Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge now open near Madison, Indiana

Old Timbers Lake at Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge offers fishing as well as photo opportunities. A photography blind has been constructed for visitor use at Big Tree Point (Big Oak)

Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Indiana recently opened to public use. It’s an old military test ground facility now benefiting wildlife.

For the public, Big Oaks offers hunting, fishing, bird watching and more. An area in the northeast section of the refuge is available for public day use, and additional acreage around the facility is open during hunting seasons.

Located about six miles north of Madison, IN, (and just across the Ohio River from Milton, KY) the new refuge opened for public use this spring with the availability of fishing at Old Timbers Lake, wildflower photography, morel mushroom hunting, and turkey hunting.

Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 50,000 acres in three counties (Jefferson, Jennings, and Ripley) and overlays that portion of the former Jefferson Proving Ground that lies north of the historic firing line where munitions were once tested. 

The Indiana Air National Guard operates an air-to-ground bombing range on the remaining 1,033 acres of the former proving ground north of the firing line and this property is surrounded by but not designated as part of the refuge. 

Jefferson Proving Ground was established by the Army in 1940 as an ordnance testing installation and closed in 1995. Beginning in 1996, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service managed the wildlife resources of the proving ground. 

Big Oaks Refuge was established in June 2000 as an “overlay” national wildlife refuge through a 25-year real estate permit from the U.S. Army. As an overlay refuge, the Army retains ownership and the Fish and Wildlife Service manages the property as Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge.  

Upcoming are special events like Outdoor Women at Big Oaks (June 8, reservation required), Take a Kid Fishing Day (July 20), annual Butterfly Survey (August 3) and refuge tours. 

Tours of the refuge can be arranged by calling the refuge office two weeks in advance for a special group tour. Call the Muscatatuck NWR office (812-522-4352 ext 12) for tour or other refuge information, or check out the refuge website: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/big_oaks 

Recreational fishing is allowed in the 165-acre Old Timbers Lake from April through November on Mondays, Fridays, and the second and fourth Saturdays. There is a 30 boat limit on the lake. (Only electric trolling motors permitted.) The lakes gets its name from the standing timber left in the impoundment.

A trail and a photo blind are ready for wildlife photographers and nature lovers at Big Tree Point at Old Timbers Lake. Off trail hiking is also allowed in the northeast portion of the refuge known as the public use area. 

  Since the refuge is part of an old military test facility, all refuge visitors must view the safety briefing once per calendar year, and sign an acknowledgment of danger form. 

A daily pass to the refuge costs $3, an annual pass is $15, and hunt permits are $15. Holders of an interagency Access/Senior Pass would be charged a reduced rate. For information about how to obtain an Access/Senior Pass call the refuge office.

Big Oaks  has one of the largest contiguous forest blocks in the southeastern part of Indiana as well as one of the largest grassland complexes in the state, both of which provide excellent wildlife viewing opportunities to refuge visitors. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats. 

The Service manages the 150 million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses nearly 555 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. 

For more information about Big Oaks, and/or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, visit the refuge’s home page at http://midwest.fws.gov/bigoaks.

Mother's Day has a long history dating back to the days before the card and candy companies gave it a boost

       (Looking back in my old files, I came across this Mother's Day column from several years back...thought readers might enjoy...phil)

        Obviously, my wife isn’t my mother, but on Mother’s Day she expects special treatment from her husband.

All occasions like birthdays are important to Phyllis. For my part, I would be happy to forget them, but not Phyllis. If you put candles on my cake, the volunteer fire department would be headed my way.

While headed for the checkout counter on a fishing trip to Kentucky Lake last week, I was lucky. Another fisherman (I suppose he was as he looked pretty grubby like me) was picking out a Mother’s Day card. “Great idea”, I thought. “I better buy one too. That way, I won’t be racing out somewhere Saturday night or early Sunday morning looking for one.”

My Mother’s Day gift for Phyllis was a trip to see the kids and grandkids. For us that is about a 400 mile round trip, but I figured it was a cheap price to pay since I had been gone on a guy’s fishing trip the week before.

However, it started me thinking. Who created Mother’s Day anyway? Was it Hallmark?

Mothers Day can be loosely linked back to ancient Greece when in the spring a celebration honored Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. 

Then in the 1600’s in England, Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday of Lent honored English moms. Also during this time, many of England’s poor worked as indentured servants and lived at the home of their employers some distance from their families. On this one day, many of the employers gave their servants the day off and encouraged them to travel home and spend some time with their mothers. 

Some baked a special cake for the occasion called a mothering cake. Just what this was made of seems unclear. It may have been made from what ingredients were available at the time, however apparently it was highly decorated. The mother reportedly prepared for the visitors a dish of furmety, similar to rice pudding, but made with wheat instead of rice.

Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic, in 1872 first suggest a day of peace and held Mother’s Day meetings every year in Boston.

A woman named Ana Jarvis in 1907 started an effort for a national Mother’s Day and convinced her church in Grafton, W. Va., to celebrate Mother’s Day on the second anniversary of her mother’s death which was the second Sunday in May. She and other women wrote to pastor’s in other churches and the celebration spread.

By 1911, Mother’s Day was celebrated in every state and in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson announced the day as a national holiday. It also is celebrated in a number of other countries, but in most cases on different days of the year.

Ana Jarvis became disenchanted with the commercialization of the day and even filed suit to try to stop it. She eventually died unhappily in a mental hospital and proclaimed she wished she had never started the day. However, the day lives on.

It is good to honor mothers. They have tough jobs raising kids and husbands.

Mother's day is special; many moms teach kids about great outdoors

Today, many youngsters learn their outdoors skills from their mothers, and this weekend is the time to honor them.

Mother’s Day is a special day. It is a time to remember and honor Mom. 

There’s the traditional flowers and candy, or a trip to the restaurant for Mom, but how about giving her an outing, a trip to a state park, or even a trip fishing.

Many moms enjoy fishing, and if fishing really isn’t something they like, most would enjoy a day outdoors. In many cases, it was Mom who helped introduce we to the outdoors, and often today in single-parent families it is Mom who is teaching youngsters to hunt, fish, or otherwise enjoy nature.

My Mother was an important part of my early days in the outdoors, and much later when our family lived on a small farm. Mom would visit and spend hours fishing in the small pond behind the house. Besides bass and bluegill, it had some large channel catfish. They always were her target, and after she caught one, I would help her return it to the water, but first I would have take a photo.

For Mother’s Day, consider taking Mom fishing. It appears the weather will be good in the Central Kentucky area. The early week forecast calls for mid-60’s and sunny. Ideal for sunny spring outing.

You might also consider taking her on a fishing trip for a day or two to a place like Kentucky Lake or some other lake where you could fish with a guide. She might enjoy such a treat, however if the budget doesn’t permit, a trip to a nearby pond or lake would be fun.

If you choose to take mom fishing for the day, pack a lunch. Bring out the lawn chairs. Plan everything. Make sure all Mom has to do is show up and have fun. Remember, fishing isn't just about catching fish. It's fun even if no one catches a whopper. Talking, laughing, and just spending quality time makes the day.

And, if you aren’t confident, Mom would enjoy fishing, a picnic would be fun. The trees and wildflowers this year are beautiful, and something Mom will appreciate. Also, a number of parks have inns where a nice meal can be enjoyed before or after visiting the rest of the park.

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HISTORY -- Mothers Day can be loosely linked back to ancient Greece when in the spring a celebration honored Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. 

Then in the 1600’s in England, Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday of Lent honored English moms. During this time, many of England’s poor worked as indentured servants and lived at the home of their employers some distance from their families. On this one day, many of the employers gave their servants the day off and encouraged them to travel home and spend some time with their mothers. 

In the O.S. a woman named Ana Jarvis in 1907 started an effort for a national Mother’s Day and convinced her church in Grafton, W. Va., to celebrate Mother’s Day on the second anniversary of her mother’s death which was the second Sunday in May. She and other women wrote to pastors in other churches and the celebration spread.

By 1911, Mother’s Day was celebrated in every state and in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson announced the day as a national holiday. It also is celebrated in a number of other countries, but in most cases on different days of the year.

It is good to honor mothers. They have tough jobs raising kids and husbands.

Stream flooded fields can be great place to catch stringer of catfish

Every spring brings with it rain, and this year has been no exception. In fact, for many there has been too much rain to really enjoy the season’s fishing.

Hopefully, flooding has passed. But if we get river waters back over the fields, it can be a time to catch catfish. There's no better place to catch a stringer of fish on some spring days than in a corn field.  

The fishing action can be hectic at times, and an angler can put a lot of fish on the stringer. Sounds a little crazy, but true. Conditions have to be just right.

A corn field or other field for that matter, can produce some mighty good fishing. I’ve experienced it a number of times when the waters of the Ohio River were on the rise.

When river or stream waters are rising and spilling over into fields, the result often is excellent fishing for small catfish, often referred to locally as pollywogs or bullheads.  These and other fish make their way into shallow water, especially corn fields, in search of food.  They can be caught in 18 inches of water.

Fish move in and bite only when water is  rising.  As soon as the water begins to recede, the fish seem to know it is time to head back to deeper water, and the fishing actions slows dramatically.

The little cats will bite on most any bait. Worms and nightcrawlers work well. Most cornfield anglers use bobbers on their lines, however at times a tight line can be effective.

One of the most significant problems facing cornfield fishermen is getting the fishing line through the old floating corn stocks and other debris. A rake can be used to clear a fishin' hole. And, of course, anglers need landowner permission to fish private fields.

A long pole also can be useful to help place the bait just where you want it.

One of the exciting aspects of this cornfield fishing is the surprises it can be bring.  Pollywogs, bullheads or little catfish  (whatever you choose to call them) are usually what you find on the end of the line, but occasionally you'll find a big channel cat, crappie, bluegill, carp, or any type fish you'll find in any river or stream.  It's fun and exciting.

The polywogs are great eating.  While they are small when compared to some catfish, they are mighty tasty and certainly worth the work of cleaning them and preparing them for the dinner table.

Most people roll them in a batter and deep fry them like any fiddler catfish.

Hopefully, we won’t have any addition significant water rise in streams the rest of spring and early summer, but if happens, remember cornfield catfish.

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TRIATHLON -- Registration is underway for the Patoka Lake Triathlon taking place at Patoka Lake beach Aug. 24.

Participants in the triathlon will swim 500 yards in the lake,  bike 12.8 miles along paved roads within the property, and run 5K along groomed gravel roads and a paved bike trail. 

All proceeds from this event will go to support Patoka’s non-releasable raptors; a red-tailed hawk and eastern screech owl.  It also may save the life of a bald eagle by acquiring a non-releasable eagle for Patoka raptor education program.

To register or for more information, contact:"http: http://patokatriathlon.dnr.in.gov, or contact the office at Patoka Lake.

Lip-less crankbaits are top lure for covering largemouth bass territory

Lip-less crankbaits like the Rat-L-Trap are great baits for spring bass.

Lip-less crankbaits have always been a popular and productive lure for catching bass, and some crappie anglers even use them to land big crappie.

While fishing for crappie a few years back at Kentucky Lake, some of us were finding the fish uncooperative, but a couple of Crappiemaster tourney anglers headed out to use Rat-L-Traps for crappie. By far, they had the best success of the day.

Todd Faircloth, fishing pro sponsored by Yamaha, recently was interviewed related to his use of lipless crankbaits, and their special value during spring fishing.

A single glance in his boat will always reveal at 

least one, and usually several, tied on and ready to cast this season of the year no matter where the Yamaha Pro is fishing. 

After all, Faircloth’s two heaviest fish of his career, both 11 1⁄2-pounders, came on the vibrating shad-imitation lures. 

“The biggest advantage lipless crankbaits provide is that they allow you to cover a lot of water in a hurry, and that can be extremely important in the spring, ”emphasizes Faircloth, winner of the first Bassmaster® Elite tournament of the 2013 season earlier this year. 

“Depending on the water temperature where you fish, bass could be in pre-spawn, spawn, or post-spawn mode, which means they could be in a lot of different places. With a lipless crankbait you can do that easier than with any other lure I know,” said Faircltoh in  information released by Yamaha.

Lipless crankbaits are swimming, vibrating lures similar in size to regular diving crankbaits, except they don’t have the diving bills. They’re designed to look like small forage fish, and most pros like Faircloth use them primarily in shallow water less than 10 feet deep. The most popular sizes are 1⁄2- and 3⁄4-ounce. 

“Lipless crankbaits are reaction-strike lures, so you don’t necessarily need to have ideal conditions to fish them,” continues Faircloth. “They produce the best results when there is a light breeze and a slight chop on the water, but I’ve also caught bass on them when it was calm and bright. 

“Because they’re designed to attract reaction strikes, I use a fast retrieve whenever I fish them because I don’t want bass to have time to look at the lure.” 

The real key to fishing lipless crankbaits in the spring, however, is not only using a fast retrieve, but also keeping the lure in contact with bottom cover, emphasizes the Yamaha Pro. This could be submerged vegetation such as hydrilla or milfoil, as well as rocks, gravel, or sand. The lure is not weedless, however, so 

it can’t be reeled into thick brush or timber; instead, Faircloth retrieves the crankbait over the top of such cover, just ticking it slightly. 

“I don’t do much more than make long casts 

and reel the bait back,” Faircloth laughs. “There is hardly an easier lure to use in bass fishing, and I would guess a lot of today’s anglers probably caught their first bass on a 

lipless crankbait. I’m pretty sure I did.” 

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PATOKA WELCOME -- Patoka Lake will host a number of activities Saturday, May 4, designed to welcome visitors back to the recreation area.

There will be a flower and seed exchange from 10 a.m to 2 p.m.  Visitors can take those seeds and flowers taking over their garden to trade for some new varieties.

Then at 1 p.m. enjoy a Walking Stick Workshop. Participants will get to design and decorate their very own walking stick.  At 2 p.m. participants will hit the trail for a short guided hike along the Garden Rock Loop through oak and hickory forests, rock outcroppings, and over small creek beds.    The cost for this program is $5 per walking stick.  All supplies will be provided.

On Sunday, people can bring their kayak (or canoe) and join the naturalist for a tour on the lake at 10:30 a.m. at Painter Creek Boat Ramp.  

Participants can enjoy a morning on the waters of Patoka as they look for beaver, bald eagle, osprey, and other wildlife along the way.  Hear stories of the people who once called this area home. See old photographs and heirlooms from years gone by.  

Paddlers should bring binoculars and preferred refreshments for this journey. Non-motorized boat launch permits are required and will be sold at the event for $5, but may also be purchased at the Patoka Property Office from 8 a.m .to 4 p.m. daily.

For more information regarding this program or other interpretive events, please call the Visitor Center at 812.685.2447.

Safe turkey hunting equals effective, successful turkey hunting techniques

Photo courtesy NWTF

Setting up with a tree or other protection to your back is a good idea when turkey hunting.

After a long, cold winter, turkey season has arrived, and there should be plenty of birds for good hunting this spring.

Indiana’s youth turkey weekend is April 20-21, and the regular season opens midweek on Wednesday, April 24 and continues through May 12. Hunters may take one bearded or male turkey.

Safety is a key factor in turkey hunting as with any gun or bow sport, but is especially important in turkey hunting as camouflage is a key component. It’s also interesting that people who emphasize safety also are effective hunters.

  The National Wild Turkey Federation echos the importance of safety when you're in the woods mimicking the sounds of wild turkeys. The organization offers these tips to consider when you're in the woods:

• Leave the area if you suspect there's another hunter already working the same bird.

• Resist the urge to stalk turkey sounds. It is nearly impossible to sneak up on a turkey. It is also unethical and could lead to an accident.

• Select a spot that is in open timber rather than thick brush: wearing camouflage clothing and eliminating movement is more critical to success than hiding in heavy cover.

• Sit against a large stump, blow-down, tree trunk or rock that is wider than your shoulders and higher than your head when calling wild turkeys.

• Never wear bright colors, especially not red, white, blue or black because these are the colors of a wild turkey gobbler. Watch out for red, white or blue on your socks, t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, hats, bandannas, etc. Wear dark undershirts and socks, and pants long enough to be tucked into boots.

• Remain still and speak in a loud, clear voice to announce your presence to other hunters if necessary. Never move, wave or make turkey sounds to alert another hunter of your presence.

• Keep your hands and head camouflaged when calling.

• Maintain a clear field of view when using a camouflage blind or netting.

• Ensure your decoy is not visible when you are transporting it. Stash the decoy in your vest and make sure the head is not sticking out. If you harvest a wild turkey during your hunting trip, you also should cover the bird's head and body when carrying it out from your hunting spot.

• Put your gun's safety on and approach the downed bird with your firearm pointed in a safe direction after firing. Never run with a firearm.

More than 4,000 types of mushrooms can be found, but caution required in eating them

Large meadow mushrooms are tasty, but you must know for sure what you are eating.

Morel mushroom season is here. It usually lasts three or four weeks, then it is a matter of waiting another year for more of the tasty fungi. Anyway, that is the way it is for most hunters who limit their hunting and eating of wild mushrooms to morels.

My father showed me how to hunt morels -- where to look and more importantly how to identify them. We hunted black morels, which usually arrive first deeper in the woods, white morels, and yellow morels. 

The yellows usually are found last in the short season. We also picked what we called “horse necks.” They have a long stem and a small cap or button top. Dad also picked a reddish type with a solid stem, that many books identify as poison. We ate them without problem, but we didn’t eat large amounts, and I suspect they could be a problem for some people.

Many years ago, when I was editor of a small daily newspaper in Brazil, IN, I became friends with a bait and tackle shop operator, George “Bait Kind” Timko. George claimed he could find and pick edible mushroom 10 months out of the year. I never doubted him, but didn’t feel I had the knowledge and confidence to pick and eat mushrooms other than morels.

A couple weeks ago, I had a chance to talk with Leon Hampton of Cornell, IA. who now spends winters in Florida. Leon is a year-round “Shroomer” (mushroom hunter).

  “There are more than 4,000 varieties of mushrooms...I have found them all over, even in Canada. But generally speaking, I find them around town. I find them in parks, cemeteries, yards and even find them just outside my RV (recreational vehicle) in Florida.” explained Leon. “it’s just a matter of keeping your eyes open.”

“Sometimes, I drive around and I will see them in someone's yard. I will stop and ask the people if they pick them. Usually, they say they just mow them down. They often will let me pick them. I take them home and clean them, and then will take some back to the people where I picked them.”

Leon picks varieties from puff balls, which he says sometimes gets as large as a basketball, to “elephant ears” found on stumps, “toad stools”, to pasture mushrooms and many more.

Most of the mushrooms he finds are around decaying trees and bark. He says cemeteries often are a good place because there usually are a lot of trees.

He has a process and check list he uses to identify mushrooms and determine if they are poisonous. Most are not, but some are quite dangerous and require caution when determining if they are edible.

“A majority of the poisonous or mushrooms that make people sick are often from an interaction with alcohol,” says Leon, who by profession is a certified public accountant.

He finds enough mushrooms to keep a freezer well stocked with edible varieties.

Leon uses a check list from a book to determine the type and edibility of the mushrooms, if he is not familiar with them. He said when he returns to Iowa in a few weeks, he will send me more information to be shared about the check list. 

In part of the process, he places a mushroom upside down on two adjoining pieces of paper--one black and one white. After 20 minutes, he examines the spores that fall and their color helps in the determination.

And, he is adamant that bright red mushrooms usually are dangerous to eat.

I love mushrooms and would love to identify and eat more wild mushrooms than morels, but I need more training by an experienced “shroomer” before I try new varieties. 

And, I can’t recommend anyone proceed eating them on their own from what they read in a book. And, yes, I know Leon believes it can be done safely.