Patoka Sportsman 1-5-19
Patoka Sportsman 1-5 & 1-6-19
There are still a few opportunities for you to hunt this season. The special antlerless deer season in counties with a bonus quota of 4 or more runs through Jan. 6. Statewide archery is open through Jan. 6. Turkey archery season also runs through Jan. 6. You can also hunt geese in the South Zone through Feb. 10. Rabbit seasons runs through Feb. 28. You can hunt quail south of Interstate 74 through Jan. 10.
An Indiana Hunter Education Course is slated for Saturday’s January 12th and 19th at the Dubois County 4-H Fairgrounds. Classes will run from 9a.m. to 4p.m. on Saturday 12th and from 8a.m. to 4:30p.m. on Saturday 19th. Participants must attend both days to complete the course. All Indiana residents are invited to complete this FREE course. All instruction will be by Indiana conservation officers and certified Indiana volunteer hunter education instructors. Certification is required for anyone born after December 31, 1986, who wishes to purchase an Indiana hunting license. The course will cover ethics, safety, laws, survival and safe handling practices for archery, black powder and firearms. Lunch will be provided for participants and attending family members on both days for $5/person/day. To sign up, visit www.passitonindiana.com. There is a 150- student limit for the class and pre-registration is required. This course is being sponsored by the Dubois County Shooting Sports Instructor Council and Dubois County Sportsmen. For questions, call (812)685-2447.
The Second Annuyal Dubois County Coyote Charity Hunt is coming up soon. It’s hosted by Chris Popp, Bill Martin and Kevin Shepherd. Sign up at the Great Outdoors from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM on January 18. Final check in is Sunday January 20 at 10:30 AM. No later entries. Half of the total pot will go to Charity and half to the winning teams. Biggest and smallest dog side pot is $25 and they are optional. Most dogs killed will earn you $25 for class 2 only. Your team can be up to 3 hunters at $100 per team. For class listing and official rules visit the Great Outdoors in Jasper’s Southgate Center.
On Saturday, January 12 at 1:30p.m. and again on February 16th at 11:30a.m., join our Naturalist at the Patoka Lake Nature Center to discover why we see gulls in the winter. We typically think of gulls being on warm sunny beaches near the ocean not in Indiana. Discover what they are doing here. During these programs, participants will have the opportunity to drive to the water to see them up close using binoculars. Participants should dress for the weather and bring binoculars, spotting scopes and cameras.
The Patoka Valley Limbhangers Chapter of the NWTF will hold their Hunting Heritage Banquet on Sat. Feb. 2 at Ferdinand Community Center. Doros open at 4:30 and dinner will be at 6:30. The Hunting Heritage Super Fund Banquets put dollars on the ground within the state and across the nation for upland habitat restoration, land acquisition, hunting and shooting education projects. The banquet will consist of a buffet style dinner, raffles on quality firearms and other prizes, as well as a live and silent auction on exclusive NWTF merchandise, prints, knives and lots more. Pre register by Jan. 27 for your chance to win a Yeti Cooler. Indiana Gaming License #0039. For more information contact Dave Jellison at 812-639-0208 or email [email protected].
The Next Level Trails grant program will dedicate $90 million to connect communities through more hiking, biking and riding trails. Next Level Trails is part of Gov. Holcomb’s Next Level Connections, a $1 billion statewide infrastructure program announced in September.Next Level Trails is the largest infusion of trail funding in state history. The grant program is divided into two components: a $70 million fund for regional projects and a $20 million fund for local projects. Projects funded through this program must be open to the public.
The 2-for-1 weekday wintertime special has returned for another year at State Park Inns. Available Sunday – Thursday nights until Feb. 28, 2019. Pay for the first night and get the second consecutive night free. Call 1-877-LODGES1 for reservations or go to Indianainns.com.
Falls of the Ohio State Park is inviting people to the ocean in the middle of the Midwest.The park is launching “Marine Life of Today and Yesterday,” a series of programs that will take place at the park’s interpretive center beginning Saturday, Dec. 29 and running until June 2019.
The Indiana Master Naturalist program can provide you with many hands-on opportunities to learn about our Hoosier natural resources. It also provides a way for you to share that knowledge, along with your life experiences, through volunteer service. The program is sponsored by the Resource Conservation & Development Councils, Indiana Soil & Water Conservation Districts, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service and Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
The mission of the Indiana Master Naturalist program is to bring together natural resource specialists with adult learners to foster an understanding of Indiana’s plants, water, soils and wildlife, and promote natural resource volunteer service within the State of Indiana.
Did you know that there are more than 750 nongame and endangered wildlife species in Indiana? The Indiana Division of Fish & Wildlife manages these species and conducts research to help prevent the loss of wildlife diversity. All of the funding comes from donations to the Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund. No state tax dollars are used.
Until recently, Chronic Wasting Disease had only been known to have spread to 25 states. On Friday, it was announced that Tennessee became its 26th victim. According to a Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency press release, it’s currently confined to two southwestern counties. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is enacting the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Response plan, following a preliminary positive detection of CWD in white-tailed deer in Hardeman and Fayette counties.
Although CWD has no known risk to the health of humans or livestock, it is a contagious and deadly neurological disorder that affects members of the deer family. It is transmitted through animal-to-animal contact, animal contact with a contaminated environment, and with contaminated feed or water sources. It is the most significant threat to the deer population nationwide, as it is 100 percent fatal to deer and elk. Wildlife agencies across the country are working to inform the public about CWD, its deadly results and possible impacts to economies. Currently, 25 states and three Canadian provinces have documented CWD. Last week, Mississippi announced a preliminary CWD-positive, hunter-harvested deer in Marshall County which became the closest to Tennessee and the fourth overall this year in Mississippi. Other confirmed cases have previously been made in the border states of Arkansas, Missouri, and Virginia.”