only seen 4 deer from a stand so far!  I’m hoping that will change during the muzzle loader season. There have been a lot of huge deer taken and some hunters have seen lots of deer this season.  I guess it depends on the area you hunt.  I’m targeting one specific deer and hopefully he’ll be nice enough to accept a ride in my truck this weekend.

Patoka Lake’s 8,800-acre body of water and 17,200 acres of land offers waterfowl hunters abundant opportunities to hunt open water, tributaries, marshes, and fields for various migrating waterfowl. Patoka Lake has three managed Waterfowl Resting Areas (WRAs) that can offer distinctive opportunities for hunters.

Similar to past years, the Sycamore Creek WRA will be closed to all forms of waterfowl hunting through Feb. 28, 2022. In addition, the Sycamore Creek WRA will have public access restrictions. There will be no legal access for hunting, fishing, trapping, or boating (motorized or non-motorized) within Sycamore Creek WRA through Feb. 28, 2022. The intent of this public access restriction is to allow Sycamore Creek WRA to act as a temporary wildlife refuge for waterfowl, offering them a place of minimal disturbance.

Wall’s Ramp WRA and Allen Creek WRA will be open to hunting (including waterfowl hunting), fishing, trapping, and boating (motorized or non-motorized) on the following specific days through Feb. 28, 2022.

All hunters must sign in at one of the 19 hunter sign-in stations on the property. Failure to sign in and return a One-Day Hunter Check-in Card properly may result in a fine. All game taken must be recorded on a One-Day Hunter Check-in Card that is to be carried with you as you hunt. The card is to be turned in at the end of the day, even if no game were harvested. Please be sure to return the card to the same hunter sign-in station where you originally signed in. This system provides valuable wildlife management information.

Special federal, state, and property regulations must be followed — visit Hunting.IN.gov for details. Hunters are encouraged to contact DNR Law Enforcement at 812-837-9536 regarding specific questions on federal or State laws, statutes, and/or rules. Maps of the Waterfowl Resting Areas can be picked up at the Patoka Lake Main Office.

Hunters may find additional information by visiting the Division of Fish & Wildlife Migratory Game Bird Seasons and Regulations webpage at wildlife.IN.gov/hunting-and-trapping/waterfowl-and-migratory-game-birds/migratory-gamebird-seasons-and-regulations, or by calling Patoka Lake at 812-685-2464 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. and asking to speak to the property wildlife specialist.

The Indiana CheckIN Game system allows hunters and trappers to check in their harvested game from any device connected to the internet. You will receive a confirmation number that must be written down on a temporary transportation tag for the harvested game species (turkey, deer). Be sure to check your information is accurate before submitting. Deer and wild turkeys must be checked in within 48 hours of harvest; river otters must be checked in within 24 hours of harvest. Have your Customer ID and harvest information ready. Remember, you don’t need to log in to your account to check in game for this fall – you can do so by clicking CheckIN Game and entering your Customer ID number and date of birth.