Indiana conservation officers are encouraging citizens to partner with the Turn in a Poacher (TIP) program and become active in putting an end to poaching. TIP is a nonprofit organization begun in 1983 for the purpose of paying rewards to promote public involvement and assistance to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Law Enforcement effort.

TIP is administered by a citizens advisory board consisting of members representing many different sportsmen organizations.

“Concerned citizens are the main reason why Indiana TIP has been successful in fighting against poaching and bringing justice to those who violate Fish and Wildlife laws,” said TIP citizens advisory board President Joe Cales. “Poaching affects us all.”

Since 2011 TIP has received 1,388 tips and has paid $13,100 in rewards for tips leading to the arrest of suspects. TIP was instrumental in funding the beginning of the nationally recognized K-9 resource protection program for the Indiana DNR Law Enforcement Division.

“The Turn in a Poacher organization and its members continue to be a great supporter of the mission of the DNR Law Enforcement Division,” said Director Danny East. “Our success is greatly increased by the support of our citizens and sportsmen organizations.”

Interested citizens may join TIP by visiting its website at www.in.gov/dnr/lawenfor/2745.htm

To report Fish and Wildlife violations and remain anonymous, citizens are encouraged to use the TIP line by calling 800-TIP-IDNR (847-4367).

Indiana Dunes Sandhill

crane field trip

A field trip organized by Indiana Dunes State Park to view the annual Sandhill crane migration at Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area (FWA) will be Nov. 15. Participants who have registered in advance should meet at the Indiana Dunes State Park nature center at 2 p.m. CST.

Participants will hear a short introduction about the history and status of cranes in Indiana and then board a bus to Jasper-Pulaski FWA to view up to 20,000 cranes as they head for their evening roost. The trip will return to the nature center around 6 p.m.

The trip leader is Brad Bumgardner, Indiana Dunes State Park interpretive naturalist. Cost for the field trip is $20 for adults and $5 for children younger than 18. Participation is free for children younger than 3. Space is limited, and advance registration is required.

The trip includes the special program, light refreshments, travel to and from Jasper-Pulaski and the state park entrance fee. For more information and to register, call 219-926-1390. Indiana Dunes State Park is located at 1600 North 25 E. Chesterton, IN 46304.

Tree stand placement tips

With deer season in full swing and the firearms season approaching, tree stands are going up all over forests and wood lots in Indiana. Mossy Oak Gamekeepers offers a few tips to help get the tree stand hunter “on target.”

Many hunters have questions about tree stand placement. “How high do you go in the tree?” is one of the most asked on the topic. Every situation is different, and there aren’t any rules where there aren’t exceptions; however, there are some general practices for most situations when placing a tree stand.

•Play the wind and thermal. Once you have your general area selected, pay heed to the wind and thermal current in the area. You want to remain downwind or cross-wind of where you think the deer will be. This is the most important of the six tips.

•Place your stand high. Every situation is different, but, in most cases you’re best to place your stand as high as you can go in a tree without limiting your shot opportunities. If you’re uncomfortable with heights, go as high as you dare. Getting up the tree higher usually lets you see further, makes it harder for the deer to see you and, most importantly, your scent isn’t concentrated at their “nose level.”

•Use the available cover. This kind of goes hand-in-hand with tree stand height – in a bald tree you’re more likely to go higher than in a tree with good cover. Look for trees losing their foliage late, clusters of trees or trees with a “Y” in the trunk for concealment.

•Use the sun. Determine where the sun will be when you want to hunt the site. Do you like to look into the sun? Neither does a deer! In fact, we have a UV filter over our eyes; a whitetail doesn’t.

•Pick a tree easy to climb, or make it easy to climb the tree you’ve chosen. If you have a great spot but you alert every deer within 400 yards by making a commotion while climbing your stand, your great spot will go for naught. Use enough tree-steps or climbing sticks so you can scale the tree easily, safely and quietly.

•Prepare the site to make the shot. So, you have a good spot, you have a stand in the perfect ambush tree – but what happens if a deer walks through and there’s no way you can take a shot? Take the time to trim some shooting lanes or windows so you can take an unencumbered shot or sneak an arrow through when the moment of truth arrives.

Remember, there’s also nothing wrong with a good ground blind. But with whitetails you’ll need to set the blind well in advance of the hunt or “brush it in” well and camouflage the blind to blend in with the surroundings.

More whitetails are harvested by archers using tree stands than by any other method. If you choose a stand you feel safe in and use the basic tree stand placement rules, you’ll be on your way to harvesting more deer, bigger bucks and maybe a trophy of a lifetime.

Along with the army of tree stand hunters come the accidents, as well. Indiana conservation officers would like to remind hunters of the importance of tree stand safety. Tree stand falls are the most common type of accident reported each season. Always wear a safety harness when hunting from a tree stand to prevent injury should you fall.

Although Indiana law does not prohibit it, do not consume alcohol while hunting. Finally, always check the condition of stands prior to hunting from them to verify they are secure and free of defects.

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 email at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.