There is an opportunity for sportsmen to learn to trap during a free Trapper Education Course at Salamonie Lake’s interpretive center, Sept. 30-Oct. 1. The program is hosted by property staff and Indiana conservation officers and will focus on trappers of all ages, though youth trappers are encouraged to attend.

Registration is open, and individuals interested should register soon. The deadline is Sept. 29.

The program will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30 with education on conservation, trapping issues, ethics and regulations. Saturday afternoon, participants will set traps under supervision.

Traps will be left overnight and checked the next morning. Furbearers caught will be used in skinning and fleshing demonstrations.

Free camping is available for all course attendees on Friday and Saturday nights at the Lost Bridge West Youth Campground, within walking distance of the interpretive center. Lunch will be provided both days.

The program will end by 4:30 p.m. each day. Participants do not need a trapping license. Entrance fees will be waived for participants. To register online, visit register-ed.com/programs/Indiana

For more information, or to register by phone, call 260-468-2127. Participants must attend both days and complete a brief exam to receive the DNR Trapper Education Certification. Participants should bring waterproof knee boots or waders and should dress for the weather. Salamonie Lake (stateparks.IN.gov/2952.htm) is at 9214 West-Lost Bridge West, Andrews, 46702.

Pheasant put-and-take hunt

Reservations for put-and-take pheasant hunts on DNR properties started on Sept. 1 and will be accepted until midnight on Nov. 25.

DNR staff will be available when customers are online reserving hunts to give real-time customer service if hunters have questions or problems with the process.

Put-and-take hunting reservations are selected on a first-come, first-served basis. All hunting days will start on a Saturday in mid- to late November.

Properties offering put-and-take hunts are Atterbury, Glendale, J.E. Roush Lake, Pigeon River, Tri-County, Willow Slough and Winamac fish & wildlife areas. The cost for put-and-take hunts is $28 per person, which is non-refundable.

Put-and-take pheasant hunters must register each day of their hunt at the property office. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m. local time. Put-and-take pheasant hunters may begin hunting at 9 a.m. local time.

Free entry on DNR properties

Admission to Indiana’s state park properties and state forest recreation areas where entrance fees are charged will be free on Sept. 30 in recognition of National Public Lands Day. National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands.

Volunteer opportunities at Indiana State Park properties on Sept. 30 include trail work at Raccoon State Recreation Area, Turkey Run State Park and Brookville Lake, invasive plant removals at Brown County, Spring Mill and Ouabache state parks, and river cleanups at O’Bannon Woods and Tippecanoe River state parks. Many other properties will offer similar volunteer opportunities.

National Public Lands Day isn’t all work and no play. The day is a reminder public lands are places for outdoor recreation, conservation and making memories with families and friends. Properties will offer hikes, pioneer activities, crafts and live bird shows, too.

For complete list of programs, visit calendar.dnr.IN.gov and look on Sept. 30. For more information on National Public Lands Day, visit PublicLandsDay.org

Record Fish of the Year

Anglers who reel in a large fish can now submit their Fish of the Year and Record Fish entries to the DNR online. A new online form allows anglers to fill out data quickly and email a photo and other documentation.

The application is available at wildlife.IN.gov/9453.htm

“It allows anglers to enter right from the field from any internet connected device,” said Michelle Cain, wildlife information specialist with the DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife. “We’re hoping that by making the process simpler we will get more entries this year.”

Indiana tracks big fish two ways. The State Record Fish program documents the largest fish by species ever caught in Indiana. The Fish of the Year program documents the largest fish by species caught in a given year. Size for State Record fish are determined by weight and length, whereas Fish of the Year entries are judged only by length.

Additional information on the programs, including general rules for submitting applications, is at wildlife.IN.gov/3577.htm

Anglers still may mail in a form and the information needed. A form is provided in the Fish Rules and Regulations Guide.

NRC approves nature preserve

The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) approved Ravinia Seeps Spring Nature Preserve in Morgan County as a new nature preserve. The move increases to 280 the number of state-designated sites protected by the Nature Preserves Act, which is 50 years old this year.

Ravinia Seeps Spring Nature Preserve is owned and operated by the DNR Division of Forestry. The preserve is in the Brown County Hills Section of the Highland Rim Natural Region and comprises 52.40 acres. It protects a geologically unique and biologically rich valley and associated uplands.

The site contains a valley filled with gravel, sand and other outwash deposited at the end of the Pleistocene Ice Age through the action of meltwaters, which formed a Northern wetlands complex at the extreme southern limit of the range in Indiana.

The preserve provides outstanding insect and amphibian habitat. Eastern box turtle has been observed in abundance. Two open sedge meadow prairie fens, each smaller than an acre, are present and contain plants like queen of the prairie and golden alexanders.

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.