A reassignment of salmon stocking to the St. Joseph River, Salt Creek, Trail Creek and the Little Calumet River by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) should provide more diverse fishing opportunities for Hoosier anglers in the Great Lakes area, particularly during fall.

The DNR will stock 60,000 fall fingerling Coho salmon into the St. Joseph River and 30,000 Coho into Salt Creek in Porter County this fall. Trail Creek and the Little Calumet River will annually receive approximately 75,000 Coho salmon.
The expanded Coho production was made possible by eliminating Chinook salmon from the St. Joseph River stocking program. There will be no net change in Coho salmon produced within Indiana hatcheries.

“With the declines in steelhead returns each summer/fall season on the St. Joe and with improved access on Salt Creek, it makes sense to move these fish in order to provide balanced fall fishing opportunities,” said Brian Breidert, DNR Lake Michigan fisheries biologist. “We will continue to evaluate the lake fishery as well as Coho returns on the St. Joseph River through the fish ladder passage program and creel surveys.”

Breidert said the DNR hopes for annual returns similar to 1997, when 6,400 fish returned from a single stocking of 75,000 Coho yearlings in 1996. The DNR also plans to continue to maintain the spring Coho fishery in Lake Michigan.
In 2002, Indiana DNR changed its Lake Michigan fish stocking program to better serve anglers. After an open comment period, anglers overwhelmingly supported a new stocking strategy for an increase in Coho salmon, a reduction in Chinook salmon, steady levels of steelhead and lake trout and, for the first time in 20 years, the addition of brown trout.

Indiana increased the annual Coho salmon stocking from 150,000 to 240,000 fish, while brown trout were obtained through a cooperative agreement with the Illinois DNR. Annually, Indiana DNR stocks nearly 35,000 brown trout into Indiana waters of Lake Michigan. The additional 90,000 Coho were stocked into Trail Creek and the Little Calumet River.

The numbers showed increasing stocking levels within the small tributaries in northwestern Indiana has little impact on fall harvest and returns.

Reserved hunt applications online
Hunters may apply for a reserved hunt online by visiting www.Indiana Outdoor.IN.gov and clicking on the “Register for a Reserved Hunt” link. The DNR no longer takes mailed applications, so the online method is the only way to apply.

All applicants must possess a valid hunting license for the hunt for which they apply. All applications must be completed by the application deadline to be eligible for the drawing.

Hunters will be selected through a random drawing. All drawing results will be posted at www.wildlife.IN.gov within a week after the following application deadlines:
Dove Hunt Dra
w – Online application must be completed by July 31.
Military/Refuge Firearm and Archery Deer Hunt Draw – Online application must be completed by Aug. 28. Hunts on Military/Refuge properties may be cancelled at any time.

State Park Deer Reduction Hunts – Online application must be completed by Aug. 28.

Youth Firearm Deer Hunt at the Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge – Online application must be completed by Aug. 28.
Pheasant Hunt Draw – Online application must be completed by Oct. 2. Adults should not apply for the Nov. 25 hunt, as it is reserved only for youth 17 and younger.

Applications for waterfowl draw hunts begin in late August. Pheasant put-and-take and state park goose will be available in September. For more information on military/refuge hunt opportunities, call 812-334-3795 from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays.

More information is available in the Hunting & Trapping Guide online at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/5834.htm

Kicking quail up a notch

“Kicking it up a notch” is one of the iconic sayings of the great Chef Emeril Lagasse. Emeril knows there are some foods requiring a little “something special” to put their taste over the top.

One outdoor fare I consider as having a need for something extra to lend more flavor is quail. A Southern gentleman, quail hunter and accomplished chef once told me how to fix quail: Simply start with a half-pound of smoke cured bacon and a cast iron skillet.

Fry the bacon and remove it, keep the grease and combine a little Canola oil. Dredge the quail and fry over medium heat in the mixture of bacon fat and Canola oil. The bacon fat imparts a mellow, smoky flavor to the very delicate quail.

Those who know me know I just can’t leave things alone. Like Emeril, I have to “kick it up a notch,” and I have a couple of variations I use in my quail recipe.
The dredge I use is 1/3 finely-ground self-rising white cornmeal, 1/3 enriched flour and 1/3 corn starch. The dredge is seasoned with just a little onion and garlic powder.

The quail are carefully cleaned of shot and any damaged meat is cut away. (Most of my hunting buddies will vouch that I put very few shot in my quail. Some say the lack of large quantities of shot is the mark of a poor marksman, but I say it is intentional on my part, and a great aid in the preparation for the culinary quest.)

Once thoroughly cleaned and rinsed, the backs are cut away and discarded and the breasts separated from the legs. Pat the quail pieces dry with a paper towel, place in a bowl and pour on a liberal dose of Louisiana Hot Sauce. Make sure all of the pieces have a nice coating of Louisiana’s finest, and sprinkle each piece with a little salt.

Start with the breast pieces first; dredge in the flour mixture and add them to an iron skillet with the bacon fat and Canola oil and fry over medium heat. Follow about 5 minutes later with the smaller leg pieces (to avoid overcooking) and fry with the breasts, under cover.

Keep the temperature around 340 degrees and turn the pieces occasionally until cooked through and golden brown. The mild taste of the Louisiana Hot Sauce (it’s not hot) and the crisp of the dredge brings an excellent layer of texture and flavor to the quail. The recipe works equally as well on pan fried chicken.

And now … another notch!

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 for Jack Spaulding may contact him by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.