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Florida poachers caught taking Indiana deer antlers

On Dec. 1 while responding to an early morning complaint from an alert citizen, Indiana conservation officers from the Department of Natural Resources apprehended two men on deer poaching charges in Switzerland County.

Lee Hunter, 43, of Perry, Fla., and Bobby Futch, 41, of Steinhatchee, Fla., were each charged with four counts of illegally taking deer and one count of using a spotlight to illegally take deer. The violations are Class C misdemeanors.

Hunter and Futch entered guilty pleas Dec. 3 in Switzerland County Circuit Court and face fines, court costs and $500 reimbursement per deer, along with the forfeiture of the firearm used in the violations.

The citizen who contacted law enforcement officials by phone after hearing gunfire from a nearby highway provided a vehicle description, direction of travel and a critical piece of information: One of the suspects had exited the vehicle on foot.

A short time later, officers from the Vevay Police Department and Switzerland County Sheriff’s Department observed a spotlight being shined from the suspect vehicle. They stopped the vehicle and found the driver, Hunter, in possession of a .22 magnum rifle and spotlight.

While interviewing Hunter, officers learned his accomplice was on foot, intending to cut the head off of a whitetail buck they had just shot. Indiana Conservation Officer Steve Kinne located a freshly killed, headless deer carcass near the scene, as well as a saw and the severed deer head.

With assistance from Switzerland County deputies and K-9 units, Kinne determined Futch’s direction of travel. Futch, who had fled on foot, was contacted via Hunter’s cell phone and convinced to surrender to law enforcement officers.

Further investigation revealed the two men illegally killed an additional six deer in Indiana during November.

“They weren’t killing the deer for the meat or for profit, but just for the antlers,” Kinne said. “It was just so they could take the antlers back to Florida and brag about the big deer they shot. The meat was going to waste.”

He credited interagency cooperation for making “a world of difference” in the investigation. Units assisting officers were the Vevay Police Department, Switzerland County Sheriff’s Department and Indiana State Police.

Citizens are encouraged to call the Turn-In-A-Poacher hotline if they suspect illegal fish and wildlife activity or polluting. The toll-free number is 800-TIP-IDNR (847-4367). Reports also can be made online at www.TIP.IN.gov

Studies could improve glacial lake fishing
Fisheries, and fishing in several northern Indiana glacial lakes, might improve in coming years thanks to the findings of biologists from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and researchers from Purdue University.

Last May, the groups worked together, studying Adams (LaGrange), Crooked (Noble) and Dewart (Kosciusko) lakes and Lake Maxinkuckee (Marshall).  The group also collected data from Robinson (Whitley), Knapp (Noble) and Cree (Noble) lakes.
Preliminary results show the area separating the warm, well-oxygenated upper-water layer from the cool, oxygen-depleted layer below, a divider known as the thermocline, ranged between 16-22 feet deep in all the lakes studied.

“Knowing where the thermocline is and how it changes over time helps us determine where to set our sampling gear to obtain accurate estimates of fish populations and better manage the resource for anglers,” said Steve Donabauer, an assistant fisheries research biologist with the DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Observations also showed the upper and lower water layers began to mix in autumn, a process known as fall turnover, which started near the end of September in shallow lakes such as Cree, where the maximum depth is 26 feet. Fall turnover replenishes oxygen and nutrients throughout an entire water column of the lake, making deeper parts of a lake more habitable to fish.

“Only the deepest lakes have yet to turnover,” Donabauer said. “Crooked Lake is 109 feet deep and it still has a well-defined thermocline present at 55 feet.”

Historical records indicate the fall turnover typically occurs near the end of November in Crooked, but Donabauer said he thinks the lake won’t turnover until the middle of December this year.
“Fall turnover is usually a difficult time for anglers because fish spread out into deeper habitats not previously occupied during the warm-water season,” said Nate Thomas, an assistant fisheries biologist with the DNR’s Division of Fish and Wildlife. “A few weeks after turnover, fishing will get better as fish again concentrate in more predictable habitats such as channels, shallow bays, along drop-offs and near underwater islands.”

Any management changes will occur after the final report is made available in late 2010.

State park passes ideal for Christmas gifts
Not sure what gift to buy for your someone special? Get the 2010 Annual Gate Pass from Indiana State Parks and Reservoirs.
The pass allows entrance to all Indiana state parks and reservoir for the entire 2010 year. For Indiana residents, the cost is $36 and the Golden Hoosier annual gate pass (for ages 65 and up) is $18.
“An annual pass is the perfect gift. It’s ideal for anyone who uses the park often or who is looking to travel and visit any of the 33 wonderful Indiana state parks and reservoirs,” said Angie Manuel, interpretive naturalist at Mounds State Park.

The 2010 pass can be purchased at any state park or reservoir main office (call for hours).

Other gift ideas include the DNR Camping gift card, which can be purchased by calling the central reservation system at 866-6CampIN (622-67460), and the Indiana State Park Inn Gift Certificate, which can be purchased by calling 877-LODGES1 (563-4371).

State park inns’ wintertime two-for-one special
You can do the “inn thing” this winter by taking advantage of two-for-one rates at Indiana state park inns. The offer is valid at the seven inns throughout the state now through Feb. 25, 2010, for Sunday-Thursday only, two consecutive nights only.

The offer is subject to availability and cannot be combined with any other offer. The dates of Dec. 20-31, 2009, are excluded from the offer. For reservations call 877-LODGES 1 (563-4371) or see www.IndianaInns.com

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments may contact Jack Spaulding by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.

12/16/2009