Youth hunters can apply for reserved turkey hunts during the special youth wild turkey hunting season, April 21-22, on selected Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) properties. They must be younger than age 18 on the day of the hunt.

Participating Fish & Wildlife Areas (FWAs) are Atterbury, Chinook, Crosley, Deer Creek, Fairbanks Landing, Glendale, Goose Pond, Hillenbrand, Hovey Lake, Jasper-Pulaski, Kankakee, Kingsbury, LaSalle, Pigeon River, Roush Lake, Sugar Ridge, Tri-County, Wabashiki, Willow Slough and Winamac. Two participating reservoir properties are Mississinewa and Salamonie.

A limit will be placed on the number of youth hunters allowed to hunt a property on each day. Registration runs through March 30. Interested hunters or adults representing them must register in person or by phone during office hours for the property they wish to hunt. Hunters can register for only one property.

Young hunters wanting to sign up for Chinook or Wabashiki hunts should do so at Deer Creek FWA. Hunters wanting to sign up for Fairbanks Landing or Hillenbrand hunts should do so at Goose Pond FWA.

At properties where the number of registered hunters exceeds the spots available, a drawing will be held on April 2. A youth hunter may be drawn for either one or both hunt days, depending on the number of applicants. All applicants will be notified of drawing results by mail.

Applicants must possess a 2018 youth consolidated hunting and trapping license, a 2018 non-resident youth spring turkey license with a gamebird habitat stamp privilege or lifetime comprehensive hunting license. Apprentice hunting licenses of the types named above may also be used.

To register a youth for one of the hunts, the following information is needed: hunter’s name, type of license and license number, date(s) in which applying, mailing address, phone number and parent or guardian’s name, address and phone number.

Hunts will be conducted one-half hour before sunrise until noon at properties in the Central Time Zone, and one-half hour before sunrise until 1 p.m. on properties in the Eastern Time Zone.

Youth hunters who are selected for the hunt may check in at any time each day until the end of legal hunting hours for the property. Properties will not have a daily “no-show” drawing. Hunters interested in possible unfilled quotas at a property should call the property for more information before showing up.

During youth wild turkey season, hunters younger than age 18 on the day of the hunt can take a bearded or male wild turkey. The youth must be accompanied by someone 18 or older.

The youth hunter may use any legal shotgun, bow or crossbow. The adult accompanying the youth hunter must not possess a firearm, bow or crossbow while in the field. The adult does not need to possess a turkey hunting license unless the youth is using an apprentice license, or unless the adult is calling turkeys.

Phone numbers for information or to register at a specific property are:

•Atterbury 812-526-2051

•Crosley 812-346-5596

•Deer Creek 765-653-0453

•Glendale 812-644-771

•Goose Pond 812-512-9185

•Hovey Lake 812-838-2927

•Jasper-Pulaski 219-843-4841

•Kankakee 574-896-3522

•Kingsbury 219-393-3612

•Pigeon River 260-367-2164

•Roush 260-468-2165

•Sugar Ridge 812-789-2724

•Tri-County 574-834-4461

•Winamac 574-946-4422

•Willow Slough 219-285-2704

•Salamonie 260-468-2125

•Mississinewa 765-473-6528

•LaSalle 219-992-3019

Line crews install osprey platforms

When ospreys return to Patoka Lake this spring, they will find new nesting platforms, courtesy of Dubois County Rural Electric Cooperative (REC). The REC donated four platforms and volunteered the labor to install them. The 30-foot platforms will serve as a safe place for osprey to nest away from live power lines.

“It was fun and something different,” said Jacob Durcholz, a lineman with REC. “We don’t get to do this kind of project every day, so we really enjoyed it.”

Ospreys are abundant at Patoka Lake, which created a demand for more platforms. Traditionally, ospreys nested in large, dead trees overlooking water. Power lines along waterways are also appealing to the birds but are dangerous.

In 2017, an osprey pair built nests on power poles along State Road 164 near the lake, according to Patoka Lake wildlife specialist Brian Finch.

“These platforms draw birds from unsafe areas with power lines and create educational opportunities for the Patoka Lake community and our visitors,” he said. “We are lucky to have a local cooperative willing to help with some of our conservation initiatives.”

Two of the nesting structures are at the intersection of SRs 145 and 164. One is along SR 164 near the Crawford-Dubois county line. Another is at the South Lick Fork State Recreation Area boat ramp.

2018 annual licenses, stocking

Annual fishing and hunting licenses are now available for purchase. Remember 2017 annual fishing and hunting licenses expire on March 31. If you purchased your license online last year, just log into your account, confirm your information and purchase your new licenses.

Indiana residents may also purchase a Hunt/Fish Combo license for just $8 more. Not only can you hunt and fish for just a few dollars more, but the DNR receives $58 in federal funds going directly back into conservation to help us continue to provide opportunities for hunting, fishing and other wildlife recreation activities.

Helpful tip: Snap a photo of your license on your phone and carry your phone with the license on it with you while hunting and/or fishing – no need to print out your license to keep with you. I personally made a miniature copy of my Lifetime Fishing License, laminated it and carry it in my wallet.

State fish hatchery personnel will begin stocking rainbow trout in select lakes throughout the state this month. Dates and times will vary depending on weather, but stockings are expected to be completed by mid-April.

Stream stockings will occur later in April, closer to the opening day of the stream trout season on April 28. Anglers are reminded in addition to a regular fishing license, a trout and salmon stamp is required to fish for trout.

New deer management survey

The Deer Research Program now has an online survey capability. The survey will allow the DNR to survey hunters and other Indiana residents who have an interest in deer management on a frequent basis.

Indiana DNR has been incorporating opinions of hunters and landowners into management decisions since the early 1990s. However, in past years only a random selection of hunters and landowners could be surveyed because of the high cost and logistics of conducting paper surveys.

Many hunters complained they had never received a survey and felt their opinion was not being heard. With the new capability, everyone can provide input on a regular basis.

Hunters and anglers who purchase licenses on a regular basis will receive an invitation to complete the survey in their email. Hunters who use a landowner exemption or have a lifetime license should make a special effort to create an online account with the DNR to ensure they receive the various surveys to be sent.

If you would like to receive a survey, visit the DNR Fish & Wildlife online services page through www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild and ensure your contact information is correct. If you do not have an account, you will be able to set up a free account.

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.