With deer firearm hunting season just around the corner, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Law Enforcement’s Conservation officers want to remind hunters that Indiana officers will be watching for violators of the fair chase law, specifically as it applies to baiting.

Despite heavy commercial promotion on some hunting television shows, extensive sales of such products at some sporting goods stores and evidence of the use of the products on some DNR properties, baiting for the purposes of hunting deer remains illegal. “Bait” is best described as anything a deer or other wildlife might ingest or lick.

“It has been a longstanding practice for our officers to enforce the hunting over bait rule,” said Lt. Mark Farmer, public information officer for DNR Law Enforcement. “Gaining an advantage over your quarry by the use of a food or mineral product is illegal.

“The definition of hunting over bait is, if a hunter could take an animal while visiting the bait site, with the firearm or archery equipment that the hunter is hunting with at the time, it would be considered hunting over bait.”

It is legal to place food products or mineral blocks in the wild, but hunting near them is illegal.

“If a person had put out a feeder or other bait during the summer months to attract wildlife to his property, it must be totally removed 10 days prior to the opening of the hunting season before a hunter could legally hunt in that area,” Farmer said.

Odor differs from bait. Deer lures in the form of scents are legal to use when hunting.

“Basically, if you place corn, apples, salt or mineral blocks or anything that isn’t grown in the area and hunt there, it’s illegal,” Farmer said. “Hunting from an apple tree is legal, but placing apples under your tree stand would place you in conflict with current Indiana law.”

Violators apprehended while hunting over bait will face a Class C misdemeanor charge, and upon conviction could face criminal penalties of up to a $500 fine, 60 days incarceration and possible loss of hunting equipment upon conviction.

Small game hunting seasons

The statewide small game seasons, which are a big deal to Hoosier hunters who hunt rabbit, pheasant and quail, opened Nov. 6.

The statewide cottontail rabbit season runs until Feb. 15, 2010. At Atterbury, Blue Grass, Chinook, Crosley, Fairbanks Landing, Glendale, Hillenbrand, Hovey Lake, Jasper-Pulaski, Kankakee, Kingsbury, LaSalle, Minnehaha, Sugar Ridge, Splinter Ridge, Pigeon River, Tri-County, Wilbur Wright, Willow Slough and Winamac Fish and Wildlife Areas (FWAs) and Brookville, Hardy, Mississinewa, Monroe, Patoka, Roush and Salamonie lakes, the season closes Jan. 31. The statewide limit on rabbits is five per day, while the possession limit is 10.

“Areas of the state that had significant flooding this past spring may see a decline in the local cottontail population, but most of the state should see improving numbers. Cottontail numbers should be as good as or better than last year’s harvest of 196,633 rabbits,” said Budd Veverka, DNR farmland game research biologist.

Pheasant season takes place Nov. 6-Dec. 20. The bag limit is two and the possession limit is four. Only male pheasants (cock) may be shot. Males are bright in color, while females are varying shades of light brown.

“Pheasant numbers remain low, but stable. I expect a similar harvest to last year’s 6,300 wild pheasants,” Veverka said.

Quail season is divided into two regions. North of Indiana 26, the season runs to Dec. 20 and the limit is five per day. South of Indiana 26, it runs to Jan. 15 and the limit is eight per day.

“Quail numbers remain low and continue to decline statewide,” Veverka said.  “Southwest Indiana, typically the best region for quail, has seen a significant decline in the quail population this year, according to both spring whistle counts and fall covey counts. I expect the harvest to be significantly lower this year than the 20,500 quail harvested in 2008.”

Small-game hunters must abide by hunter orange requirements when in the field. All small-game hunters must possess a valid hunting license. Pheasant and quail hunters must also possess a game bird habitat stamp.

Quail rule changes

Hoosiers planning to hunt quail this season should make note of the changes in season dates, hunting hours and bag limits for seven state FWAs for 2008 to remain in effect, and to also be extended to four additional FWAs and one public fishing area in southwestern Indiana.

The long-term decline of bobwhite quail populations prompted the original rules and the addition of new properties.

In northwestern Indiana, quail hunting will be allowed at Jasper-Pulaski, Willow Slough and Winamac FWAs through Nov. 29, with a daily bag limit of two birds. All other areas north of Indiana 26 will be open to Dec. 20, with a bag limit of five birds.

In southwestern Indiana, the quail season dates at Blue Grass, Chinook, Fairbanks Landing, Glendale, Goose Pond, Hillenbrand, Minnehaha and Sugar Ridge FWAs and Green Valley Public Fishing Area will remain through Jan. 15, but hunting hours at these areas will be restricted to 9 a.m.-3 p.m. EST from Dec. 15-Jan. 15. The daily bag limit at all of these areas will be limited to four birds.
All other areas south of Indiana 26 will be open to Jan. 15 with a bag limit of eight birds.

Harsh winter storms in the late 1970s took a brutal toll on Indiana’s quail population, and a widespread lack of suitable habitat hampered the bird’s ability to rebound. Even so, quail numbers in Indiana were already declining before 1978 for the same reason – lack of habitat.

Habitat loss and harsh weather have created small, isolated bobwhite quail populations, which have trouble sustaining themselves under normal ecological limiting factors.

“The concept here is to relieve some of the pressure on these small, isolated quail populations so we can provide a sustainable harvest,” said Wayne Bivans, Wildlife Section Chief for the DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife. “The belief is this will allow the quail numbers to rebound quicker and be less susceptible to other factors like severe weather.”

DNR biologists recently completed fall covey counts to estimate current quail populations at state FWAs. The baseline data will be combined with future research in an ongoing process to determine if additional restrictions on season dates and bag limits will be necessary to reach sustainable harvest goals.

Sandhill crane migration

Each fall, tens of thousands of Sandhill cranes visit the Jasper-Pulaski FWA’s shallow marshes during their southern migration. During what is described as Indiana’s largest wildlife spectacle, the Jasper-Pulaski FWA hosts up to 30,000 cranes a day.
Indiana Dunes State Park is planning its second annual field trip Nov. 14 to see the cranes of Jasper-Pulaski FWA. The $20 fee includes a program, bus ride and snacks. Participants will leave the Indiana Dunes State Park Nature Center at 2 p.m. and should return around 6 p.m.

Individuals interested in joining the tour may register by calling 219-926-1390.

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