A man from Munster, Ind., has been taken into custody on an active warrant after an Indiana Conservation Officer investigation discovered a video of him torturing an animal.

Nikola Kutansky, 35, was arrested the afternoon of March 7 with the assistance of the Gary Police Department on a felony warrant for knowingly torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal, a level-six felony.

Conservation Officers filed charges after discovering the crime while investigating thefts occurring at Willow Slough Fish & Wildlife Area.

Kutansky allegedly stole the animals in the video from Buckley Homestead Park in Lowell.

The Gary Police Department assisted by locating Kutansky on a traffic stop and arrested him without incident.

Input needed on Indiana fisheries management

Want to give feedback and help improve Indiana’s fisheries? We would like to hear about your 2021-2022 fishing experiences via a new electronic angler survey. Anglers with a current email address within DNR’s electronic license system will receive an email containing a personalized link to the survey the week of April 11.

The survey is your chance to provide input on Indiana’s fisheries management statewide and around where you live and fish. Survey responses will help DNR gather information about Indiana anglers and their opinions on fisheries management. The information will provide valuable feedback in developing programs to better serve you.

Make sure to add or update your email address to receive a link to the survey. The survey link you receive is a unique link which cannot be used for multiple surveys. DNR asks you do not share the link with others as it allows only one survey completion. If you do not receive an email with your licensed angler survey by April 15, email AnglerSurvey@dnr.IN.gov to receive your unique survey link.

County deer management data online

To increase the speed hunters and biologists can access deer management data, Indiana’s County Deer Statistics can now be found online. The reporting supplements the former process of downloading the annual White-tailed Deer Report and the County Deer Data sheets. The tables and charts will now be updated annually near the end of March. The updating will allow hunters and biologists to access statistics on deer harvest and mortality without waiting for the annual report.

The data includes the harvest records, deer vehicle collisions, significant disease events and deer damage permit reports. DNR biologists use the data for establishing county bonus antlerless quotas and other deer management activities.

J.C. Murphey Lake renovations

J.C. Murphey Lake will undergo a renovation starting March 21 and the project will continue through 2024. The work will increase opportunities for waterfowl hunters, anglers and trappers; create more wildlife viewing opportunities; and establish new or improved habitat for rare and endangered wildlife.

Past renovations have occurred about every 12 years, with the last being done in 2003.

Because J.C. Murphey Lake was constructed, as opposed to being a natural lake, it will always require adjustments to mimic natural cycles to provide optimum habitat for fish and wildlife.

Periods of extreme weather have accelerated habitat decline since the last renovation, especially for species of greatest conservation need. Coupled with the spread of invasive and undesirable species, J.C. Murphey Lake is experiencing decreased waterfowl hunting opportunities, fewer muskrats, and less desirable and smaller fish.

Recreational opportunities will be affected during the project, and some will be unavailable. For the timeline, the projects taking place, volunteer opportunities and more information, see wildlife.IN.gov/properties/willow-slough-fwa/j.c.-murphey-lake-renovation/.

Fish & Wildlife Areas & Nature Preserves on State Nature Passport

Last year, Visit Indiana launched the Indiana State Nature Passport, a free “digital passport” inspiring nature lovers to discover new places in Indiana. The passport offers opportunities for visitors to win prizes of increasing value as they accumulate 10, 25, 40, and 59 property visits throughout the year. If a person checks in at all 81 locations, they will qualify for grand prize giveaways and will be eligible for a custom passport completion pin.

The following FWAs are on this year’s list: Goose Pond, Atterbury, Blue Grass, Chinook, Glendale, Jasper Pulaski, Kankakee, Kingsbury, Pigeon River, Tri-County, Wabashiki and Willow Slough. The Nature Preserves include Baltzell-Lenhart Woods, Eunice H. Bryan, Hemmer Woods, Hoosier Prairie, Loblolly Marsh Wetlands, Moraine, Olin Lake, Pipewort Pond, Portland Arch, Shrader-Weaver Woods and Stoutsburg Savanna. Sign up online at https://visitindiana.com/explore to begin earning prizes.

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication, or e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net. Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle download.