Patoka Sportsman 7-6-19
Patoka Sportsman 7-6 & 7-7-19
Boaters preparing for the Independence Day holiday should be aware that Indiana Conservation Officers will be on high alert for violations of boating-under-the-influence laws as part of national Operation Dry Water. Operation Dry Water (operationdrywater.org), a year-round program, will be in heightened effect July 5-7. Indiana Conservation Officers, in partnership with the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and the U.S. Coast Guard, will focus on educating boaters about safe boating practices, including keeping alcohol off the boat, for both operators and passengers. Officers will be on the lookout for impaired boaters. Boaters will notice an overall increase in patrols, both on the water and at recreational boating checkpoints, to remove dangerous and impaired boaters from the waterways.
Operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal on all bodies of water, and can lead to serious injuries and consequences. In Indiana it is illegal to operate a vessel with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .08 or higher, the same BOC for land vehicles. Indiana Conservation Officers remind boaters to always boat sober and to wear a life jacket when on the water. (2017 U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics)
Representatives of the 4-H Shooting Sports program asked the Dubois County Commissioners on Monday to cover the cost of much needed storage space. They estimate the cost of the new building would be around $45,000. Neither shooting sports or the 4-H council has the money. Equipment used for the program is now stored in five different buildings on the 4-H Fairgrounds property. 4-H Council head Casey Reckelhoff said having one building to keep the equipment would be ideal. The building being proposed would be 40-by-50 feet and about 14 feet tall. It would sit south of the farm bureau’s building, which is on the southwest corner of the fairgrounds’ main lot. The building would be big enough to store all the equipment, as well as the stage owned by Dubois County Tourism, and could used for various community events. In exchange for storing the stage, the 4-H Council is allowed to use the stage free of charge.
The council is willing to contribute $5,000 and the Shooting Sports program will also contribute. The tourism department has said that it doesn’t have any money to contribute. Tim Beck, one of the leaders, said all instructors are certified by the state and the program and has exhisted since 1983. About 30 volunteers work within the program. Between 100 and 120 kids enroll each year. Shooting sports also helpa with the hunter education program, which has just as many students participating.
The commissioners were divided on their support of the project. Commissioners Nick Hostetter and Elmer Brames favored helping with the cost of the storage building. Hostetter said that the program is beneficial to children by giving them proper training and education about firearms. Commissioner Chad Blessinger said that while he sees the need, the lease between the county and the council states that such improvements are to be paid for by the 4-H council. Also, the county must prioritize the various funding requests it receives from different groups.
Brames requested that the council bring back a concrete cost for the building, as well as how much will be contributed by the council and shooting sports. Hostetter said he wants the tourism department to contribute as well. Reckelhoff said he will gather that information and come back to a future commissioners meeting.
There will be a 3-D Broken Arrow Archery shoot Sunday July 14th at Beaver Lake CR 325 E Jasper IN. Sign-in will be from sunrise till noon. A practice range will be available, and concessions will also be sold. There are new lower prices for entry fees. The entry fee is $10 for all adults, $8 for children age 11-17, and free for the cub class (10 and younger) and active military members. From Jasper, take State Road 164 east to County Road 325 East, turn left and follow the road to the clubhouse on the right. For more information , call cliff fleck at (812)630-0454 or karla brames at 812-827-3756.
The 8th Annual Young Life Clay Shoot will be held on July 19 & 20 at Cool Springs. Cost is $400 per a team of 4 shooters. Individual shooters can also participate for $100. There will be 12 stations and 100 sporting clay targets. Ammunition and lunch will be provided. Various sponsorship levels are also available. For more information contact Terri Neukam at 812-631-8834 or email [email protected].
The Patoka Lake Watershed Steering Committee encourages individuals, families, friends and service groups to save the date for the 13th annual Patoka Lake Clean Up on Saturday, August 24, 2019 at the Patoka Lake Dam. Participants of all ages and abilities can sign up on location at 8 am EDT and will be assigned an area to pick up trash and recycling along the shore.
At 11 am, all volunteers return to the dam to be treated to a fish fry, music, door prizes, goody bags and of course, a free event t-shirt! Service and youth groups are asked to please register in advance! Join in the fun and help rid Patoka Lake Watershed of unsightly, unhealthy trash!
Each year volunteers pick up over 2000 pounds of trash and recycling during this event.
All supplies are provided; volunteers just need to show up! The event takes place at the Patoka Lake Corps of Engineers office at the Patoka Lake Dam at 4512 N. Cuzco Road, Dubois. For information or to register a group in advance, call the Patoka Lake Nature Center
at 812-685-2447 or check the Patoka Lake Watershed Steering Committee Facebook page for updates.
More than 100 people are needed to assist kids around the Fishin' Pond during the 17 days of the Indiana State Fair, which runs Aug. 2-18. Volunteers get free admission to the fair on the day they work, a free Fishin’ Pond T-shirt, and the opportunity to fish with kids for a few hours at the pond. Volunteers can also help sign up kids to fish and help them with a fish coloring activity when they are finished fishing.
It’s that time of year again when turtles are making their precarious journey across the road. If you find a turtle, move it across the road in the direction it was heading. If you see a turtle in your yard, garden, or crossing the road this summer, it may be a nesting female. Do not relocate or take these turtles. When turtles are removed from the wild, they can no longer contribute to the population. It is illegal to take protected species from the wild.
The DNR’S turkey brood survey runs from July 1 to Aug. 31, 2019. While you are out this summer, you are asked that you help them count the number of young wild turkeys (poults) with turkey hens. These surveys provide the DNR with information about turkey poult survival and inform wild turkey management. Create an account and start reporting your observations at on.IN.gov/turkeybrood.
California Proposition 63 was written to force individuals who wish to purchase ammunition to first obtain a four-year permit from the California Department of Justice. The ballot measure requires dealers to check this permit before selling ammunition. California enacted legislation in July 2016 that repealed this provision and instead mandated dealers to check with the Department of Justice to determine if the buyer is authorized to purchase. The background checks requirement will take effect on July 1, 2019.
Proposition 63 also requires individuals and businesses to obtain a one-year license from the California Department of Justice to sell ammunition. Hunters selling 50 rounds or less of ammunition per month for hunting trips were not required to obtain a license. You can read the full text here.
The penalty for buy or selling ammo without a background check or license is a misdemeanor. As a result of this law ammo sales have skyrocketed in California. According to some sources ammo sales are up 300% since the law passed. Will this be a trend that will come to Indiana? We’ll have to wait and see.