Indiana’s 2010 spring turkey season starts today and runs through May 9. The bag limit is one bearded or male turkey for the entire spring season. Bag limits and licenses do not carry over to the separate fall season.

However, the annual game bird habitat stamp requirement is good for both spring and fall seasons during the same calendar year.
To legally hunt wild turkey, Indiana residents need a resident turkey hunting license and a valid game bird habitat stamp and a lifetime comprehensive hunting, a lifetime comprehensive hunting and fishing or a youth consolidated hunt/trap (which includes the game bird habitat stamp).

For information on non-resident wild turkey licenses, see page 4 of the state Hunting Guide at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/2343.htm
Turkeys may be hunted from ground level or from elevated stands. Turkeys can be called with mouth- or hand-operated calls. Artificial turkey decoys may be used. It is illegal to use or possess dogs, live decoys, electronically powered or controlled decoys and recorded calls when hunting turkeys.

It is illegal to hunt turkeys over bait. An area is considered baited for 10 days after removal of the bait.

Tagging: A temporary transportation tag is no longer provided with the turkey hunting license. All hunters must immediately tag the turkey with a paper stating the hunter’s name, complete address and date of kill before transporting it from the field.
The feathers and beard of a wild turkey must remain attached while the turkey is in transit from the site where taken. For fall turkeys, you must include the sex of the bird. A sample tag may be found at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild

Checking: If you are successful in bagging a turkey, you must have it checked at an official turkey check station within 48 hours of harvest or before leaving the state. While at the official turkey check station, you must attach a permanent transportation tag or seal provided at the check station. The tag or seal must remain on the turkey until processing begins.

See pages 32-37 of the Hunting Guide for a list of check stations or go online at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild and click on the “Hunting Guide” link.

Hunting hours: Wild turkeys may be hunted only from one-half hour before sunrise, to sunset. All fish and wildlife areas, J. Edward Roush, Mississinewa and Salamonie lakes have spring season hunting hours one-half hour before sunrise until noon for properties on Central Time and until 1 p.m. Eastern.

Safety tips: Indiana Conservation officers encourage all turkey hunters to review the following basic turkey hunting safety guidelines and laws before going afield:

•Do not load your firearm until ready to use. Always keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction, and keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.

•Always remember other hunters or people may be present in the area.
•Choose
a hunting position giving you a good field of view, not only of an approaching turkey, but also of other hunters who may be in the area.

•Call out or whistle to other hunters who may approach; never wave or stand up.

•Never wear clothing or use accessories with the colors red, white or blue. A gobbler turkey head can be any and all of the three colors.
•Always identify your target and what is beyond it before taking a shot. Never shoot at a movement or sound.

•Always use a flashlight when walking in the dark; it reduces the risk of being mistaken for game by an irresponsible hunter.
Crappie USA in Indiana

Crappie USA, Inc. will hold a qualifying event on Indiana’s Mississinewa, Salamonie and J. Edward Roush lakes on May 15. Anglers will be fishing for a 7-fish limit of crappie, which could net them a check along with the opportunity to advance to the Cabela’s Crappie USA Classic Tournament. The Classic will be held on Alabama’s Pickwick/ Wilson Lakes.

A pre-tournament seminar will be held May 14 at the National Guard Armory on Zahn Street in Huntington. Signup will begin at 5 p.m., with the meeting and a National Sponsor Field Test Product Drawing starting at 7 p.m. local time. The seminar is open to the public.

Anglers or the general public not fishing the event are encouraged to come to the meeting and meet some of the top crappie anglers in the region.

The tournament weigh-in will be held May 15 at the Salamonie State DNR (Department of Natural Resources) Ramp, (Mt. Etna Ramp) beginning at 3 p.m. The weigh-in will be the perfect opportunity for non-competitors to come and learn how the big ones are caught. Interviews of the top five teams will be conducted after the weigh-in.

Teams may enter the tournament by filling out and sending in an entry form or by registering on the website at www.crappieusa.com
Teams may also enter at the pre-tournament seminar that Friday night. All late entries will be subject to a $20 late fee.

Teams may consist of one or two partners. Teams may have a third partner if the third is under the age of 16. Pole limits for three-partner teams will be the same as two-partner teams.

Entry fees in all qualifying tournaments are $100 per team in the Amateur Division and $200 in the Semi-Pro Division. There is an optional $10 per team Big Fish Pot.

All participants must be a member of the American Crappie Assoc. to fish in the events. Membership is $25 for adults and $10 for spouse and youth memberships.


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 for Jack Spaulding may contact him by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.