Indiana DNR seeks regulation input

Hoosiers have until the end of February to provide input on proposed regulations, and they also can suggest future regulations.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources  Division of Fish & Wildlife wants to hear ideas on fishing, hunting,  trapping and other fish and wildlife related regulations in Indiana, including special permits/

  Until Feb. 28, the public can use a convenient online form to contribute ideas and provide input on issues the DNR has identified for consideration, according to information provided by the DNR.

  The form is at  wildlife.IN.gov, at the “Got INput?” box near the middle of the page.

  “Got INput?” allows the public to comment on ideas put forward by the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife as well as requests for rule changes from citizen petitions.

  The program also allows members of the public to propose their own ideas on any fishing, hunting or trapping topic.

  “This is an opportunity for people to let us know what changes they would like us to consider,” said Gregg McCollam, assistant director of the Division of Fish & Wildlife. “This process also allows us to get much-needed feedback on issues that the division is in interested in moving forward.”

Jim Mansfield kept detailed records of his more than 100,000 panfish catches

Pat McDaniel down at Orlando, Fl, recently documented the catching of his 200,000th fish. It was a black crappie taken while fishing out of Lake Fairview Marina.

According to a story in the Orlando Sentinel, McDaniel meticulously keeps records of all his fish, plus the amount of time he fishes. He spent 558,640 minutes pursuing those 200,000 fish.

McDaniel credits his wife, Carole with his latest angling milestone. He made no mention of what Carole thinks about the time he spends fishing, but it must be OK with her. They remain married.

The McDaniel story brings to mind Jim Mansfield, who was probably the best pan fisherman I have ever known. He also was a detailed record keep; maybe even more than the Florida angler.

Jim grew up in Southern Indiana where he played basketball as a teen at Otwell High School. At about six-foot-four, he was one of the tallest centers back in those days He also spent much of his free time fishing.

Jim, who later operated an interesting  combination store in Tell City, IN, just a few blocks from the Ohio River. The store was half bait and tackle shop, and half music store. His wife, Catherine also was a key part of his fishing. She and his son often staffed the store while Jim headed out fishing, usually to Patoka Lake.

Over the years before he passed away in 2004, Jim documented well over 100,000 pan fish, primarily crappie and bluegill. I can’t recall the numbers, but he might have been closer to 200,000 than 100,000.

Not only did he keep track of each fish, he recorded the water temperature on the trip, the weather, date, time and bait used. Think he also recorded the trip in relationship with the moon. He was a believer in increased fish activity just before and after a full moon, and just before a strong front moves through.

At one point, Jim wanted me to help him with a book utilizing his pan fish data. However, I knew I was too lazy to complete such a detailed project.

I’m confident most people can fish better than me. Besides just not being very good, I spend far too much time jotting down notes and wrestling my camera when I’m supposed to be fishing. But, fishing with Jim was fun, informative and frustrating.

Jim would land 10 fish to my one. He could detect the slightest movement of a bobber as being caused by a fish. I’d never even see or feel such a bite.

Over the years, Jim developed several combination long rods and reels for catching pan fish, and especially for crappie. I’m fortunate to still have one today. Although it has a broken tip, It still catches crappie for the old outdoor writer. It serves to recall memories of a great fisherman and good friend.

Kentucky deer hunters set new harvest record for modern gun season

Deer hunters set a new Kentucky harvest record of 101,076 deer during the 16-day modern gun deer season that concluded Nov. 24. 

According to the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, the Bluegrass state is on pace to set another overall deer harvest record. 

Nelson County hunters are also on pace for an excellent season, which will top the 2,000 mark.

And this outstanding season comes only a few years after many thought a devastating attack of EHD would significantly damage the herd for years. It’s an amazing comeback.

“As of Nov. 25, we are at 127,551 for our total season harvest according to telecheck, less than 4,000 from the record,” said Tina Brunjes, deer and elk coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “We had the second highest opening day harvest for modern gun deer season and the highest closing weekend on record.”

As of Dec. 1, hunters in Nelson County had harvested 1,064 bucks and 917 does. Modern firearms hunters had taken 1,650 deer, archery, 218; muzzleloader, 88, and crossbow, 25.

The state overall deer harvest record occurred last season, when Kentucky hunters harvested 131,395 deer. Brunjes explained that a below average harvest for the upcoming late muzzleloader season that runs from Dec. 14 through Dec. 22 would likely still put this season as the best ever for harvest.

“Given that an average late muzzleloader season is 7,000 to 8,000 deer harvested, barring an ice storm or major snow that keeps people from getting out and hunting, we should surpass the overall harvest record,” she said.

A spotty mast crop that makes deer move around, favorable weather and dedicated hunters all combined to account for the excellent harvest so far this deer season.

“The data shows that more Kentucky hunters who go afield are successfully taking deer,” Brunjes said. “In addition, lots of people from what I’ve seen are taking some nice bucks this year.”

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  MOUNTAIN LION -- A mountain lion was killed by conservation officers one state away.

According to the Belleville News Democrat, the incident happened after a report from a concerned farmer in rural Whiteside County in the northwest corner of Illinois near the Mississippi River.

Authorities with the Illinois Department of Conservation killed a male mountain lion weighing about 100 pounds. 

There were three confirmed sightings in the state between 2002 and 2008, and trail cameras in four counties have captured images of big cats in recent years. Belleville News-Democrat.

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SOCIAL MEDIA DUMMY -- It’s amazing how dumb some folks are  related to social media. They post really stupid stuff on the internet.

According to the Brownsville Herald, a Texas man's Facebook posting of his nine oversized red drum first led to some angry responses from other fishermen, then an investigation by Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens that resulted in charges against Luis Casto, 30. 

        Anglers in the Lone Star state are limited to three red drum per day between 20 and 28 inches. Brownsville Herald.

Weather has been very cold, but still caution needed for ice fishing

With the cooperation of Mother Nature and the proper preparation, ice fishing can be fun and productive.

However, the number one concern is making sure the ice is safe to hold the angler. 

The recent deep freeze weather has brought with it thoughts off ice fishing--something we don’t often get to experience in Southern Indiana.

Every couple of years, there is enough cold weather in January or early February for an ice fishing trip or two, but it doesn't happen often. But when conditions are right for safe ice, fishing can be fun and provide a winter’s meal of fresh fish.

In this area, we are fortunate if there are three or four good ice fishing days a year. Some years there are none, but the recent cold snap could make safe ice for a few days.

Often we will get three or four cold days, but they usually are followed by a warmup. If we don’t get good ice, anglers can pack their gear and head north.

Ice fishing continues to grow in popularity in northern states, and many resorts have as much winter business as they do during summer months. Some rent ice shanties complete with heat and lounge chairs. 

In this area, anglers don’t worry about ice shanties. We don’t have enough good ice to make them worthwhile, although they are utilized on some of the northern Indiana and Ohio lakes.

Here anglers cut a few holes in the ice, and hopefully catch some dandy bluegill or crappie. Some people do set up a screen to provide protection from the wind.

For ice fishermen in Southern Indiana, the most important aspect of the sport  also is making sure the ice is safe. Farm ponds generally produce safe ice earlier than larger bodies of water like Patoka Lake.

Ice anglers should be alert to the dangers of different types of ice. Ice may be safe on one pond, and not on another. A slush type of ice is very dangerous and may be only half as strong as clear, blue ice. Slush ice indicates a weakening of the ice. Clear and blue river ice may be 15 percent weaker than pond or lake ice.

New ice is almost always stronger than old ice because the connection between ice crystals decays with age. Dark or honeycombed ice indicates deterioration and should be avoided. 

Wind chill affects the "cold" anglers feel. A light wind can accelerate the formation of ice, but strong winds can force water from beneath the ice and accelerate the decay of ice around the edges. 

Snow is a good insulator for ice and helps keep it strong, but it can also keep it from further freezing or even hide cracks or weak ice. Lakes with moving water should be approached with caution. Water movement can slow the freezing process and leave hard-to-detect thin spots.

Ice conditions can and do vary greatly. Because there are so many variables in ice formation, ice forms at different rates. One spot can be an inch thick while another area close by can be almost a foot thick. I like four inches of ice to feel safe.

When you have good ice, it can be great for fishing. And, panfish never tastes better than when taken from clear, cold water. 

One year end, another begins

Another year ends. Another year begins. It’s time to plan for coming seasons and enjoying the outdoors.

Although Jan. 1 is the date we take down the old calendar and put up the new (some people like me still use paper calendars), it hasn’t always been that way. And today, there are some regional parts of the world that calculate years differently.

The Roman calendar using January to December dates back to about 700 years before the birth of Christ, however in England and Wales, March 25 was considered the start of the new year until sometime in the mid 1700’s.

In this part of the country, Jan. 1 is the start of a new year, a time for making and breaking resolutions, and a time to look forward to another year, and a time to try to keep warm.

While I’ve given up on resolutions, I found some interesting ones made by outdoor folks on the internet.

One read, “I resolve to sit on the bank of a pond with an earthworm suspended under a cork and thrill to the sight of the bobber trembling and then going under. I will also have a chicken liver on the bottom on another rod while it is propped up by a forked stick, and I will watch the tight line for movement indicating a cat is nibbling.”

What a great resolution. It’s simple and conjures up wonderful thoughts of why most of us enjoy fishing. We don’t need expensive equipment and far away places to gain pleasure from angling.

Another resolution was “to go to a lake I have never fished and learn about it. On that trip or others I will take someone with me that does not get to go as often as I do. I resolve to take a kid fishing - and not use them for bait”

Despite a few difficult moments (for me and not the youngster) I’ve encountered fishing with children, I never considered using them for bait.

However, the resolution to take someone fishing whether young or old is a great one. Much better than resolving to lose weight.

Other than thinking about resolutions, what does one do in early January. There are tackle boxes to be cleaned, books to be read, tackle to be repaired, and shotguns to be cleaned.

And then there are sports shows to visit. First up in this area is the Cincinnati show, followed by Louisville and then Indianapolis. These shows offer outdoor people the opportunity to learn about new fishing, hunting and camping destinations. They also provide an opportunity to view and experience some of the latest gear and outdoor equipment as well as boats and recreational vehicles.

The Cincinnati Travel, Sports and Boat show is open the weekend of Jan. 17-19, closed Monday and Tuesday, and then opens for a run Jan. 22-26 at the Duke Energy Convention Center.

During the final five days is the time the Cincinnati show has an emphasis on fishing, hunting and camping.

Also, running Jan. 22-26 at the Louisville Boat, RV and Sports Show at the Kentucky Expo Center.

Feb. 14-23 is the big Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel Show at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The show utilizes a number of buildings, and may be the largest of its type in the country. 

Tackle Town at Indy has as much fishing gear as one will find assembled anywhere at a retail sports show.

Kids played a game in the snow; anyone remember more?

As I was writing a Christmas column, I thought about how lucky I was as a kid that we didn’t have all the electronic gadgets. Kids actually played together and talked to each other.

Among the winter games, I remember making a huge circle in the snow. It was like a wagon wheel. There was a place in the middle and spoke led to the outer circle of the wheel.

We must have played some sort of tag or similar game.

I vaguely remember it being called, “Ducks and Geese,” or something similar.

Does anyone remember the game? Do you recall any details?

If you remember, please add a note or comment.

Used bike was great present; gave me mobility to explore the outdoors

It was a shinny red bike. It stood parked by the Christmas tree. Wow, a bike.

I couldn’t have been happier on Christmas morning. A beautiful, full-size bike. It wasn’t new, but I didn’t care. It was new to me, and I couldn’t have been more excited.

Money was scarce when I was growing up. We always had plenty to eat and a warm house, but not a lot more. I didn’t know we were poor.

Some where my dad found a used Western Flyer bike. He cleaned, painted an polished the old bike, It also had new tires, It looked brand new, beautiful. And to me, it was my ticket to the world. It was my transportation to frog ponds, fishin’ holes, woods, and other neighborhood kid’s home and outdoor games.

I was blessed, electronic games had not been invented.

Another year’s special gift I fondly remember was a Red Ryder BB gun. It came with a package of BB’s.

I spent many hours shooting targets and cans down by the old railroad tracks. It was where I learned some of the early fundamentals of target shooting and hunting. It also helped teach me the value of saving money so I could make trips to Goodwin’s store to purchase more BB’s.

For many old-timers like me, Christmas is a special time -- a time for nostalgia about bikes, BB guns, Christmas Eve church services and trips to Grandma’s house.

Growing up, Christmas Eve started with a trip to a little German country church in rural Clark County, Illinois. The kids of the church practiced  for weeks in advice on a special Christmas program.

The programs were short, probably no more than an hour. But, they seemed an eternity as we had fun things to do afterwards at grandma’s house.

There was a big valley and hill near the church, and it always seemed like it was slick with snow and ice. One farmer kept his tractor at ready to help pull stranded cars up the hill after the service.

After the service, our family all gathered at Grandma and Grandpa Junker’s house. It was small, but we all managed to pack inside.

There was oyster soup and chili, plus sandwiches and homemade Christmas cookies. As a youngster, I disliked (mild words) the oyster stew, but would love to have a bowl today.

Kids were later told to be quiet and listen for Santa’s sleigh bells. Hearing the bells, we were told that Santa had made an early visit to the closed off living room. There we found gifts under the tree One for each youngster. There also were gifts for adults, who following Thanksgiving dinner had drawn names. Later, we kids received the remainder of our Christmas gifts at our homes.

My Christmas memories still fill my head at this time of year, and I have a special recollection of that red bike. It was my access to the wonderful outdoors.