Patoka Sportsman 2-9-19

There will be a 3-D Broken Arrow Archery shoot Sunday February 10 at Beaver Lake. This will be the first shoot of the year. Sign-in will be from sunrise till noon. A practice range will be available, and concessions will also be sold. There are new lower prices for entry fees. The entry fee is $10 for all adults, $8 for children age 11-17, and free for the cub class (10 and younger) and active military members. For more information , call cliff fleck at (812)630-0454 or karla brames at 8128273756.

Patoka lake Bow Hunters will host a "30" Target 3D shoot this coming Saturday and Sunday February 16^th & 17^th at the Patoka Lake Archery Range near Wickliffe. Participants should use the main entrance to Patoka Lake off State Road 164. Registration on Sunday starts at Daylight till 12:00pm. Shooting fees are $8.00 for Active PLB members, $10.00 for Nonmembers and $5.00 for Youth (age 11-17) while Cubs (10 & younger) and Active Military shoot for free. For more information, call 812 205-0081.

The 22^nd annual Indiana Deer, Turkey & Waterfowl Expo will be held Feb. 21-24 as part of the Boat Sport & Travel Show. New this year is the Archery Alley. Outfitters from all over the world will be there to help you book a trip and show off the latest gear.

Patoka Valley Friends of the NRA will hold their 2019 banquet Sat. Feb. 23 at Venue 1408 in Huntingburg. Doors open at 5. Dinner is at 7. There will be door prizes, silent auction, special drawings and a live auction. Tickets are in exchange for a donation of $35 or are included with the Big Shooters Bonus Pack for a $100 donation. This includes one dinner ticket and $100 bonus draw. Tickets are available at Dave’s Guns in Holland, Great Outdoors and Jeff’s Bait & Guns in Jasper. All net proceeds benefit youth education, range development, conservation efforts plus many other qualified educational programs.

The 65^th Annual Indianapolis Boat, Sport & Travel Show is coming to the Indianapolis State Fairgrounds Feb. 15-24. On day tickets for adults are $13 EACH. Children ages 6-12 are $9 each. There will be over 12 acres of new boats and RV’s. Shop for the latest and greatest tackle typically not found in the big box stores. Vendors will also be there from all over North American to help you plan a getaway. You can also lear to sharpen your fishing skills with seminars from industry experts and top pros. Tickets available at renfro productions dot com.

2019 Spring Turkey

Applications will be accepted Feb. 4 through March 22, 2019
No late entries will be accepted
Applicants must possess a hunting license valid for the 2019 Spring Turkey season
Participating local properties include Hovey Lake FW, Glendale FWA, Sugar Ridge FWA, Atterbury FWA, Youth only draw for Muscatatuck NWR
Only one application is allowed per license holder. No changes can be made once the application is submitted.

The St. Anthony Conservation Club is holding their 8^th Annual 3D Archery Expo on Saturday, March 23. Registration is from 8-1 and raffle and activities will be from 8 AM to 4 PM. There will be a new Sasquatch and other new targets for this 30-target shoot. Shooters will also be entered for a chance to win a food plot package. Entry fee is $10. 10 and under are free. You’ll be shooting for over $3,000 in prizes. Bow raffle tickets are for sale on site or from any member. An Official scorer will also be onsite. Breakfast sandwiches, burgers and drinks available all day. Check out the on-site vendors, DNR, and new truck & ATV displays. Meet the pro staff members from Bowhunt or Die web show. For more information call 812-630-1670.

On Saturday, February 16^th at 11:30a.m., join the Naturalist at the Patoka Lake Nature Center to discover why we see gulls in the winter. We typically think of gulls being on warm sunny beaches near the ocean not in Indiana. Discover what they are doing here. During these programs, participants will have the opportunity to drive to the water to see them up close using binoculars. Participants should dress for the weather and bring binoculars, spotting scopes and cameras.

Come to the Dubois Branch Library for a special presentation at 1p.m. on Saturday, February 16 titled Land Beneath the Lake. Learn about three towns that are under water at Patoka Lake. View old photographs and hear stories from days gone by out of Fred Dillard’s Memoirs. Enjoy short stories from local resident, John Ash’s book, Patoka Tales. See old relics left behind by the folks that once called this area home. This program is free to the public and everyone is invited to attend!

An Indiana hunter Education Course will be held April 5 & 6 at Cornerstone UMC in Chrisney. The class and materials are free. Students must attend both days. Bring highlighters, pens and pencils and any snacks or drinks you would like. Bottled water and lunch will be provided on Saturday by the Dubois county Sportsmen’s Club. To register go to passitonindiana.com. Select Traditional class and enter your zip code. Click on Cornerstone Church class and sign up. For more information contact Perry Frey at [email protected].

Checking the DNR’s reported deer harvest for 2018 it showed that 111,251 deer were harvested. In 2017 113,595 deer were harvested, which is a decline of 2,344 from the previous year.

Did you receive an email from Dr. Joe Caudell with the DNR about filling out a 2019 Indiana Deer management survey? I did and I filled it out. If you get a chance to fill out this survey I encourage you to do so. It’s a great opportunity for you to give your opinion to the DNR. If you have comments or suggestions about deer management in Indiana that are not addressed through the survey questions, there is a place to type in additional comments at the end of the survey. You can contact the Indiana DNR Deer Hotline at 812-334-3795 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday if you didn’t’ get an email and ask to fill out the survey. The survey link can only be used once, so please do not share your link with anyone else. The survey link will be active for 21 days. The results of the annual survey will be published each year in the Annual Deer Report found at https://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/9812.htm.

The white River Longbeards Hunting Heritage banquet is Sat. Feb. 23 at the Ruritan community Building in Montgomery. Doors open at 4:30 and dinner is at 6:30. Indiana gaming license 0039. Single tickets are $50. A couple is $75. Jakes get in for only $20. For more information contact Michael Chestnut at 812-698-0077 or email [email protected]