Patoka Lake wildlife management staff have selected the 2017-18 special waterfowl hunt dates for the property’s waterfowl resting areas (WRAs). Patoka contains three WRAs, including waters east of Walls Boat Ramp, the Allen Creek area and the Sycamore Creek area.

The Sycamore Creek area will remain a closed waterfowl resting area from Nov. 1, 2017-Feb. 1, 2018. The Sycamore Creek area will be closed to waterfowl hunting, fishing, trapping and all boating.

Waters east of Walls Boat Ramp and the Allen Creek area will be open to waterfowl hunting, fishing, trapping and boating on select days from Nov. 1-Feb. 1. The open dates are:

•Sept. 9-24: Special teal

•Oct. 28-29: Youth waterfowl hunting days (ducks, geese, mergansers and coots)

•Nov. 4-5 and 11-12: Southern zone ducks, geese, coots and mergansers

•Nov. 22-24: Southern zone geese

•Dec. 2, 5, 8, 11, 18, 24, 28 and 31: Southern zone ducks, geese, coots and mergansers

•Jan. 3, 6, 9, 12 and 20-21: Southern zone ducks, geese, coots and mergansers

•Jan. 24, 27-28 and 31: Southern zone geese

Patoka Lake lies within Indiana’s “south zone” for waterfowl hunting. Hunters must use the self-service hunter check stations around Patoka Lake. Hunter check-in cards must be turned in daily, even if no birds are harvested.

Special regulations, state and federal game stamps and licenses and nontoxic shot are all required by law to hunt migratory waterfowl. Shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Maps for check stations, maps of the waterfowl resting areas and other information about Patoka Lake are available at the Patoka Lake main office. For more information, call 812-685-2464 between 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Patoka Lake is located at 3084 N. Dillard Road, Birdseye, IN 47513.

Chili cook-off at Summit Lake State Park

Hayrides, crafts, games and a chili cook-off highlight the Summit Lake State Park Fall Festival on Sept. 23. The event begins at 10 a.m. at the beach parking lot with hayrides, games, crafts and vendors, until 2 p.m. Hayrides cost $1 per person.

A chili competition runs from 4-6 p.m. at the campground host site. Participants should have their chili ready at the campground host site at 4 p.m. All visitors are invited to taste test the chili and vote on their favorite. Prizes will be awarded to the top three.

Participation is free after the standard gate fee of $7 per in-state vehicle and $9 per out-of-state vehicle. For more information, call 765-766-5873 or visit www.stateparks.IN.gov/2967.htm

Summit Lake State Park is located at 5993 N. Messick Road, New Castle, IN 47362.

‘Fall Into Archery’ at Raccoon SRA

Here’s a chance to learn to shoot a bow at Raccoon State Recreation Area’s (SRA) Fall into Archery program on Sept. 23. The program runs from 10 a.m.-noon at the property’s controlled outdoor range. It will be taught by qualified instructors.

Raccoon SRA will provide bows, arrows and targets. Participants should meet at the practice field down the path to the left of the rules board on the archery trail. Limited parking is available next to the gatehouse. Archery trail maps are available at the gatehouse.

Raccoon SRA is located at 1588 S. Raccoon Parkway, Rockville, IN 47872.

Autumn owls workshop at Ouabache State Park

Learn about owls and ways to help with their conservation at the Autumn Owls Workshop at Ouabache State Park on Sept. 23. The workshop runs from 2-5:30 p.m. at Campview Shelter in the middle of Campground A.

Participants may attend as many workshop activities as they like. The activities are:

•2 p.m. – Ouabache Owls: Learn about three common owls in Indiana; meet live owls up close; and make an owl call to take home.

•3:30 p.m. – What a Hoot: Play is a game combining tag with true-false trivia questions about nature. All ages are welcome.

•4:30 p.m. – In Your Own Backyard: Build a screech owl nest box to take home. Each family should register in advance by contacting interpretive naturalist Teresa Rody at trody@dnr.IN.gov or 260-468-2127; cost per family is $15. Supplies are limited.

Regular park entrance fees of $7 per in-state vehicle and $9 per out-of-state vehicle apply. The workshop is free and does not require registration except for the screech owl box building activity. Ouabache State Park is located at 4930 E. St. Rd. 201, Bluffton, IN 46714.

Lunch with Nature at Paynetown SRA

Monroe Lake’s popular Lunch with Nature series continues this fall with sessions on fish anatomy, tree squirrels and weather folklore. Attendees are encouraged to bring a sack lunch to eat during the main presentation. Afterward, there is usually a short hike or activity further exploring the topic.

Each 90-minute session is limited to 14 people. The programs are free, but require advance registration. Sessions take place at Paynetown SRA; they are:

•“Inside a Fish” with Indiana Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist Dave Kittaka, Sept. 25 at 11 a.m. Register by Sept. 22 at www.bit.ly/lwnsep2017

•Tree squirrels, Oct. 30 at 11 a.m. Register by Oct. 26 at www.bit.ly/lwnoct2017

•Weather folklore, Nov. 27 at 11 a.m. Register by Nov. 24 at www.bit.ly/lwnnov2017

For more information, contact Jill Vance, Monroe Lake interpretive naturalist, at jvance@dnr.IN.gov or 812-837-9967. The entrance fee for Paynetown SRA is $7 per in-state vehicle and $9 per out-of-state vehicle through October. Entrance is free for the November session.

Paynetown SRA on Monroe Lake is located at 4850 South State Road 446, Bloomington, IN 47401.

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.