Patoka Sportsman 4-20-19
Patoka Sportsman 4-20 & 4-21-19
This weekend the Indiana Youth Turkey hunting season opens. For the rest of us it opens on April 24. Make sure if you take a youth or yourself hunting that you have the proper license. The youth hunting license is only $7 and it’s a great deal. They can hunt anything all year long for a very low price. It’s a great way to introduce them to hunting. If you are mentoring a young hunter make sure to mentor them correctly and have them follow all the hunting laws and regulations including fair chase.
From trail camera pictures and personal observations the last couple weeks this should be a great turkey hunting season. Last year was pretty bleak. This year I’ve heard gobblers in areas where there weren’t any last year. I think the hatch two years ago was a good one and these two year olds have replenished the wild turkey populations. I’m hoping for a great opening morning on April 24. As of today it’s supposed to be 58 degrees with a 40% chance of showers. Everyone knows that the weather can change very rapidly so we’ll have to see what mother nature offers up for us next week.
The Rotary Club of Jasper will sponsor a Clay Shoot on April 26 at Cool Springs. You’re invited to take part in a fun day of shooting while raising money to keep our kids safe. Shoot from 12 stations with 100 sport clay targets. Ammunition is provided. Bring your own 12 or 20 gauge semi-automatic or over-under shotgun. Single shot or pumps are not recommended. Teams of 4 are recommended but not required. Registration begins at 8:30 AM with shooting to start at 9 AM EST. Lunch is provided. Purchase your tickets to participate on Eventbrite https://rotaryclubofjasperclayshoot.eventbrite.com. Ticket cost is $100 for individuals or $400 per team.
Indiana residents do not need a fishing license or a trout/salmon stamp to fish the state's public waters on Free Fishing Days. On all other days, only youth (age 17 and younger) and a few other special anglers are exempt from the license requirement. Free Fishing Days, April 20, May 18, June 1-2.
The 2019 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits is coming back to the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis April 26-28. Exhibit hall admission is free to NRA members and immediate family. There will be 15 acres of guns and gear, exclusive seminars and luncheons, appearances from top national political leaders and musical superstars including Alan Jackson with special guest William Michael Morgan. It’s a great chance to rub shoulders with tens of thousands of other Second Amendment patriots. Hours on Friday, April 26 and Saturday April 27 are from 9 AM – 6 PM and Sunday the 27 from 10-5. Call 877-672-7632 for tickets or visit www.nraam.org for more information.
Hoosier State Outdoors posted on their Facebook page this week that the Indiana Sportsman’s roundtable would like to alert hunters, anglers and recreational boaters that there is currently and amendment being considered that would attempt to privatize the waters of Geist Reservoir. The Geist Conservancy District language was added to House Bill 1279 in the Senate Environmental Affairs Committee last week. The amendment creates a new type of Conservancy District that only applies to Geist Reservoir but could be used later as a precedent to limit access on other such waters. Sportsmen have battled attempts to prohibit waterfowl hunting on Geist for years. The bill would allow the new Geist Conservancy District to impose and collect additional fees for the recreational use of motorboats on the reservoir and only further restricting public access. House Bill 1259 will be going to Conference Committee soon. If you have an opinion on this issue or use Geist Reservoir for hunting or recreation you might want to contact Senator Mike Crider or Senator Mark Messmer at 800-382-9467 and let them know how you feel. I have the website link to read more about it on the WITZ website under Patoka Sportsman with the date of April 20.
http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2019/bills/house/1279#digest-heading