Indiana, along with the rest of the country, celebrated National Hunting and Fishing Day last Saturday. The right introduction to hunting and fishing ensures a quality experience and the start to a lifetime of enjoyment.

Many of today’s hunters and anglers received their first introduction to the two sports from either family or friends as a tradition passed down from generation to generation. A young person’s memories of taking the first deer or landing the “big one” that didn’t get away lasts a lifetime.

To help create such memories, Indiana celebrated the special day with a two-day event providing young licensed hunters (ages 15 and younger), accompanied by an adult, the opportunity to take one antlerless deer in addition to all other tags for the remaining deer seasons.

A youth consolidated license requires the youth to have passed the hunter education course; however, the new apprentice hunting license allows a hunter of any age the opportunity to purchase a license without taking hunter education. Individuals with an apprentice hunter license must hunt with a licensed hunter who is older than 18, and must stay in contact with the adult hunter at all times.

Indiana hunters are limited to three apprentice licenses during their lifetime. The licenses allow plenty of time for young hunters to decide if they are going to continue hunting. If young hunters wish to continue, they must take a hunter education course.
Our nation’s 34 million hunters and anglers generate $100,000 every 30 minutes for fish, wildlife and habitat programs through license fees and excise taxes.

For hunting and fishing events in Indiana for youth, go to www.IN.gov/ dnr/fishwild/12485.htm
For more information about National Hunting and Fishing Day, go to http:// nhfday.org

Drivers – beware of deer

A few years ago, a good friend of mine got up long before dawn for the opening day of deer season. Jumping in his pickup truck, he headed toward Switzerland County. Little did he know he would be “successful” long before legal shooting hours arrived.
As he rounded a bend, a beautiful eight-point buck jumped out in front of his Ford. The crash killed the eight-pointer on impact and rendered the truck non-drivable. Even though the investigating officer could have issued a special permit, when the tow truck arrived, my friend simply pulled out his buck tag and placed it on his road-kill prize.

His reasoning? “I am only allowed one buck per year, the eight-point was mine even though I took it with a Ford F-100.” Needless to say, I consider him to be a real sportsman.

Vehicle collisions with deer during the fall are a reality of the season. The dwindling daylight hours as fall approaches increase a driver’s chance of hitting a deer for two simple reasons: deer are more active at night, and darkness at an earlier hour means more vehicles on the road when visibility is poor.

For those reasons, drivers need to be especially wary of deer in the coming weeks. Nearly 50 percent of all accidents involving whitetail deer occur between October and December, according to Chad Stewart, deer research biologist at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The most basic reason is the increase in deer activity.

With their breeding season approaching, deer become more active in the fall. The activity often leads them to encounter roads more frequently, increasing the opportunity for a collision. Factors such as deer density, vehicle density, surrounding habitat, speed limits and time of day are other contributors to accident frequency.

“With the number of deer and the number of vehicles out there, deer-vehicle accidents will happen,” Stewart said. “The best we can do is to take measures to keep them to a minimum.”

The best method to reduce your risk of hitting a deer is to practice defensive driving. Remembering the following information will help reduce your chances of becoming a deer-vehicle collision statistic:

•Fall is the most common season to strike a deer
•Deer are most active between sunset and sunrise
•Deer often travel in groups, so if you see one, another is likely nearby
•Operators need to drive especially carefully in areas where they have seen deer before, use high beams when there is no opposing traffic and scan for deer’s illuminated eyes or dark silhouettes along the side of the road
Precautionary methods include:
•If you see a deer, slow your speed drastically, even if it is far away
•Exercise extreme caution along woodlot edges, at hills or blind turns
•Never swerve to avoid missing a deer – most serious crashes occur when drivers try to miss a deer but hit something else

Drivers should pay attention to traffic signs warning of deer crossings, which they may be tempted to ignore, and they may want to steer clear of gimmicks claiming to offer protection.
“Deer crossing signs have proven effective, but motorists tend to get acclimated to such signs, and their efficiency can be reduced over time,” Stewart said.

He said even when practicing safe driving, sometimes hitting a deer is inevitable. Even if it happens, one thing does not change: Caution is still the best approach.

“If you hit a deer, remain calm,” he said. “Do not approach the deer unless you are sure it has expired. Despite the gentle nature of deer, their hooves are sharp and powerful, and can be extremely dangerous.”

Stewart said like cars and people, deer can be found anywhere, so drivers should be on the lookout everywhere.

“Whether you’re driving through a state or national forest, your developed neighborhood or inside the city limits of Indianapolis, keep your eye out,” he said. “Though a deer-vehicle accident can occur at any time of the day during any season, your chances of striking a deer are greatest at low-light conditions between October and December.

“Take additional caution during these times, lower your speed, and be alert.”

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers may contact Jack Spaulding by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.