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Indiana Division of Fish and WildlifeDepartment of Natural Resources

Spring 2000

Topics this issue...Harvest of kindness

Stepping outside

New access areas

Free fishing weekend

Spring 2000 wild turkey season forecast

Snoot, waddle and beard—an adult male turkey struts in Wabash Co.

Lots of poults last summer should mean morejakes this spring

Many turkey hunters are already into their springritual—checking hunting equipment, getting theirlicenses, and taking scouting trips. This year’s seasonbegins Wednesday, April 26 and runs through Sunday, May14, and will be Indiana’s 31st wild turkey hunting season.

1999 harvest resultsLast year’s harvest of 6,548 birds was the seventeenth

consecutive year of increased harvests. Hunters harvestedwild turkeys in 70 of the 74 counties open to huntingduring the 19-day season. The top 12 counties for birdsharvested were: Switzerland (414), Dearborn (304), Jefferson(299), Orange (289), Perry (257), Parke (236), Crawford(233), Harrison (232), Ripley (227), Warrick (213), Franklin(207), and Washington (201).

2000 wild turkey season hunting forecastIncreased brood production during the 1999 summer is

probably some of the best news turkey hunters in Indianahave heard in a few years. The production index (totalpoults/total hens) observed in July and Aug. by DNR bio-logists jumped from 2.8 in 1998 to 4.2 in 1999. A productionindex of around four is considered to be a good averagefor a developing population. The improved 1999 broodproduction should result in more juvenile gobblers (jakes)in the 2000 harvest.

The projected harvest for the 2000 season is estimatedbetween 7,000 to 7,500 birds. Average hunter successshould be 25 to 27 percent. The hunting range will remainthe same as in 1999.

Indiana has never had a fatal turkey hunting incidentin the 30 previous seasons. Familiarity with hunting equip-ment helps ensure safe hunting. Hunters should practicebefore taking to the field.

For more turkey hunting info. see www.state.in.us/dnr/fishwild/index.htm.

Prepared by Steven E. Backs, wild turkey biologist

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Focus on Fish & Wildlife is a quarterly publi-cation from the Indiana Department of NaturalResources Division of Fish and Wildlife. Focuson Fish & Wildlife seeks to educate sportsmenand women, conservationists, wildlife recreation-ists and all Hoosiers on topics related to the man-agement of Indiana’s fish and wildlife resources.

Larry D. Macklin, DirectorDepartment of Natural Resources

David W. Vice, Deputy DirectorBureau of Water and Resource Regulation

Gary Doxtater, DirectorDivision of Fish and Wildlife

Jon Marshall, DirectorPublic Affairs

Michael Ellis, EditorJohn Maxwell, PhotographerRebecca Mauser, Designer

Focus on Fish & Wildlife

Focus on Fish & Wildlife is distributed free ofcharge. To subscribe, send name, completeaddress, city, state and zip code. Send addresschanges or subscription requests to the follow-ing:

Focus on Fish and Wildlife402 W. Washington St., Room W273

Indianapolis, IN 46204

If you have questions about the Division of Fishand Wildlife, please write to the aboveaddress or call 317/232-4080.

Visit the DNRDivision of Fish & Wildlife website:www.ai.org/dnr/fishwild/index.html

DIVISIONMISSION

“To manage fishand wildlife for

present and futuregenerations, balancing ecological,recreational and economic benefits.”

Director of

Fish & Wildlife

Printed on recycled paper

want to share some good news from Washington D.C.—news that is good for

Hoosiers and our natural resources. In anoverwhelming show of unity, the U.S. HouseResources Committee reported the Conservationand Reinvestment Act of 1999 (CARA) to thefull House. The committee’s most significantaccomplishment of the first session, CARA isbipartisan landmark legislation that wouldincrease funding for national and state wildlifeconservation, as well as conservation educationand recreation programs. What would these funds mean for Indiana?

Since the monies are designated for conservation of diverse wildlife andassociated habitats, conservation as well as education and wildlife-relatedrecreation, the Division of Fish and Wildlife would undertake new programs inthe areas of conservation and education. Ten percent of the funds can beused for recreation, including, but not limited to, hunting, fishing, wildlifeobservation and photography. Such projects as the construction orrestoration of wildlife viewing areas, observation towers, blinds, platforms,land and water trails, water access, trail heads and access for such projectscould be undertaken.

The House version of CARA now has seven titles, which could increasefunding for federal and state conservation and recreation programs, urbanparks, historic preservation, and wildlife conservation. Currently HR 701 has294 bipartisan co-sponsors. Funds for the legislation arise from outercontinental shelf (OCS) oil and gas revenue.

Indiana Senator Evan Bayh co-sponsored the Senate bill, S.25, and IndianaRepresentatives Tim Roemer, Julia Carson and Mark Souder co-sponsored theHouse bill, H.R. 701. Governor Frank O’Bannon joined 48 other governors tosupport the use of offshore oil and gas revenues to fund wildlife conservation,state and local parks and coastal restoration. If approved, total new federalfunding for the Indiana DNR could be $31 million per year.

The Indiana coalition supporting CARA has more than 80-member groups.The coalition wants Indiana members of Congress to vote yes for CARA whenit comes before the House, probably in April, so they continue to remindCongress through e-mail, phone and letters that they support CARA,especially, Title III. Title III covers wildlife conservation and restoration.

For more information about CARA, the website: www.house.gov/resources/ocs has the complete text of the legislation. The website: www.teaming.comhas current information. Betsy Ingle, Teaming With Wildlife Coordinator forIndiana, can be reached by phone at 317/232-4080, e-mailingle@fw.dnr.state.in.us or fax 317/232-8150.

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Focus on

Harvest of KindnessCounting on Carl

A lot of people are counting on CarlClipp, while Clipp counts on the DNR’sHuntington Reservoir wildlife crew toback him up.

If the weather is nice, you canusually find Carl working in the gar-den at Norwood Nursing Center inHuntington. Most locals probablyremember Carl from his 40 years inthe shoe business or his 30 years as adesk clerk at the Huntington YMCA.

The ninety-something resident ofthe center plants and weeds so hisfellow residents can enjoy earthybackyard tomatoes and greens. Healso helps local wild critters by grow-ing sunflowers and other wild foods.

If the weather isn’t so nice, you’llfind Carl operating his ham radio. Heradio dispatches wind, precipitationand temperature measurements to theNational Weather Service every day.

Carl’s nine decades of growing,fitting, counting, measuring and justplain general living has taught himthat man does not live by bread

alone. That’s why hehelps stock bird feedersoutside many of theresident’s room windows.The bustling, colorfulbirds help nurture manysouls through thenorthern Indiana winter.

“Carl’s a great guy,”says Norwood’s socialservice director LynetteDowden. “Almost everyroom in the center has abird feeder outside thewindow — that’s about50 rooms.”

This is where Hunting-ton Reservoir’s propertymanager Jeff Reed ridesinto the story on a com-bine to help. Carl can’tgrow or afford enoughseed to fill all the feeders.But nearby HuntingtonReservoir usually hassunflower seed left inits dove fields every fall; much ofwhich rots in the wet Indiana winter.

Good neighborsJeff Reed and his Huntington

Reservoir wildlife crew grow 90 acresof sunflowers at the DNR propertyevery summer as part of their mour-ning dove habitat managementprogram. Once the hunting season isover, Reed harvests surplus seed fromhalf of his sunflower plots. He thenbags and distributes the seed to localnursing homes and DNR nature cen-ters. Some of the seed remaining inthe field helps the property’s wildturkey, quail, deer, doves, squirrels,raccoons, goldfinches and other song-birds through lean winters.

“We deliver about fifty large sacksof sunflower seed to people whocannot afford to buy wild bird food,”says Reed. “This way it’s not wastedand we don’t compete with commer-cial bird seed growers.”

Reed, a straight-talking native ofRoanoke, Ind., says money for Hunt-

ington Reservoir’s wildlife program isgenerated on the 8,000-acre publicproperty through cropland leases toarea farmers. In order to control nat-ural succession, Reed leases sectionsof tillable ground to area farmers. Inaddition to payment for use of theland, the farmers leave ten percent oftheir crop in the fields for wildlife.

“The surplus seed harvest increasesthe value of the property to thecommunity. We believe HuntingtonReservoir should be part of thecommunity, and we’re doing what anygood neighbor would do,” says Reed.

Reed and his crew have also helpedthe Huntington Reservoir communityby building more than 20 ponds andmarshes, teaching boater and huntersafety courses, maintaining shootingand archery ranges, rehabilitatingRock Creek, and planting and man-aging 400 acres of prairie grass.

Prepared by John Maxwell, Division of Fish andWildlife

Ben Lyons (left) and Casey Emley of the Hun-tington Reservoir wildlife crew help Jeff Reedbag sunflower seed for delivery to local nursinghomes and DNR nature centers.

Carl Clipp and Huntington Reservoir property manager Jeff Reed fillbird feeders at Norwood Nursing Home in Huntinton.

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Outfitting kids for archeryStart kids out easy with a light-pull long or recurve bow.

Bows can be specially outfitted for kids with “no glove” tabsthat make pulling the bow string more comfortable. Formore information on archery equipment for kids, see theThree Rivers Archery website at www.3riversarchery.com orcall Todd Smith at 219/587-9501.

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Fish & Wildlife Education

Nine-year-old Kara McCarthy held herbow ready at her side with an arrownocked. A projected picture of a doeflashed on the white screen 15 yards infront of her. The doe faced away fromher with its white tail in the air. Karawas still.

A few seconds later, a photo of abuck turned broadside rubbing its ant-lers on a sapling appeared suddenly onthe screen. Kara simultaneously drewback her bow while pulling up to aim.She released the arrow instantly and itsank halfway up the shaft into the hay-bale-backed screen with a crisp thud.Her arrow stuck right behind theshoulder of the deer—a perfect shot.

Kara was participating in the IndianaBowhunter’s Association’s Discover theOutdoors Bow Camp, which is heldannually in Columbus, Ind., the firstweekend of July. Although instructorsat the camp like to foster the shootingskill that Kara displayed, they quicklypoint out that the most important partof Bow Camp is the development ofrespect—respect for wildlife and respectfor each other. Although the camp iscentered around teaching archery skills,the activities are designed to teachteamwork and a wide range of outdoorskills.

Discover the Outdoors Bow Camp

The camp is limited to 20kids (and accompanyingadults). Participants rangefrom six to 12 years old.Many of the kids who cometo the camp are part of theBig Brothers and Big Sistersmentoring program.

The weekend-longworkshop is held at Colum-bus Youth Camp, a beautifullywooded facility complete withall the obligatory campyqualities such as cabins,canoes, lightning bugs, trails,poison ivy, box turtles, bunk-beds, swimming, toads, mosquitos,fishing, and campfires.

Some of the Bow Camp activitiesinclude:• Orienteering – kids learn to use acompass to find their way through thewoods while looking for landmarksalong the way.

• Bowhunting by Boat – instructorsteach canoeing and shooting skills.Kids shoot at 3D targets of bear,deer and fish from a canoe.• Archery Accuracy – archery

instructors teach shooting tech-nique by challenging kids to

shoot at different sizeballoons.• Surface to Air Flu-Flues– kids are amazed at theirability to hit pie-plate-sized flying targets with“flu-flu” arrows.

All of the activities are designed toaccommodate kids of all skill levels,from those who have never pulled abow to deadeye shots like Kara. Accom-panying adults are encouraged toparticipate and learn along with thekids. A $60 fee covers everything forone child and adult. Archery equipmentis provided.

For information about next year’scamp, call Gene Hopkins at (812) 342-3675 or e-mail him at ghopkins@hsonline.net.

A similar bow camp is held in theFort Wayne area each summer. For moreinformation, call Randy Janson at 219/420-0900 or e-mail him at 74517.124@compuserve.com.

Story and photos by Jon Marshall, Division ofFish and Wildlife

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Hunting, Fishing and Shooting Sports

An exciting new programcalled STEP OUTSIDE™ is hereto assist in welcoming new-comers to outdoor sports.Target shooting, archery, hunt-ing and fishing are all greatfun, but to someone who hasnever had a chance to experi-ence one of these activities, itcan be an intimidating first-time experience.

The nationwide program hasgreat potential to generatenew interest in and support ofthese traditional sports.

The key is you. Invite a be-ginner to share the outdoorsports experience. When youintroduce someone to one ofthese outdoor activities, youassure the future of your sportand make a difference in theindividual lives you touch.

What you can doIt’s as simple as asking

someone to go target shoot-ing, hunting or fishing. Invitethem for an introductory lessonand, if possible, follow-up bymentoring that individual un-til your friend is proficient.Without a doubt, a personal invitationfrom you, an outdoorsman or woman,is the easiest and most enjoyable way

Ask a friend to step outside

for a first-timer to try his or her handat target shooting, archery, huntingor fishing.

Want to learn more?You’re not alone. Research

shows that close to 100 millionmen and women would acceptan invitation to target shootif asked.

Lots of information alreadyexists through books, bro-chures, videos, magazines,television programs and organ-izations that provides basicsteps to get started. However,most people prefer somehands on instruction beforeheading out on their own.

Many target shooters, ar-chers, anglers and hunterswant to share the knowledgeand love they have for theseoutdoor activities.

Talk with people at workand ask friends. Visit a retailerwho handles sporting goods.Ask if he or she can introduceyou to someone willing tohelp. Before long, you too willwant to return the favor andinvite someone one-on-one tostep outside.

For more information aboutthe program, check out www.stepoutside.org

Prepared by Michael Ellis, Division of Fish andWildlife

• Invite a member of your town or city council oryour mayor to go fishing with you.

• Extend an invitation to your local congressmanor woman to spend an afternoon target shootingor fishing. It’s a great way to educate legisla-tors who vote on wildlife and conservationmeasures.

• Do you know a student interested in hunting?Pledge to take them all the way through huntereducation: from finding the course, providingtransportation, assisting in the purchase of thefirst license and taking the successful student onhis or her first hunting trip.

• Call your local news reporter, radio announcer oranchorperson on your favorite TV news program— invite them to join you for a morning or after-noon of some STEP OUTSIDE activities.

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Up and Coming Fishing AreasFuture fantastic fishing

Spring is a time for renewal, hopeand new line on fishing reels. It’s alsotime to plan fishing trips. DNR fisher-ies biologists have been working hardto improve fishing at a bunch of places,and are now ready to predict some fu-ture fishing hotspots.

These are the lakes and streamsanglers will soon be talkingabout—fresh new fisherieswith maturing plentiful gamefish populations.

Fish scientists have used avariety of management meth-ods to turn on the fishing,methods include size andcreel limits, fish stocking,lake renovations and sedimentcontrol. When you throw thesenew places in with existinghot spots, you’ve got a fullyear of first-class, fishing op-tions. So grab a pole and hangon ‘cause here we go.

Eagle Creek walleye:Biologist Doug Keller says

the walleye fishing should takeoff at Eagle Creek Reservoir.The Division of Fish and Wild-life has stocked the MarionCounty lake with these populargame fish since 1997, and thisfall’s survey shows promise.“There’s a small fishable popula-tion right now. Fishing shouldreally heat up by 2001 or 2002.”

Keller bases his forecast onsurvey results that show lastspring’s stocking to be extremelysuccessful. The largest fish found in thesurvey was stocked in 1997, weighed 2.5pounds and was 19 inches long.

Raccoon Lake striped bass:Keller and biologist Rhett Wisener

spent three days this fall setting andhauling in gill nets at Cecil M. HardenLake, also known as Raccoon Lake. Theywere catching and measuring stripedbass, a stocked fish species the biolo-

gists hoped would convert pesky gizzardshad into a usable game fish.

The survey showed Raccoon’s stripedbass are thriving and growing. Thelargest fish netted stretched more than33 inches long. Anglers are now stumb-ling onto these big fish while fishingfor other species. Several anglers re-

ported incidental catches of 28-inchstriped muscular monsters this fall.

Biologists stocked the lake withstriped bass fry during the past fiveyears. Fish stocked in 1998 now average1.5 pounds; the 1997 fish are aboutthree pounds; the 1996 fish weighabout 8.5 pounds and the first fishstocked in 1994 average 15 pounds.

Glenn Flint Lake panfish:Glenn Flint shed the shad in 1995

when the lake was drained, refilled andrestocked with game fish. Prior to thelake renovation, largemouth bass andpanfish numbers were dropping due toan exploding shad population.

“A renovated lake generally takesfour years to peak,” says Keller. “GlennFlint probably peaked in 1999. It was

an outstanding year for blue-gill and redear. Some redearweighed 1.5 pounds.” Kelleralso says channel catfishweighing 10 pounds are beingpulled from the PutnamCounty lake. Keller predictsbluegill fishing will be goodfor another five years andbass fishing will continue toimprove, but will crashwhen prolific shad eventuallycompete with young bass.

Kosciusko Countymuskie:

“Webster Lake is the bestmuskie lake in the Midwest.”says fish biologist Jed Pear-son. “The lake holds a tre-mendous number of bigmuskie.”

Hatchery crews collectingbroodstock from Webster havehad 30 muskie in excess of30 inches swim into a trapin a day. A fish larger thanthe 35 pound state recordfish was caught last year andWebster Lake muskie hunterscommonly report 3 to 4

muskie-a-day catches.The DNR has started aggressively

stocking nearby Tippecanoe Lake andthe Barbie Chain of Lakes with muskel-lunge. “Big muskie have already beencaught from these lakes. All three lakeshave similar habitat, but Tippe and theBarbie chain have more space. Theycould soon be even better than Webster.”

Patoka Lake bass and catfish:Patoka Lake has become one of the

Biologists Rhett Wisener and Doug Keller net striped bass last fall atRaccoon Lake

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best largemouth bass fishing lakes insouthern Indiana. Fisheries BiologistDan Carnahan says big bass numbershave skyrocketed since the illegal intro-duction of gizzard shad into the lake“Shad are good forage for bass largerthan 10 inches, explained Carnahan.“The downfall is that shad outcompetesmall bass and bluegill for zooplankton— their primary food source.”

Carnahan believes the super bassfishing may not last. The strong fisherywas built on bass produced in the lakebefore the shad introduction, and hissurveys show 50 percent fewer smallbass to replace older fish that are har-vested or die.

Big bass’ desire for shad has beengood news for the lake’s channel catfishtoo. “Bass are the primary predator ofchannel cats. The channel catfish popu-lation has increased due to the bassswitching to shad,” says Carnahan.

Huntingburg Lake saugeye:The state record saugeye was plucked

from Huntingburg Lake in Dubois Coun-ty. The 8.16-pound 26.25-inch fish,caught in 1998, surpassed the previous7.98-pound record pulled from the samelake in 1995.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife hasbeen stocking the reservoir annuallywith 9,400 fingerling saugeye. A 1997survey showed that a third of thesewalleye/sauger hybrids were at least18.5 inches long.

Carnahan says the best fishingusually occurs in the spring and fall.Successful saugeye anglers have usedtwister-tail lead head jigs, live minnowsbelow a slip bobber, or trolled crankbaits.

White River sauger:Sauger are native game fish found

in many of Indiana’s rivers and streams.Southern Indiana river anglers usuallycatch these camouflaged skinny cousinsto the walleye as they congregate be-low dams on winter spawning runs.

Plenty of sauger were found during1992-93 fish surveys in the East Forkof the White River below Williams Dam,but no sauger were found upstream ofthe dam. Williams Dam is about 10miles west of Bedford. In 1995, the DNRbegan reintroducing sauger into thestretch of White River between thedam in Columbus and Williams Dam.

Biologist Larry Lehman says he re-cently found 17-inch sauger on surveyruns between the two dams, and saugerup to 19.5 inches long have been caughtby anglers below the Columbus and Sey-mour dams. He says the DFW plans to

ists also benefit from the accessprogram. Forty-seven years later,support for the program is strongerthan ever and the public accessprogram ranks high among divisionprograms.

The DFW held a public meetingin 1990 to gather input on fish andwildlife issues from a wide varietyof organizations and individuals.Obtaining more public land for fish-ing and hunting was one of the top 10issues listed by meeting participants.

The demand for fishing in Indianais high. According to Indiana’s 1994Outdoor Recreation Plan, more than1.5 million Hoosiers fished at leastonce during the year. More than 80percent of the respondents to the1994 statewide angler survey indi-cated that “free public access wasimportant to their selection of aplace to fish.”

The Division of Fish and Wildlifehas funded the construction of 319public access sites—182 sites innorthern Indiana and 137 sites insouthern Indiana. One hundredeighty-five sites have been devel-oped on lakes and 134 on streams.

16 New FishingOpportunities

From 1997 through 1999, Indi-ana’s Division of Fish and Wildlife(DFW) constructed public access sitesat six rivers and four lakes.

Most access sites consist of a smallconcrete boat ramp and parking lot.Site development at small streamsis usually limited to a park-ing lotand canoe launch.

In addition, four new propertieswere acquired that will provide pub-lic access to three streams and onelake when the sites are developedin 2000.

Five existing access sites wererenovated and made accessible topeople with disabilities.

Background informationon the public accessprogram

The public access program wasinitiated in 1953 by the Division ofFish and Wildlife to provide free ac-cess to Indiana waters for anglers,hunters, trappers and wildlife view-ers. Recreational boaters and canoe-

New Public Access Areas

Public access program growth: 1997 through 1999

* indicates the access site has been acquired but not yet constructed.

Site Name CountyBig Otter Lake SteubenJimmerson Lake SteubenDixon Lake MarshallGoose Lake WhitleyLake Shafer * WhiteSalt Creek * PorterKankakee River LakeMaumee River * Allen

continue stocking this section of theriver until spring 2000. It is hopednatural reproduction will sustain thefishery.

Site Name CountyIroquois River * NewtonSt. Mary’s River AllenWabash River ParkeMuscatatuck River JacksonMuscatatuck River WashingtonKankakee River LakeWest Fork White River GibsonPatoka River Dubois

Prepared by John Maxwell, Division of Fish andWildlife

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Without erosion control practices in places, sedi-ment pours into a lake after a light rain.

In Indiana, farmers help producefish in two ways: directly throughaquaculture and indirectly by practic-ing good soil and water conservationmethods. With help from state andfederal programs, Indiana farmers haveimproved fish habitat in Glenn FlintLake, West Boggs Lake, Big WalnutCreek and many other waterways acrossIndiana.

They switched to conservationtillage, planted streamside vegetation,and limited livestock access to streamsand lakes. These practices helpedreduce the amount of soil sediment andnutrient runoff that enters Indiana’swaterways.

In the 1970s, Indiana lakes werecharacterized by murky water contain-ing suspended silt and high phosphoruslevels. Runoff of sediments and nutri-ents contaminated lakes and degradedfish, wildlife, recreation, and propertyvalues.

Over the past two decades, theIndiana Conservation Partnership (ateam of state, federal, and local agen-cies, including the DNR Lake and RiverEnhancement (LARE) program) helpedlandowners improve watersheds thatdrain into lakes and rivers, many ofwhich contain important recreationalfisheries.

By the early 1990s, monitoringconducted by the Indiana Departmentof Environmental Management (IDEM)showed a strong relationship betweenlake water quality and state regionswhere farmers improve soil and waterconservation practices. Over 75 percentof the lakes in Indiana improved inwater quality within the last 20 years.In southern Indiana, most reservoirslay at the base of watersheds withsteep slopes and easily eroded soils—alandscape that easily results in threatsto reservoirs’ water quality.

These areas gain protection withhigh rates of conservation tillage, andsensitive lands enrolled in conser-vation programs show above average Practicing good soil and water conservation methods help fish and wildlife. Green buffer strips

planted along the creek helps prevent sediment runoff from filling the stream.

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Watershed RestorationFarmers help increase fish production

water quality.The next time you see farms

with green buffer strips along astream and corn stalks on theground in winter, remember tothank the farmer for their help infish production and increasing thequality of other water basedrecreational activities.

Prepared by Gwen White, aquatic biolo-gist, DNR Division of Soil Conservation

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Many reptile and amphibian species depend on wetlands for all or a part of their life cycle. Wet-land destruction has contributed to the decrease in many of our native palustrine species.

Reptile and amphibian numbers inIndiana have declined to the pointwhere changes in the regulations becamenecessary to protect the remainingpopulations.

Factors for declineMany reptile and amphibian species

depend on wetlands for all or a part oftheir life cycle. The number of wetlandsin Indiana has decreased over the lastcentury as increasing human popu-lation made use of these areas. Naturalresource scientists believe thatapproximately 88 percent of Indiana’snatural wetlands are gone. The loss oralteration of habitat is one of the mainfactors for species endangerment andpotential extinction.

Additionally, the limited ability of

these animals to disperse, coupled withillegal collecting from protected landsuch as state fish and wildlife areas,has helped speed up the decrease inmany of our native reptile and amphi-bian species.

Stopping the declineIn order to combat this decline, the

Indiana divisions of Law Enforcementand Fish and Wildlife, in coordinationwith interested individuals and organi-zations, developed rules to protectIndiana’s native reptiles and amphibi-ans and provide for public safety. Thisnew rule (312 IAC 9), went into effectAugust 8, 1999. It replaces all previousemergency rules.

All of Indiana’s native reptiles andamphibians, their parts, eggs and

offspring, are now protected by law, andthe purchase or sale of Indiana’s nativereptiles and amphibians is prohibited.

Rule exemptionsExemptions are made for certain

educational institutions, zoologicalparks, and holders of a reptile captivebreeders license.

Bullfrog and green frog tadpoles maybe sold by holders of a fish haulers andsuppliers license or aquaculture permit.

Holders of a reptile captive breedinglicense can sell the young of eightspecies of native snakes (defined by aspecies-specific length prescribed in therule). In addition, native species speci-mens that are albinistic, leucistic andxanthic may also be sold.

Indiana residents over the age of 17may not collect amphibians or reptilesfrom the wild unless they have a validhunting or fishing license. For all col-lectors, there is a possession limit of fouron all nongame species except endan-gered species.

Endangered species are protectedfrom all collection under state law. Thecommon snapping turtle, softshellturtles, bullfrog and green frog are reg-ulated as game animals with specifiedmethods of take, bag limits, and season.

A wild animal possession permit andspecial confinement parameters arerequired for individuals owning croco-dilians five feet or more in length or avenomous reptile.

The goalThe goal of this rule is to protect

Indiana’s reptile and amphibian speciesand to provide an environment thatallows their population numbers to in-crease, thus keeping them from reachingendangered status.

A copy of the new regulations can beobtained by either writing to the Divi-sion of Fish and Wildlife or at www.state.in.us/dnr/fishwild/index.htm.

Article prepared by Katie Smith and KathyQuimbach, Division of Fish and Wildlife

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New Reptile and Amphibian Rules

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Mineland acquisition update

Ask your non-angling friendsto Step Outside on FreeFishing Weekend (see page 5)

Indiana residents can enjoy a week-end of fishing without purchasing afishing license. Many publicproperties are hosting free fishingweekend events such as fishingclinics, derbies, fish cleaning

Indiana’s Free Fishing Weekend is June 10 -11, 2000

The DNR first acquired coal minedland in the 1920s when reclaimedmine land was donated for ShakamakState Park and purchased for Greene-Sullivan State Forest.

In recent years, the DNR has leasedmore than 20,000 acres and purchasedover 10,000 acres of mineland proper-ty for recreational use. The reclaimedmine lands provide tremendous recre-ational opportunities for Hoosiers.Coal company land holdings are usuallylarge, have great potential for a varietyof outdoor recreation activities, and arebeing offered for sale by willing sellers.

Reclaimed mine landsReclaimed mine lands make wonder-

ful hunting, fishing and wildlife areas.Management of public land for theseactivities is traditionally hosted bystate fish and wildlife areas and stateforests.

A win-win situationIn 1996, the Indiana General Assem-

bly recognized that this was a win-win situation for Indiana recreationistsand the coal industry. The GeneralAssembly allocated $5 million of gen-eral fund money for the acquisition ofminelands.

Upon receiving the allocation, theDNR, along with the coal industry, setabout identifying parcels that wereavailable and represented the greatestpotential for recreation. The DNRformed a committee comprised ofmembers from the divisions of Fish andWildlife, Forestry, Outdoor Recreation,Land Acquisition and Reclamation toevaluate available mineland parcels.About $20 million dollars worth ofproperty was immediately identified;$5 million dollars worth of propertywas selected and the acquisition pro-

cess initiated.Three land acquisition transactions

have been completed. These encom-passed approximately 6,000 acres at acost of nearly $2.7 million.

The DNR is currently negotiatingwith several coal companies to developlong-term agreements for the futurepurchase of large tracts in severalphases over the next three to fouryears. The funding needed to securethe most attractive tracts of minelandproperty for recreational uses over thenext four years is $21 million.

The DNR places a high priority onobtaining tracts of reclaimed mine land.Without quick action, these largeparcels will be divided, sold and maynever again be available for public use.

Prepared by Michael Ellis, Division of Fish andWildlife

demonstrations and cooking classes.Although no license is needed

during free fishing weekend of June10-11, all other fishing regulationsare still in effect.

Individuals who need reasonablemodifications for effective participationin Free Fishing Weekend events shouldcontact the property at least 72 hours

before the event. Or, call the Divisionof Fish and Wildlife ADA coordinatorat 317/232-4080 (voice and TDD).

Hovey Lake FWA and the EvansvilleCourier/Press newspaper sponsor akids fishing day at Evansville’s GarvinPark on July 4.

Call the property nearest you forcomplete details.

• Atterbury Fish and Wildlife Area,Edinburgh, 812/526-2051

• Brown County State Park, Nashville,812/988-7185

• Cagles Mill Lake (Lieber SRA), Cloverdale,765/795-4576

• Cecil M. Harden Lake (Raccoon SRA),Rockville, 765/344-1412

• Chain O’ Lakes State Park, Albion,219/636-2654

• Countryside Park, Portage Parks andPortage WalMart, 219/762-1675

• Deam Lake State Recreation Area, Borden,812/246-5421

• Elkhart County’s Oxbow County Park,219/535-6458.

• Falls of the Ohio State Park, Jeffersonville,812/280-9970

• Fort Harrison State Park, Indianapolis,317/591-0122

• Glendale Fish and Wildlife Area,Montgomery, 812/644-7711

• Hardy Lake, Scottsburg, 812/794-3800• Hoosier National Forest at Sundance Lake,

812/275-5987• Hoosier National Forest at Derby Quarry,

812/275-5987• Hot Pond Park, Lebanon Parks

Department, 765/482-8860• Huntington Lake SRA, Huntington,

219/468-2165• Mississinewa Lake, Peru, 765/473-6528• Monroe Lake, Bloomington, 812/837-9546• Oubache State Park, Bluffton

219/824-0926• Patoka Lake, Birdseye, 812/685-2447

• Potato Creek State Park, North Liberty,219/656-8186

• Salamonie Lake, Andrews, 219/468-2124• Shakamak State Park, Jasonville,

812/665-2158• Starve Hollow State Recreation Area,

Vallonia, 812/358-3464• Summit Lake State Park, New Castle,

765/766-5873• Versailles State Park, Versailles,

812/689-6424• Whitewater State Park, Liberty,

765/458-5565• Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area,

Morocco, 219/285-2704• Wyandotte Wood SRA, Corydon,

812/738-8234• Yellowwood State Forest, Nashville, 812/988-7945

Free Fishing Weekend Events

Reclaimed mine lands provide tremendous recreational opportunities for Hoosiers

11

focus on

Becoming an Outdoors Woman

Women learn archery skills at the St Paul, Ind. spring BOW workshop.

Jomary Crary of Indianapolis examines a turtle found while exploring the Flatrock river at a BOW workshop inSt. Paul, Ind.

The New Year has “comeand gone” ___ how manyresolutions have alreadybeen forgotten? If youhave resolved to de-stress,experience the outdoors,make at least one newfriend, or just plain “have agood time,” then registeringfor a 2000-Becoming anOutdoors-Woman (BOW)weekend workshop willalmost guar-antee at leastone realized resolution.

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman is a national programdesigned primarily forwomen. It’s a great oppor-tunity for anyone 18 years ofage or older to learn outdoorskills usually associatedwith hunting, fishing andother outdoor pursuits.

BOW offers a variety ofclasses from fly fishing, rif-lery, archery, game cleaning,and Dutch oven cooking, tooutdoor photography, orient-eering, and canoeing.

Learn new skills or honeyour outdoor skills in a non-stressful setting. With safetytraining and hands-onexperience, you will be ableto handle anything fromguns, to hooks, to rappellingdown a cliff.

Last October, graduatesfrom the beginning back-packing/camping class usedtheir newly acquired skillsto hike and camp in thebackcountry of Morgan-Monroe State Forest. Eightwomen and their guide tra-versed the Morgan-Monroe Low GapTrail without mishap. The hikers dinedon Dutch oven lasagna, tossed salad,Italian bread and cookies. The back-packing trip was the first IndianaBeyond BOW event offered. After thetrek, one participant said, “It tookme farther than I actually thought I

could go!”Two BOW workshops are scheduled

in 2000, May 5-7 in St. Paul, Ind., andJune 9-11 in Ft. Wayne. Both work-shops offer similar activities, but eachone has its own unique regional flair.

For more information, contactJennifer Kane by phone at 317/232-

4699, or e-mail to jkane@dnr.state.in.us. You can also check out the BOWprogram at www.state.in.us/dnr/. Theregistration form can be accessedthrough the website. Workshops fillup fast so register early.

Prepared by Jennifer Kane, Division of Hear-ings

12

BULK RATEU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDINDIANAPOLIS, IN

PERMIT #7429

Division of Fish and WildlifeDepartment of Natural Resources402 W. Washington St., Room W273Indianapolis, IN 46204317/232-4080

Address Correction Requested

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

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Find out where the fish are biting,how to spot rare wild birds, and how thisyear’s deer season is shaping up – all throughWild Bulletin, a FREE e-mail informationservice offered by the DNR Division of Fishand Wildlife. Wild Bulletin provides frequentupdates about Indiana’s natural resourcesand recreation through e-mail. Sign on toreceive information about hunting andfishing season dates, regulation updates, wildlifeand fisheries research status reports, tips onwildlife watching and reminders aboutIMPORTANT DATES for Hoosier outdoorenthusiasts. You’ll also get updates about newinformation available on the DNR web page. To subscribe to Wild Bulletin, sendan e-mail to: majordomo@ai.org with themessage body: subscribe wildbulletin<your e-mail address> Leave the subject ofthe message blank. To subscribe to Wild Bulletin on theDNR web site, go to:www.state.in.us/dnr/fishwild/index.htm