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OCTOBER-NOVEMBER OUTDOOR CALENDARS - PAGE 3
®
VOL. 2015 • No. 9
INSIDE:
NEW OWNER OF ION PAGE 2
BEHIND THE BADGE PAGE 6
MAIER PHEASANT FARM PAGE 8
www.IndianaOutdoorNews.net
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER, 2015
WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN HUNTING IS INCREASING What do Eva Shockey, Melissa Bachman, Katniss Everdeen, and 1.5 million women in the United States have in common? They're hunters. Shockey and Bachman are hosts of TV hunting shows, and Everdeen is the main character in the “Hunger Games” m ovie fra nch i s e. They represent a wave of female hunters, whose nu m b e rs increased by 85 percent from 2001 to 2013, a c c o rding to the Nat i o n a l Sporting Goods Association's a n nual participation survey. In Indiana, the number of hunting licenses sold to women increased by 93 percent from 2006 to 2014, and female youth hunters - those under age 18 - skyro cke t e d 114 percent from 2006 to 2014. “Two major reasons come to mind,” said Mary Zeiss Stange, author of “Woman the Hunter,” a study of women's cultural and historical relationship to hunting. “One is that women have gained sufficient ground socially and economically and have disposable income comparable to men's. And ve ry importantly, among yo u n ger women ¬- the 'millennials' and whatever this next upcoming ge n e ration will be called - there is ve ry little patience with the idea that an activity like hunt-
ing is 'unfeminine.' Indeed, they thrive on the idea of adve n t u re.” Stange, a professor and director of religious studies at S k i d m o re College in Pennsylvania, also said: “It's reasonable to assume that women's growing participation in hunting mirrors our increased participation in the entire array of social and cultura l a c t ivities that were formerly masculine territory. That's the 'scholarly' answer. The practical reason, of course, is that hunting is fun and deeply rewa rding.” The Department of Natural Resources has played an active role in opening the door with eve n t s s p e c i f i c a l ly geared to women: o Becoming an OutdoorsWoman, an annual we e kend workshop near Lafayette that offers t raining in a variety of outdoor activities, including game cl ea n i n g, bowh u n t i n g, and introduction to deer, turkey and small game hunting o Women's days at DNRm a n aged shooting ranges o Women's special hunts at D N R - m a n aged fish and wildlife areas The DNR's online video series “CookIN Gone Wild: Field to Tabl e ” has a female host, which is by design. DNR Hunt, Fish, Eat workshops and National Wild
Turkey Federation's Women In The Outdoors (WITO) progra m s are additional examples of l ow pressure events that help get women into the field. Outdoor events for women appear to gain in popularity wh e n the instructors are women, according to Responsive Management, a Virginia-based re s e a rch firm specializing in natural resource and outdoor re c re ation issues. Responsive Management also seems to have discovered a diffe rence between male and female h u n t e rs. In a nationwide survey, re s e a rchers asked hunters if their primary reason for hunting was for the meat, to be with friends and fa m i ly, for the sport or re c re-
ation, or to be close to nature. The re s e a rch e rs found significant differences between men and women in every cat egory: o Hunt for meat - females 47 perc e n t , males 22 percent o To be with friends and family - females 27 percent, males 11 perc e n t o For sport or re c re ation females 20 perc e n t , males 45 percent o To be close to nat u re females 7 perc e n t , males 22 percent. Female firearms ownership also is rising. From 2012 to 2014, gun permits issued to women in Indiana increased by 42 percent. A National Shooting Sports
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NRC GIVES FINAL APPROVAL OF NEW CATFISH RULES
GADGETS & GEAR PAGE 11
FISHING PAGE 12
GONE AFIELD PAGE 15
The Indiana Nat u ral Resources Commission on Tu e s d ay gave final approval to rule ch a n ges that gove rn commercial fishing and sport fishing for catfish. The new rules raise the m i n i mum size from 10 to 13 inches for catfish caught in r ivers and streams, including the Ohio Rive r, and limit the nu mber of large catfish caught in l a ke s, reservo i rs, streams and r ivers (including the Ohio River) to no more than one each per d ay of channel catfish at least 28 i n ches long, blue catfish at least 35 inches long, and fl athead catfish at least 35 inches long. The ch a n ges ap p ly to both commercial fishing and sport fishing. The DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife proposed the ch a n ges in order to increase surv ival of yo u n ger catfish and ensure continued large or “trop hy ” catfish opportunities for both sport and commercial fishing. Larger catfish also have higher reproductive potential and can help control populations of fo rage species such as gizzard shad and Asian carp. The Commission granted preliminary approval to the rule changes in November, after
wh i ch a public comment period including one public hearing. The rule ch a n ges will not be in effect until approved by the Attorney General's Office and Governor's Office and published in the Indiana Register. The Commission also dedic ated two nat u re preserves in Wayne County, bringing to 269 the number of state-dedicated n at u re preserves in Indiana. Old Nort h west Boundary Line Nat u re Preserve is a 92acre site ch a ra c t e r i zed by reforested uplands and dissected by ravines that drain into Lick C re e k . The second site is Old Hamilton Road Nature Preserve, whose deep valley fe at u res springs, seeps and a significant fen wetland. Several notewo rthy endangered or rare species occur on the 27-acre site. Whitewater Valley Land Trust owns and manages both properties. Indiana Heritage Trust helped buy the Old Northwest Boundary Line preserve, and the Bicentennial Nat u re Trust helped buy the Old Hamilton Road preserve. In other actions, the NRC: o Readopted rules that govern trails and scenic rivers
(312 IAC 7); timber bu yers, their agents, and timber growers (312 IAC 14); forest and resource management (312 IAC 15); and standards regarding oil and gas exploration (312 IAC 16 and 312 IAC 17). o Approved changes to the roster of Indiana animals, insects and plants that are extirpated, endangered, threatened or rare. Ruffed grouse and rufa red knot we re added to bird species of special concern, and the name of northern cavefish was ch a n ged to Hoosier cavefish. Scientific names for seve ra l species were modified to reflect current names. o Turned down a citizen
COMPLIMENTS OF:
petition to amend the rule governing issuance of nuisance wild animal control permits to reduce conflicts of interest. The NRC is an autonomous board that add resses topics pertaining to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. NRC members include the DNR dire c t o r, heads of three other state agencies (Environmental Management, Tourism Development, and Transportation), six citizens appointed by the governor on a bipartisan basis, the chair of the NRC's advisory council, and the president of the Indiana A c a d e my of S c i e n c e.