INDIANA'S CHOICE FOR OUTDOOR NEWS AND INFORMATION • SINCE 1994
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Vol. 2010 • Number 12 Like ION in print? Like us on
W W W. I N D I A N A O U T D O O R N E W S . N E T
December, 2010
INDIANA DEER HARVEST ESTIMATES REMAIN HIGH
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
LATE SEASON DEER PAGE 7
PHEASANT HUNTING PAGE 15
ION STAFF REPORT -While harvest numbers for this year’s firearms season are not yet available, DNR deer biologist Chad Stewart says Indiana is on track for another record or near-record season. “With the dry fall we had, the corn harvest was vastly accelerated compared to last year, which means less potential cover for deer”, said Stewart. “I anticipate a record or near-record harvest, and obviously, the firearms season is a major component of that harvest.” While an early harvest has helped bowhunters and firearms hunters alike so far this season, the weather has cooperated as well. As with last year, favorable weather conditions were present during opening weekend of this year’s firearms season -- a factor which historically points to an increased number of hunters afield and good hunter success. Favorable weather conditions were a factor in hunters
killing 35,898 deer on the opening weekend of firearms season in 2009, an increase of more than 4,700 over the first two days of the 2008 firearms season, when a weather system went through on opening day bringing rain, sleet, and freezing rain to much of the state. Aside from good weather on opening weekend, weather conditions were generally favorable throughout much of this year’s firearms season -- a factor expected to boost overall deer harvest numbers even further. Preliminary reports from hunters and check stations indicate good hunter success during firearms season throughout most areas of the state. Harvest composition on opening weekend is typically an approximate 60:40 split favoring antlered deer, but more antlerless deer are typically harvested than antlered deer by the end of the firearms season. It is too early to tell if this season’s antlered deer harvest is up or down.
COHOS STOCKED IN INDIANA WATERS OF ST. JOE RIVER
THE GHOST BUCK PAGE 16
GONE AFIELD PAGE 17
TRAPLINE PIKE PAGE 18
DNR REPORT -Indiana DNR stocked approximately 11,000 coho salmon into the St. Joseph River near Veterans Memorial Park in South Bend in late November. The coho salmon were the first produced and stocked into the St. Joseph River by Indiana since the trout and salmon stocking program began on the river in 1984. The fish were part of a small surplus that was recognized after the completion of stocking into Trail Creek and the Little Calumet River, where 242,000 coho salmon were stocked from Bodine and Mixsawbah State Fish Hatchery. The fish put into the St. Joe were approximately 6 inches in length and will migrate to Lake Michigan after a short time in the river. Brian Breidert, Indiana’s Lake Michigan biologist said he is pleased to add this species to the St. Joe program. “I feel we will see benefits to the river anglers beginning a couple of years down the road, but we will also see some benefit to our Lake Michigan anglers as early as the spring of 2012, since coho salmon congregate each spring in southern Lake Michigan.” Breidert said the Lake
Coho salmon like this one return to their stocking locations during the fall after 2-3 years spent in Lake Michigan. ION photo. Michigan stocking team had been looking at adding coho to the St. Joe program since early spring. “Plans are underway to add this species to our suite of stockings into the future,” he said. “We have received support from local sport fishing groups such as the Michiana Steelheaders, Hoosier Coho Club as well as the Northwest Indiana Steelheaders just to name a few. There has been a decline in the past few years of our steelhead returns and the management team has been looking at reasons behind the declines but also looking toward another species to supplement our steelhead program while still maintaining our important Skamania brood stock program on the St. Joseph River”, Breidert stated.
Megan Smith Photo
WATCH THE WEATHER FOR QUALITY WATERFOWLING DNR REPORT -Indiana is about halfway through its various waterfowl seasons, and IDNR Waterfowl Biologist Adam Phelps says he expects this year’s overall waterfowl harvest numbers to be up over last year -- provided the weather cooperates. Phelps said the low duck harvest numbers last year were most likely due to statewide bitter cold and frozen conditions during the heart of the South Zone's season. “Duck breeding populations this spring were about the same as last year, with better water conditions on the prairies, so reproduction should have been good,” he said. Phelps said that dry weather so far this season has concentrated birds in the places where there still is water, so hunters who can find marsh areas that have water should do well -- depending on the weather, of course. The key to the number of waterfowl available, as in any other year, is the weather, specifically cold fronts from the north or northwest. “Those of us in the mid-latitude states are completely dependent on weather to push birds to us and not by us,” he said.
COMPLIMENTS OF:
Ducks Unlimited’s Northern Indiana Regional Director, Dave Neal, retrieves two healthy mallards during a recent hunt at Kankakee State Fish and Wildlife Area near North Judson. For more information on DU projects in Indiana, as well as upcoming DU events throughout the state, visit www.ducks.org/indiana. Josh Lantz photo.