Patoka Sportsman 11-21-20

Patoka Sportsman 11-21 & 11-22-20

Deer hunting is a tradition for many families.  It’s something that’s passed down from one generation to another.  My dad taught me to hunt squirrels and rabbits.  When I was young there weren’t many deer around. Eventually I learned to deer and turkey hunt.  Now I’m teaching my grandson how to do things the right way. He got his first turkey this spring and now we’re working on his first deer.  I’m glad he has an interest in learning about hunting. He passed his hunter safety Ed. Course and now he talks about hunting all the time.  He enjoys eating what he’s harvested and the times we spend together are just the best!  The way I look at it, who better to teach him the values and ethics that hunters should have than me.  I’d rather he learn about archery equipment and firearms from me than from his friends. We’ve been to the gun range and he’s familiarized himself with my firearms and crossbow before we ever went hunting. In addition to hunting, he and his younger brother love fishing. I can’t think of a better way to spend quality time with grandchildren that being in the outdoors doing something they love.  I encourage you to do the same.

The Dubois County Sportsmen’s Club is again sponsoring the Hunters for the Hungry during this year’s deer season.  Hunters who legally harvest a deer can donate the entire deer by taking it to either Sanders Processing in Celestine, Ohio Valley Caviar in English or Cannelburg Processing.  The deer should be field dressed and you must donate the entire deer not just parts of it.  The processing will be paid for through a grant from the Sportsmen’s Benevolence Fund. Several deer have been donated so far this year and we thank you for your donation.  Each time you donate a deer you will be eligible to win a gun donated by Dr. Greg

If you hunt in more than one season, this is the license deal for you! A deer bundle license can be used in all seasons (except the deer reduction zone season) using legal equipment during that season and gives the hunter the privilege to harvest up to three deer (3 antlerless OR 1 antlered and 2 antlerless deer). Season dates, legal equipment, and all other deer hunting laws apply. Antlerless deer taken with a deer license bundle can count toward the archery season bag limit, muzzleloader season bag limit, or as a bonus antlerless deer in that county, depending on the season and equipment used.

Signing in to buy hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses looks a little different now. A new state online portal called Access Indiana, which allows citizens to interact with multiple Indiana state agencies through a single login, has launched. If you haven’t already purchased your hunting license for this fall, we suggest creating your Access Indiana account today.

The Indiana CheckIN Game system allows hunters and trappers to check in their harvested game from any device connected to the internet. You will receive a confirmation number that must be written down on a temporary transportation tag for the harvested game species (turkey, deer). Be sure to check your information to ensure accuracy before submitting. Deer and wild turkeys must be checked in within 48 hours of harvest; river otters must be checked in within 24 hours of harvest. Have your Customer ID and harvest information ready. Remember, you don’t need to log in to your account to check in game for this fall – you can do so by clicking Game CheckIN and entering your Customer ID number and date of birth.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some Indiana deer processors may have adjusted hours, may not be taking full carcasses, or may not be taking deer at all this fall. Indiana DNR recommends you plan ahead and contact your processor before taking a deer to them. For the do-it-yourselfer, videos about skinning, butchering, and preparing your meat are available at deer.dnr.IN.gov under Field to Freezer: Meat Preparation. Remember to wear gloves, wash your hands after processing, and clean and disinfect your instruments after use.

Youth free hunting days are November 28-29.  Any resident age 17 or younger on the date of the hunt can take any legal game in season during these youth free hunting days.  To participate, the youth must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 18 years of age.  The youth hunter does not have to possess a hunting license but must comply with all other hunting regulations.

The DNR would like to remind everyone to be aware of their surroundings. Hunters are not required to wear hunter orange until firearms season in November, and could be hard to spot. If you see a bowhunter, give them space to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. Consider wearing hunter orange when entering areas where hunters are present, especially when venturing off-trail. Please note that state parks only allow deer hunting on certain reserved draw dates. Other DNR properties, like state forests and fish & wildlife areas, allow hunting throughout the seasons. Questions about deer seasons and regulations can be directed to the Deer Hotline at [email protected] or call 812-334-3795, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.