Patoka Sportsman 9-5-20
Patoka Sportsman 9-5 & 9-6-20
A hunter education course will be offered on Friday, Sept. 18 from 6-9PM and Saturday, Sept. 19 from 8 AM – 4 PM at the Dubois County 4-H Fairgrounds. Instruction will be by Indiana Conservation Officers. Anyone born after December 31, 1986 is required to be certified in Hunter Education before they can purchase a hunting license. You can sign up at pass it on Indiana dot com.
Southern Indiana Leathernecks, Marine Corps League Detachment #931 is coordinating a firearm awareness class. It’s based on the self defense use, aspects and legal questions of carrying a firearm inside and outside of the home. The instructor is Johathan Wallace II of Native Executive Security. This class is 4 and a-half hours and will be offered in two separate class periods. You can choose which day you would like to attend. If either session does not reach the minimum enrollment of ten that session will be cancelled and you will have the opportunity to attend the other session instead. First class is Saturday, October 17 at 8 AM The second class is Sunday, October 18 at 1 PM. Classes will be held at the Jasper American Legion Post 147. Cost is $75. There is NO live fire or testing. For more information go to www.sildmarines.com or email [email protected]. You can also call 812-631-3671.
There will be a 3-D Broken Arrow Archery shoot Sunday September 13 at Beaver Lake. This will be the last shoot for the year Sign-in will be from sunrise till noon. A practice range will be available, and concessions will available. 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 member.. For more information, call cliff fleck at (812)630-0454 or karla brames at 812-827-3756.
National Hunting & Fishing Day celebrates the sportsmen and women whose recreational activities have impacted fish and wildlife conservation. To align with National Hunting & Fishing Day, the last Free Fishing Day of the year is Sept. 26. Anglers are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to bring someone new along to enjoy the pastime they love.
This also marks the start of Youth Deer Season, Sept. 26-27, a chance for hunters to pass on their passion to the next generation. Recreational shooters are encouraged to enjoy the 12 public shooting ranges and 10 archery ranges that DNR has to offer: on.IN.gov/dnrshootingranges.
Sept. 26 is National Public Lands Day – the largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands. During the weekend of Sept. 26-27, celebrate National Public Lands Day by choosing your own adventure at your favorite DNR property: Give back to an area you love by volunteering and find events near you. Get outside and enjoy your favorite recreational activity. To find a property near you, visit on.IN.gov/recfinder. Indiana State Parks will be offering free admission for visitors to enjoy the fall season on Sept. 27.
Fall weather means hunters will take to the fields as several seasons open in September. Starting Sept. 1, gamebird seasons, including dove, snipe, and sora rail, will open. Sept. 12 marks the start of waterfowl season for early teal and geese. Deer reduction zone season starts Sept. 15. You can find the designated locations for this season on our website.
Outdoor recreationists should check with DNR property offices before visiting if they plan to go off the trails. Certain areas may be closed for reserved hunts or designated seasons. Individuals can wear hunter orange as an additional precaution when entering areas where hunters may be present.
A black bear has been confirmed by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources on the Kentucky-Indiana border near Clark County, Indiana. Bears are strong swimmers - the bear could potentially cross the Ohio River into the Hoosier state. You are encouraging Clark County residents to report any potential bear sightings through their large mammal report form: on.IN.gov/largemammal or to DNR Law Enforcement at 812-837-9536. The sighting is not a cause for alarm. As populations of black bears in neighboring states continue to increase, it is not unusual that bears may disperse into Indiana.
Learn more about black bears and their history in Indiana: wildlife.IN.gov/8500.htm. For more information regarding bear-safe practices visit: bearwise.org.
State Park Deer management draw dates are November 16-17 for the early hunt and November 30-December 1, 2020 for the late hunt. Applicants must possess any valid license to take a deer in Indiana at the time of the application, not including apprentice licenses. Applicants must be Indiana residents (or possess a valid lifetime comprehensive hunting license to take deer in Indiana), be 18 years of age by the date of the first hunt, and must possess the proper licenses to hunt deer in order to apply. Once you have submitted your application online, you cannot change your information.
For successful applicants, deer harvested at a State Park Management Hunt are in addition to regular deer-season bag limits. You do not need to purchase additional licenses to harvest deer if participating in the management hunt. For questions regarding State Park Deer Management Hunts, please contact DNR's Division of State Parks at 317-232-4200.
Available state parks locally in 2020 include Brown County State Park, Harmonie State Park, Lincoln State Park, McCormick's Creek State Park and Spring Mill State Park.
Don’t wait until right before deer season to purchase your 2020-21 deer hunting license now. Season dates and answers to deer hunting FAQs can be found at deer.dnr.IN.gov. Deer licenses can be purchased at an authorized retailer or online at on.IN.gov/inhuntfish. Find instructions for getting started online. For additional assistance with user names or passwords, call 800-457-8283 for Access Indiana customer support. DNR is unable to assist with user names and passwords. More information about the Access Indiana portal, answers to FAQs, and other helpful information is available online.
The new DNR Hunting & Trapping Regulation Guide should be available at a local retailer or DNR property. The new guide will also be posted online at hunting.IN.gov. If you don’t already have your Harvest Information Program (HIP) number for the 2020-21 migratory bird seasons, register now online or by calling 866-671-4499. It’s easy to register online, and there’s no cost for using either method.
Presently, there are 18 services that users can enter through Access Indiana. Individuals with an existing online license account should have received an email with information regarding Access Indiana. New DNR customers will be directed to create an Access Indiana account before supplying additional DNR-specific account information. New customers will then be able to complete their DNR profile and purchase a license.
Find instructions for getting started online. For additional assistance with usernames or passwords, call 800-457-8283 for Access Indiana customer support. More information about the Access Indiana portal, answers to FAQs, and other helpful information is available online. DNR is unable to assist with usernames and passwords. You don’t need to log in to an account to check in game, apply for a reserved hunt, or get your HIP registration number for this fall – you only need your date of birth and Customer ID number. You can find the appropriate links here.
Indiana fish & wildlife areas (FWAs) hosting hunting and trapping draws will follow Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended practices for social distancing to protect staff and visitors. Unless exempt, visitors should expect to follow CDC guidelines and will be required to wear a mask or face covering while inside a property office or while near other people. For most draws, property visitors will have limited access to the inside of FWA offices. Public seating areas will be removed to limit crowds congregating in certain areas. If property offices are closed to public access due to further outbreaks of corona virus, property hunting draws will still take place at FWAs according to each property’s specific draw plan. Property-specific information on how draws will be conducted can be found here. You can also contact the property directly to find out more details.
Indiana DNR is seeking applicants to volunteer for Snapshot Indiana, a citizen-science trail camera project that collects information about Indiana’s wildlife. Applicants must own at least 10 acres of land and have no bait or feed near where the camera will be set. Selected applicants host a trail camera on their property during October and November and return the camera to DNR. Selected applicants will receive the best photos from their camera after all photos are processed. Learn more or submit an application at on.IN.gov/SnapshotIndiana.
The 2019 Indiana White-tailed Deer Report is now available online. Read about the 2019-20 season, deer health, opportunities to participate in resource management, and ongoing research.
Fall is a great season to fish – as the water cools, fishing heats up. September and October are two of Indiana’s drier months, which means rivers and streams are running slower and lower than in the spring and summer. This allows increased accessibility and wading opportunity, and the perfect chance to fish for smallmouth bass using hard baits or soft plastics. In our lakes, crappie are not as deep and suspended as they were in the summer. Fish for striped and hybrid striped bass when surface water temperatures are between 45° and 80° F. During these times, the fish can be found feeding in shallow water where they can be caught by boat or from shore with conventional baitfish-imitating lures. With cooler water temperatures, bluegill and largemouth bass will also move into shallow waters and are easier to catch. Channel catfish will be stocked in urban locations throughout September.
As you prepare your boat and/or other watercraft for the trip home, take a moment to look for aquatic hitchhikers. Zebra mussels, aquatic plants like Eurasian watermilfoil and starry stonewort, and many other invasive species continue to be a threat to Indiana’s waters. We need your help to stop their spread. When you trailer your boat, be sure to inspect and remove any aquatic plants, mud, or zebra mussels that are attached to your watercraft, equipment, or trailer.
The most common locations that plants, mussels, and animals use to hitch a ride are:
- Transom well near the drain plug
- Axle of the trailer
- Lower unit and propeller on the boat motor
- The rollers and bunks that guide the boat onto the trailer
- Anchor and lines
- Bait bucket or live well
To prevent the movement of aquatic invasive species and to protect our waters, remember:
1. Drain water from your equipment, bait bucket, live well and boat before leaving the boat landing
2. Leave drain plugs out while travelling
3. Clean and dry anything that came in contact with water
4. Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash