HOLIDAY GIFT IDEASPAGE 14

PIKE ON ICEPAGE 16

FISHING REPORTPAGE 6

GONE AFIELDPAGE 7

PREDATOR HUNTINGPAGE 9

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STATE PARK FEES TO INCREASEIN 2013

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Inside:

VOL. 2012 • NO. 11 DECEMBER, 2012

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Visitors to Indiana state parksand reservoirs will see somechanges in user fees in 2013, butthe daily entrance rate of $5 willremain the same.

“Our goal, as always, is to pro-vide the best state parks and facili-ties we can for our visitors,” DNRdirector Rob Carter said. “We’vemade minor fee adjustments in thepast to keep pace with the costs ofmeeting that goal. It’s now time tomake a few additional changes, while also keeping in mind family budg-ets and the economic challenges Hoosiers are facing.”

Some of the changes in fees include:• Annual entrance permits will increase from $36 to $40 for Indiana resi-dents. • The annual out-of-state entrance permit will increase from $46 to $60.• Annual entrance permits also may be used for entrance to the interpre-tive center at Falls of the Ohio State Park.• Camping rates will increase by $1-$4 depending on the type of facilities,but weekday campers will still get a better rate.• Swimming pool fees will increase from $2/person/day to $3/person/day.A family swimming pass will be $50 for a 25-visit pass, which can reducethe per person/per day cost back to $2. Swimming passes have no expira-tion date, and can be used from one year to the next.• Cabin rates will increase by $5/day in some locations.• The annual motorized lake permit will increase from $20 to $22.• Some state park inn rooms will increase from between 99 cents and$4.95/night depending on location and amenities.

For a complete list of fees, see stateparks.IN.gov/2391.htm. Feeadjustments took effect on November 15. Camping, cabin, shelter, inn andother reservations made prior to November 15 will be honored at the oldrates.

In 2006, the Indiana Natural Resources Commission approved a fee

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Noah Schoonveld arrowed a nice doe just 20minutes after settling into his stand in NewtonCounty last month. This big ten-pointer came byabout an hour later. Now that’s a memorablehunt! Congratulations, Noah. Indiana’s archeryseason remains open through January 6, whilethe muzzleloader season runs December 8through the 23rd.

Indiana Pheasant OutlookThough upland habitat con-

tinues to disappear acrossIndiana’s pheasant range at analarming rate, the state’s northerntier experienced a mild winter,excellent conditions for springbreeding and then managed toelude the drought that ensnaredmuch of the heartland. “I wouldassume based on the weather andthe spring call count, the 2012harvest would be up,” says Budd Veverka, Farmland Game ResearchBiologist with the Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife.

While the spring call count was only up about 3 percent statewide,the routes in Benton County were up more than 125 percent from lastyear. “We’ll see if the numbers cause a bump in the harvest,” Veverkasays. He adds the Hoosier State’s 12,500 pheasant hunters will findbirds in the northwest portion of the state, but believes good bird num-bers can also be found in the northeast corner of the state too.

Season Dates: November 9 through December 23Daily Bag Limit: 2 Possession Limit: 4

PHEASANTS FOREVER HELPS CREATE NEWINDIANA GAME BIRD HABITAT AREA

BROOK, IN --Pheasants Forever and the Indiana

Department of Natural Resources (DNR) havecompleted the acquisition of a new Game BirdHabitat Area. Posthumously named after BobLyons, longtime leader of the local IroquoisRiver Pheasants Forever chapter. The 121-acrearea represents Pheasants Forever's first landacquisition in Indiana and will be available tohunters via the state's pheasant draw hunt sys-tem.

The Bob Lyons Game Bird Habitat Area islocated in east-central Newton County and hon-ors Lyons' longtime commitment to conserva-tion. When the property first became availablethree years ago, Lyons was adamant about per-manently protecting it, a goal carried on by theIndiana State Council of Pheasants Forever afterLyons' passing in 2010. “I am very proud to havebeen actively involved in this,” said state councilpresident Rick Lopez. “Indiana PheasantsForever chapters raised the necessary funding,selling one raffle ticket at a time. Our childrenwill benefit in this investment and great tribute.”

Indiana's DNR Division of Fish & Wildlifewill manage the property with an emphasis onrestoration of grassland habitat that benefitspheasant and quail, which will fulfill Lyons'vision for the parcel. In his home area of Newton

and Jasper Counties, Lyons was personallyresponsible for more than 6,000 acres in ditchbank filter strips and habitat buffers, and he andthe chapter worked with roughly 35 landownersover the years to establish conservation practiceson their land. He was named one of PheasantsForever's “25 Pioneering Volunteers” during theorganization's 25th anniversary celebration.

“Bob was a crusty old feather hunter wholoved his habitat and really loved his birds andhis bird dogs,” said Jack Corpuz, secretary of theCentral Indiana Pheasants Forever chapter, “Hespent just about every spare moment in the

Continued on Page 4

Continued on Page 4

IDNR/Outdoor IndianaMagazine photo.

Page 2 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© December, 2012

JOSHLANTZ

Hunting seasons come and golike birthdays. And if it weren’t forphotographs, most of us wouldremain blissfully unaware of theincremental changes that take placeduring the spaces in between.

The images don’t lie. For some of us, they reveal a

few more gray hairs, or point outthat our hunting clothes fit a bit dif-ferently. They chronicle an evolu-tion of gear, secret hunting loca-tions and treasured hunting part-ners. They document a parade ofselect sunrises and memorable har-vests.

Photographs are great forsharing with others, but aren’t trulynecessary for the owners of eachunique experience. We see andrecall the images easily when wesimply close our eyes and remem-ber. By and large, our experiences

afield are timeless, and the memo-ries flow together from the firstseasons to the latest. These memo-ries constitute some of the greatestgifts we receive as hunters. Ofcourse, they are also among thegreatest gifts we can share withothers.

While a good shot on the claysrange, despite my invitations, mywife, Joyce, has never been ahunter. But this changed during thepast year. For a variety of reasons,she has decided it is time to seewhat hunting is really all about.Since I enjoy waterfowl hunting somuch and since we have a new pupwho would be joining me in thefield this season, we decided to out-fit Joyce for waterfowl.

The trip to Bass Pro Shopswas expensive, but fun, as we care-fully selected the clothing shewould need to stay warm and com-fortable in the field. We alsobrought home her very ownRemington 1187 .20 gauge.

Our first few hunts togetherhave been a lot of fun, and I can seethat she truly enjoys everythingabout it -- especially her first duck,a beautiful drake bluebill. I’m

lucky and pleased to be able toshare the outdoors with Joyce andlook forward to the possibility ofmany new memories.

Did I mention I have a newpup?

Last year at this time, I waswriting about the latest addition toour family -- a dilute chocolate labpup named Little Man Kona Kong.

Kona began his training lastDecember, largely following therecommendations outlined byRichard Wolters in his classicbook, Game Dog. Of course, beinga lab puppy and programmed toplease, Kona has eagerly upheld hisend of the bargain. I’m not goingto say that training has been easy,but it is truly amazing how muchinnate hunting and retrieving skillcomes built into most labs. All I’vehad to do is condition him to thegun and teach him what I expectfrom him. He knows the rest and islearning more with each new hunt-ing experience.

This has been Kona’s firsthunting season, and it began withdoves back in September. This wasa fun and easy game for both of us,as Kona has been retrieving frozenpigeons in the woods behind myhouse since he was 12 weeks old.He loved it! So did I.

As waterfowl season rolledaround, I was eager for Kona’s firstwater retrieve. The first duck huntwas with good friend Jay Anglinand his dog, Deuce. I kept Kona ona lead during this hunt. I wantedhim to watch and learn. It turnedout to be a good move. Jay and Ireenacted the shooting of a drakeringneck at the end of the morningand allowed Kona to make a coupleretrieves -- just as he had seenDeuce do. The pup executed flaw-lessly -- holding solid on the shotbefore being verbally released andmaking a beeline for the downedbird through a maze of decoys thatshould have been confusing to ayoung dog. Proud? You bet I was.

Kona’s first real retrieve camea week later. The shooting wasslow, but I dumped a nice drakeredhead as he skirted the outside ofthe decoys. “Kona! Fetch it up!”, Iordered. The young dog leapt intothe water and made his waythrough ten feet of thick bullrushes.While Kona had seen and markedthe bird as it went down, the swimthrough the tangle of reeds left hima bit off his line. I allowed him to

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swim through the mallard decoysnear the edge of the reeds beforeblowing the whistle to redirect him.Kona spun around on my whistleblast, treading water and awaitinginstruction. “Back!”, I yelled andshowed him the direction of thebird with my arm. He turned andheaded in the direction I’d shownhim, picking up speed as he lockedonto the bird. I trilled the whistleand heaped on the praises as hepicked up the drake and turnedback towards the boat. He knewwhat he was supposed to do andcould tell I was very pleased. Itwas the start of what I hope will be

many seasons of hunting togetherand many new memories.

Changes aren’t always evidentfrom one hunting season to thenext, but it’s clear that I have twonew hunting buddies with whom Ihope to enjoy the gifts of the out-doors for many years to come. Ofcourse, my oldest daughter, Emma,recently passed her hunter educa-tion course as well. Both she andher little brother, Jack, already taketurns accompanying me while deerhunting, so I’m sure it won’t belong before I’m blessed with evenmore hunting partners -- a specialgift, indeed.

December, 2012 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© Page 3

PHEASANTS -- Cont. From CoverJasper and Newton county area sitting on a tractor planting habitat. That'swhat he did.”

“It is always great to partner with organizations such as PheasantsForever,” said Mark Reiter, Director of Fish and Game, IndianaDepartment of Natural Resources, “It's through their dedication and will-ingness to get involved that all Hoosier sportspersons will benefit.”

Additional partners making this new Game Bird Habitat Area possi-ble include the Herre family - willing, conservation-minded sellers,Friends of the Kankakee, Indiana Sportsmen's Roundtable and the NICH-ES Land Trust.

Nationwide, Pheasants Forever has participated in 1,312 differentland acquisitions which have permanently conserved wildlife habitat on161,867 acres. Those land acquisition projects have been completed inconjunction with local, state, and federal natural resource agencies, andall of those projects are publically accessible for hunting and other formsof outdoor recreation.

For more information, contact Brian Nentrup, Pheasants Forever andQuail Forever Regional Representative in Indiana, at (317) 753-4543 /Email Brian.

There are 22 PF chapters and over 3,000 PF members working onwildlife habitat projects across Indiana. In fact, Indiana PF chapters havespent $1.5 million dollars to com-plete nearly 5,000 habitat projectsduring the organization's 25-yearhistory. Those projects have bene-fited nearly 40,000 acres forwildlife in that time. There are anadditional six Quail Forever chap-ters in Indiana; Pheasants Forever'squail division.

Pheasants Forever, including itsquail conservation division, QuailForever, is the nation's largest non-profit organization dedicated toupland habitat conservation.Pheasants Forever and QuailForever have more than 130,000members and 700 local chaptersacross the United States andCanada. Chapters are empoweredto determine how 100 percent oftheir locally raised conservationfunds are spent, the only nationalconservation organization thatoperates through this truly grass-roots structure.

Page 4 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© December, 2012

POST-ELECTION SPORTSMEN’S OUTLOOK

FEES -- Cont. From Cover

structure that gives the DNR director flexibility in setting rates forentrance, camping, swimming, boat launching, and many other facilitiesand services. None of the fee changes for 2013 move pricing at or evennear the top of the ranges established by the Commission, and many activ-ities remain free after paying the gate entrance fee. Some of those activi-ties include hiking, biking, visiting nature centers, enjoying most interpre-tive programs, picnicking and birding.

Visitor fees provide about 67 percent of the funding for services, staffand the natural and cultural resources visitors enjoy when they visit a statepark or reservoir. About 33 percent of the funding comes from moniesappropriated by the General Assembly from general fund tax dollars.

“Modest, periodic adjustments in fees help us maintain services,” saidDan Bortner, director of the DNR Division of State Parks & Reservoirs.“This approach was championed by Col. Richard Lieber, the founder ofour state park system, from its very beginning in 1916. It is a philosophythat we still believe in today.

“There aren’t many places you can go and enjoy a weekend with sev-eral thousand acres of forest, prairie or wetlands wrapped around you. Avisit to one of our state parks or reservoirs is still a great value.”

Recreation users will have a great opportunity for savings through theend of the year by purchasing online either an SPR Go! Value Package ora Holiday Gift Pack. Pricing on both of these packages will remain thesame through the end of 2012 as it was in 2011. The sale of these packagesbegins today through Mother Nature's Mercantile at innsgifts.com.

Camping reservations for Memorial Day Weekend, 2013 will beaccepted beginning at noon on Nov. 24. To reserve a campsite, cabin,recreation, building or shelter, visit camp.IN.gov or call 1-866-6CAMPIN(1-866-622-6746).

CheckIN Game phone-in option now availableThe DNR online CheckIN

Game system now offers huntersthe option to report their harvest-ed game from any telephone.

Hunters who use this optionwill talk to a live person who willenter their information into theonline CheckIN Game system.The phone-in option is available24 hours a day, seven days a weekthrough the fall turkey and alldeer seasons. The number is 1-800-419-1326.

Because of staffing costs, a $3 fee will be charged for eachCheckIN telephone transaction. Payment can be made by Visa orMastercard only.

The online system and on-site check stations remain free optionsfor hunters to check in game. To access CheckIN Game online, visitcheckingame.dnr.IN.gov.

Before using the phone-in option, hunters should have their cus-tomer ID and all harvest information ready. Customer ID numbers canbe found on any hunting, fishing or trapping license. Lifetime licenseholders and those who do not have their customer ID will be able tolook up their number through the phone system.

Once a transaction is completed, hunters will be given a confirma-tion number, which must be written on their temporary transportationtag.

“The new phone-in option allows hunters who do not haveInternet access the ability to check-in their game from home or in thefield with a mobile phone,” said Mark Reiter, Division of Fish &Wildlife director. “This makes check-in easy and convenient for allhunters.”

USSA Report --

Election Day has come andgone and Americans have casttheir votes. Now politicians willturn their attention from winningelections to governing our country.But how will the outcome of thisyear’s election affect sportsmen?

After the hundreds of millionsof dollars spent on campaigns thisyear, not much has changed in thenation’s capital. This election didnot provide the sweeping changesushered in 2008 or 2010. Instead,while some of the players are new,the overall breakdown by politicalparty remains quite similar to 2011and 2012.

At the top of the ticket,President Barack Obama wasreelected winning 303 electoralvotes to former MassachusettsGovernor Mitt Romney’s 206.

In the U.S. Senate, Democratsincreased their control from 53seats to 55 seats– assuming AngusKing (Independent) of ME caucus-es with the Democrats as is expect-ed. With or without King, SenateMajority Leader Harry Reid willagain find himself in control ofCongress’ upper chamber.

Jurisdiction over fish andwildlife issues in the Senate isshared between the Energy andNatural Resources Committee(ENR) and the Environment andPublic Works Committee (EPW).

The Senate ENR committeewill now likely be chaired by Sen.Ron Wyden (D-OR) replacing out-going Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM). Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) should remain the seniorcommittee Republican. Insidersexpect the committee to operatemore effectively with Wyden as hehas shown the ability to workacross the aisle and take a prag-matic approach to public landissues. Under Bingaman, thecommittee produced very littlelegislation and cared little forhunter/angler friendly bills. Sen.Joe Manchin (D-WV) was re-elected and should stay on thecommittee as well. He and LisaMurkowski co-sponsored theSenate version of the RecreationalFishing and Hunting Heritage andOpportunities Act (S. 2066 –which designates BLM and ForestService lands as open until closedfor hunting and fishing) and weexpect them to continue to worktogether to move this importantbill through the Senate.

On the Senate EPW commit-tee, anti-hunting Sen. BarbaraBoxer (D-CA) will continue tohold the gavel in the nextCongress, but her GOP counterpartwill change. For the past fewyears, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) hasbeen the committee’s rankingRepublican. He is term-limited inthis role by Senate GOP rules andis likely to be succeeded at EPWby Sen. David Vitter (R-LA). Bothhave been friends to hunters.

On the House side,Republicans maintained control ofthe U.S. House of Representatives.While there are still 25 races thathave yet to be decided, HouseRepublican’s already controlenough seats (226) to ensure theywill find themselves in the majori-

ty come January.Key committees for sportsmen

include the Natural Resources(with jurisdiction over public landsand U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)and the Interior and EnvironmentAppropriations Subcommittee(which controls funding of agen-cies such as Interior and the U.S.Forest Service). Both of thesecommittees will continue to haveGOP chairmen. There may be,however, changes in leadership onthe Natural Resources committee.Present Chairman Rep. DocHastings (R-WA) may move overto the Rules Committee chair. Ifthis happens, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) will likely take the gavel ofthe Natural Resources Committee.Bishop has been chairman of theParks and Public LandsSubcommittee and been a strongsupporter of access to public lands.The domino effect may allow Rep.Don Young (R-AK) to take overthe Parks and Public Lands chair.Young has been a staunch support-er of hunters and anglers, alwayswilling to confront federal agen-cies on fish and wildlife manage-ment and access matters, and agood friend of USSA. Rep. JohnFleming (R-LA) should continueas chair of the Fish and WildlifeSubcommittee.

Membership of the Natural

Resources Committee is likely toremain the same with one notablechange. Rep. Dan Benishek (R-MI), the primary co-sponsor of HR2834 (the House version of theRecreational Fishing and HuntingHeritage and Opportunities Act),narrowly won re-election and isexpected to stay on the committee.Unfortunately, the sporting com-munity is losing its best friend onthe Democratic side of the aisle —Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK). He didnot seek re-election so his commit-tee seat will be up for grabs.

Overall, the outcome of theelection is leading many to worrythat the significant political grid-lock experienced over the past fouryears will continue. That gridlockhas led to sequestration, a series oflooming automatic budget cuts—scheduled to go into effect inJanuary – that would jeopardize$65 million in funding that pay forhunting and fishing programs inevery state.

Despite the seemingly chal-lenging climate, the U.S.Sportsmen’s Alliance will continueto push for much needed improve-ments and advancements on sports-men’s issues including a quick andtimely solution to the sequestrationof our hunting and fishing licensedollars. Learn more at USSPORTS-MEN.org.

FISH KILL AT BROOKVILLE LAKE ATTRIBUTED TO VIRUS

A virus was responsible for a fish kill at Brookville Lake this fall that killed hundreds, if not thousands,of common carp, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

The virus, known as koi herpes virus (KHV), showed up in examinations of carp that were collected fromthe lake and sent to the Purdue University Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for testing.

KHV affects common carp and koi, which is a carp species commonly stocked in ornamental ponds andwidespread in the aquaculture industry.

Related species such as goldfish and grass carp can be carriers of the virus and transmit it to susceptiblefish but they do not appear to be affected by it. There is no evidence that KHV affects native minnows orAsian carp, and it poses no human health risk.

Reports of sick and dying carp at Brookville Lake were first reported to DNR in mid-September.KHV was first found in Indiana in 2011 and attributed to fish kills in the St. Joseph River in Elkhart

County and at a private lake in Daviess County.The long-term impacts of KHV on fisheries at Brookville Lake and elsewhere around the state are

unknown; however, KHV is present in most of the state and is likely to cause additional fish kills.Anglers and boaters can help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) by doing the follow-

ing:

1) Dispose of unused bait after a fishing trip rather than releasing it or saving it and using it somewhere else.2) Drain and dry or disinfect all equipment before moving to another waterway.3) Refrain from releasinge fish caught in one body of water to another body of water.

More information on invasive species and how the public can help prevent their spread is atInvasiveSpecies.IN.gov.

December, 2012 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© Page 5

St. Joseph RiverThere's good news for St.

Joseph River walleye fishermen.Fall surveys conducted by the

Indiana DNR last month revealedbetter-than-average success of fishstocked by the DNR and theMichiana Walleye Association in2011.

Biologist Neil Ledet spentOctober evenings cruising shallowriver areas between Elkhart andTwin Branch dams with electro-shock equipment looking for one-year-old fish. The fish were tem-porarily stunned, captured, count-ed, measured and released.

“We saw twice as many youngfish as we normally do,” saidLedet. “We got about 25 fish perhour, whereas fall catch rates of 12to 15 per hour with our gear aremore typical.”

Furthermore, Ledet's researchturned up quite a few mature fish,with most in the 16-18 inch rangeand one pushing 24 inches. The 13inchers should reach legal size bylate summer or fall of 2013.

“The one-year-olds were run-ning about 13 inches and were fat,with weights above normal,” headded.

Why the exceptionalsurvival of young fish?

“Sometimes you hit itjust right and other yearsyou don't,” Ledet noted.“But I will say that the larg-er fish we're stocking seemto make a huge difference.”

A few years ago, theDNR and MWA beganacquiring river walleyesfrom a private Wisconsinhatchery that grows fishmeasuring 6 to 8 inches andstocking them in late fall.Prior to that, the DNRacquired fish fromMichigan and stocked 2inchers in higher numbersand earlier in the year.

Some of the fingerlingstockings produced goodresults, but most didn't. Thebigger walleyes stockedlater in the year are produc-ing promising results.

However, the bigger walleyesare difficult to raise because theyrequire more time and space in thehatchery. They're pricey to buyfrom a private hatchery, but thereturn on investment appearsworthwhile.

How many will get stocked inthe river this year is contingentupon how much money the localwalleye club can raise. For moreinformation of how you can donateto the MWA's walleye stockingprogram, call Rick Nichols, 574-282-1916.

Area walleye fisheries looking good

LOUIESTOUT

Lakes look good too...Northeastern biologist Tom

Bacula says Lake of the Woods(Bremen), Lake Maxinkuckee(Plymouth), and Bass Lake (Knox)and producing fair to good resultsfor walleye anglers.

Lake of the Woods may beshowing the most promise. It pre-viously was stocked with 100 Junefingerlings (2-3 inches) per acre,but a reduction to 50 per acre hasactually helped the lake.

“The past couple of years, oursurveys have looked pretty good,”

he said. “The lake has a lotof nice 15- to 17-inchwalleyes and I think it's oneof the best lakes to fish.”

Walleyes have long beenstocked in LakeMaxinkuckee, but theresults have been inconsis-tent for a lake with greathabitat and size (1,800acres).

“Our creel studies showlow walleye harvest num-bers so we had to rethinkour stocking strategy,”explained Bacula. “Westarted using advanced fallwalleyes (6-8 inchers) andnext year we’ll hit it withthe June fish and alternateeach year. It will be interest-ing to see if we can get abetter fishery out of it.”

Bass Lake is one of thefew in the state that

responds well to fry, so there are noplans to change how it is stocked.

“It's got a high catch rate ofwalleyes but legal fish are hard tocome by even though we knowthey are out there,” Bacula said.

Bass Lake walleyes show anormal growth rate but they don'tgrow to larger sizes. Biologistsattribute slow growth to the lake'sshallow nature and the fact it getstoo hot in the summer.

“It also gets a lot of fishingpressure for walleyes, includingthrough the ice, so we think a lot ofkeepers are being harvested,”

Bacula noted.In North central Indiana, biol-

ogists grew concerned that WinonaLake (Warsaw) walleyes weren'tdoing as well as they had done pre-viously, so they reduced stockingof larger fall fish from 20 to 10 peracre.

Fall surveys revealed that notonly has the size structureimproved some, but survivalremains consistently above thestate average the past two years.

Perhaps no other Hoosier lakehas responded as well to walleyestockings as Sylvan (Rome City).

The 669-acre lake has anexcellent walleye population and isa good place to catch “keepers” (14inches) or longer, but larger onesaren't as common.

In an attempt to boost sizestructure, biologists reduced thenumber of fall fish it plants.Despite stocking reductions, thenumber of young fish showing upin fall surveys continues to farexceed state averages.

Pike Lake (Warsaw) doesn'tget much attention, but it could bea sleeper.

The 205-acre lake gets 2-inchJune walleyes each year andappears to be doing well with themand stocking will continue.

“Although I haven't surveyedit recently, we have gotten goodreports for years,” said biologistJed Pearson. “We also get a lot ofreports about walleye fishing fromice fishermen.”

Josh Lantz photo.

Page 6 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© December, 2012

JIMBIDDLE

December

you ice fisherman out there, I hopethis year is better than last. If youcan tear yourself away from thewoods for bit I think you will catchsome fish this month.

Lake MichiganMark Starcevich at Mik-Lurch

Tackle in Hammond says the perchare hitting on minnows fromInland Steel to Gary. Lake troutfishing on the reef is a little slowbut should be picking up. Walleyefishing is good at Wolf Lake usingstick baits and crank baits. Whileyour at Wolf Lake you can takesome crappie from areas withlimbs and sticks.

Northwest IndianaPenny Boisvert at Greenwood

Bait Shop in English Lake wantsme to remind all her customers thatthe shop is closed for the seasonand will open again on March 1st.

Saint Joseph RiverDick Parker at Parker’s

Central Bait & Tackle inMishawaka says the fishing israther slow, but they are still takingsome steelhead and bluegills. Thesteelhead fishing could stillimprove if we get some significantrain.

East Central IndianaEd Gipson at Peacepipe Bait

& Tackle at Andrews tells me thefishing has been rather slow butthey are still taking some crappies.

Southwest IndianaRick Shedd from the Fishin

Shedd in Bloomington says youcan get some crappie action if youfish areas that are shallow withunderwater brush. They’re takingsome catfish in area and the wall-eye action should be taking off onLake Monroe pretty soon as well.Largemouth bass are still hittingcrankbaits, spinner baits andworms.

Southeast IndianaTag Nobbe from Brookville

Lake Guide Services in Brookvilletells me that the big three rightnow are walleye,crappie and whitebass. Walleye arehitting pretty wellaround the tail watersbelow the dam. Tagsays use stick baits.Crappies will hitminnows or a jig or atube. White bass gofor inline spinnersfished close to thebank around rocks orfallen trees, especial-

ly in the north end of the lake.Well, that just about does it for

another year of OL’ JB’s fishingreports. I hope I’ve helped youcatch some fish or brought you achuckle now and then. Now it’stime for you to get out those out-door catalogues and start makingyour list for Santa. I’m assumingyou’ve been good all year andSanta will bring you a wholebunch of new fishing equipment.So good luck and remember whatOL JB always says at this time ofthe year, “Merry Christmas andHappy New Year!!”

See you next month.

Most are pretty small. Ed expectsthe catfish and walleye action tostart picking up soon. Use a roos-ter tail or a night crawler if youwant to take some walleyes.Bluegill are still hitting but as theysay, it’s hit or miss. The hotspotseems to be around the 105 bridge.

North Central IndianaTodd Sauter from Ye Old

Tackle Box in North Webster saysthe Muskies are hitting on largesucker minnows. Largemouthbass will give you a lot of actionwith jerk baits or soft plastics onthe bottom. Todd says you cantake a largemouth about anywherein the area.

Central IndianaDave McCalla at the Bait Barn

in Indianapolis tells me that fish-ing has been slow but is gettingbetter. Crappie and bluegillaction is starting to pick-up again.Your best bet for action would beGeist and Eagle Creek Reservoirs.

West Central IndianaJohn Raines at Twin Lake Fish

& Game in Monticello tells methat fishing has been great andshould just keep getting better.Crappie action has been great andshould continue. Smallmouth arehitting on crank baits and jerkbaits. John expects the Saugerand walleye action to start comingon strong too. Jigs and minnowsare the way to go for the them.

Sorry I didn’t get my report inlast month. I was incapacitatedwith a medical problem. Butwatch out, I’m back.

Did you get your deer duringfirearms season? I got an eightpointer on the second day and mygrandson Jacob got a nice sizeddoe. Sometimes I think I’m get-ting a little old for deer hunting. Ishot the buck along the edge ofmy pond and wouldn’t you knowit, it plunged in. Fishing a deerout of a pond and dragging it upthe bank isn’t an easy task. I didcheat a little. I used my old trac-tor to pull it up the bank. Theweather was too warm, but thankgoodness my friend Joey Boisvertlet me put it in his cooler.

Well, I almost forgot this is afishing report. From what I hearfishing has been pretty good withthe spell of warm weather in midNovember. All my contacts seempretty optimistic that it will contin-ue until the ice comes on. Ofcourse, this time of year the weath-er can change in a hurry. For all

December finds goodperch fishing on LakeMichigan fromHammond to Gary ondays when anglerscan get out. JoshLantz photo.

December, 2012 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© Page 7

Gone Afield monthly photo contest. . .It’s EASY! It’s FUN! Fill out this form and send it in with your favorite outdoor photograph.

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This months answers From

Puzzle on Page 17

5

4

2

1

Photo Information,Clockwise from left. . . 1) Brandon Grolich (L) and ArtJacobs (R) with a couple of MarshallCounty Bucks taken within 30 minutesof each other on the same farm. 2)LaDonna Greene Brock took this nicebuck in Kentucky. 3) Cory Hollar ofPlymouth with an awesome 12 pointer.Check out that Drop Tine! CongratsCory and thanks to Brandon Grolichfor submitting the Pic. 4) Matt Rustof Hamlet took this coyote with hisbow. Nice work, Matt! 5) FrankEgan, of Knox (Bass Lake) braved thewind and rain to harvest this awesome215 lb 11 pointer. Congrats, Frank, ona great buck.

3

Join thousands of other Indiana outdoorspeople & follow Indiana Outdoor Newson Facebook. Submit your photos & posts there, or at the best online sourcefor Indiana’s outdoor news & info, INDIANAOUTDOORNEWS.net.

Page 8 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© December, 2012

I like every kind of huntingseason but for me, the Decembermuzzleloader season for deer isperhaps the most special.

It all started years ago when Ipurchased a secondhand KentuckyRifle replica that couldn't shootstraight and ended up blowing apiece of percussion cap into myeyelid. As I drove myself to thedoctor’s office on that memorablefall morning a couple of decadesago, I realized three importantthings: 1. always wear safetyglasses while shooting 2. Cheapused firearms are being sold for areason, and 3. I love muzzleloaders.

Through the years I’ve owneda variety of the charcoal-burnersbut have currently joined the cult ofthe in-line muzzleloader. I stilllove my Hawken-style reproduc-tions but for hunting efficiency, it’shard to beat the in-lines for ease ofuse, reliability and accuracy.

The main selling point of in-line muzzleloaders is their highdegree of accuracy but just likeanything else, the devil is in thedetails. Simply stuffing powder

Inline muzzleloader accuracy tips

The Straight ShooterBRENTWHEAT

down the tube and seating the latestmiracle bullet doesn’t guaranteethat you can knock a gnat off amatchstick at 200 yards. Thingsaren’t quite so straightforward soI'll share of few of my own misad-ventures on the road to better muz-zleloader accuracy.

The most commonly seen loadamong in-line muzzleloader shoot-ers utilizes synthetic black powder,a shotgun primer for ignition and asabot-clad rifle or pistol bullet asthe payload. Let’s talk about thisimportant trinity of in-line shoot-ing.

All modern muzzleloaders willshoot either traditional black pow-der or one of the new “synthetic”types such as Pyrodex® accurately.However, sorry to disappoint, accu-racy does not come from the pow-der itself but rather how the powderis measured and loaded.

Accuracy in any weapon is theresult of consistency so when meas-uring black powder you must be asmeticulous as humanly possibly.Measure your powder as if defusinga bomb, the same way, every singletime!

One common debate is theaccuracy of pre-made pellets versusloose powder. “They” commonlysay that pellets are slightly lessaccurate than loose powder but Ihaven’t yet seen a definitive, non-biased test. Most hard-core shoot-ers use loose powder but I’ve seengood groups with pellets. Yourmileage may vary!

Another important factor is thesize of the load. I know many peo-ple who automatically pour 150grains of powder (typically themaximum load for most guns perthe owner’s manual) and blithelyassume that their shots are bothpowerful and accurate.

Powerful, yes, but accuracy ismost likely lacking. The truth isthat most rifles shoot best some-where in the middle power band.Keep in mind that the venerable.45-70 cartridge was named due toits .45 caliber bullet and 70 grainsof black powder. Uncounted deer,bear and even larger game havefallen for the .45-70 so your mod-ern .50 caliber bullets and 80-125grains of propellant should be finefor Indiana whitetail. My own cur-rent hunting gun shoots best at 95grains behind a 250 grain bullet,certainly a “mediocre” load bysome standards but none of the 5deer I’ve shot with it stumbledmore than 20 yards.

How you seat the bullet has amajor effect on point of impact.As I had learned from other shoot-ers, I would pack the chargeextremely tight until the ramrodwould “bounce” off the bullet.However, I eventually realized thatthis was deforming the round and

undoubtedly impairing accuracy.Now, I just press down on the ram-rod with forceful hand pressureuntil the charge is firmly packed.The key to consistent seating depthis to mark your ramrod in someway to know the charge has beenproperly loaded from shot to shot.

The use of shotgun primers forthe in-line muzzleloader has pro-vided a big jump in reliability andaccuracy. Centerfire primers aremore consistently manufacturedand far hotter than percussion caps,resulting in more positive detona-tion of the powder. All brands wehave tried are acceptable so long asyou don’t mix and match manufac-turers from shot to shot.

The introduction of the sabot(proper pronunciation: “sa-bow” asin “sabotage”) has greatly enhancedthe accuracy of muzzle loadingfirearms. With a sabot, the plasticouter carrier allows use of a sub-caliber modern bullet to obtainhigher velocities and better accura-cy than a lead ball or conical.

I don’t get involvedin the hyperventilatedarguments about the per-fect bullet/sabot combina-tion because, after all,Indiana whitetails aren’tthat tough of a target. In

my book, bullet placement is farmore important than bullet designor retained kinetic energy so I tryvarious combinations of sabot, bul-let and powder weight to determinewhich a particular gun prefers.This is perhaps the number onesecret to wringing the best accuracyout of any weapons system. Apoor shooting gun often becomesacceptable with change of ammuni-tion and a good-shooting gun canbecome great.

There is one more key toobtaining the best accuracy fromyour in-line: go to the range towork up your loads in July, not lateNovember. Shooting a muzzle-loader during foul weather is farmore challenging than a cartridgefirearm, so resolve to hit the rangeduring the warmer months, ratherthan a semi-desperate and oftenabbreviated effort right before theseason. So far, I’ve haven’t takenmy own advice for the past 10 yearsbut perhaps you’ll do better in theself-discipline category.

Loading a .50 in-line muzzleloader with a Thompson/Center ShockWave® 250 grain spire point bullet. Pushed by 95 grains ofPyrodex®, this is the author’s favorite (if not mild by some stan-dards) load.

December, 2012 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© Page 9

One of the most frequent ques-tions I get asked about calling coy-otes is exactly what calls I preferand how I use them. I'll share thatinformation with you here, in thehope that it will make this winter ofcalling your most successful ever.

When I sit down and rest myrifle on the shooting sticks and laythe shotgun beside me (I often carrytwo guns when calling) the first callI usually use is a little squeakercall. It is basically just a small,oval shaped ball which whensqueezed sounds like a mouse introuble. On a quiet day with littlewind, a coyote can probably hear asqueaker at 100 to 150 yards max. Istart with the squeaker, so that justin case there are coyotes laid upclose, I don't blow them out bystarting right out with hard, loudcalls. The squeaker also comes inhandy when a coyote hangs upwithin range but behind some coverso you cannot get a crack at him. Acouple of squeaks is usually all ittakes to get a coyote to move thatlast crucial yard or so. If there is acoyote laid up that close, it hasbeen my experience that he will bein your lap in seconds, so I do notuse the squeaker unless I have agun (usually the shotgun) loadedand ready to go.

Next I go to howling. Coyotesare very territorial and they knowthe voice of every animal in theirpack, just as you and I will easilyrecognize the voices of our familyand closest friends. When a coyotehears an interloper howling on histurf, odds are pretty good that hewill come on over to check thingsout. Although you will call in a fewfemales with howling, I would saythat at least 80 percent of the coy-otes I have called in by howlinghave been males and most of themmature males. The ratio of male tofemale which come to howlingreally goes off the charts inFebruary and March when the coy-otes are breeding. You can makehowls with mouth-blown howlers,but I have always done better withthe old style electronic callers ortoday's digital calls. The one I haveused the most is The Preymasterfrom Hunter's Specialties. I havefound this call to be durable, easyto operate with gloves on and veryrealistic sounding when it comes tohowling or producing any of thedistress calls available on the dozenor so chips available. Usually I onlyhowl for one series, wait a few min-utes and then start in with distresscalls. It has been my experiencethat most coyotes which are goingto come to howling are going tocome in quick. The exception tothis is when I hear coyotes howlingback at me. If they howl at me, Ilike to howl right back at them.

Howling is good. Barking isbad. Usually when a coyote barks,it is a warning to all other coyotesthat not all is well. The only goodthing about barking is that veryoften a coyote will sit down andbark when he is 200 to 300 yardsout. Bad mistake on his part if youare toting a decent rifle with a goodscope.

If nothing comes in to myhowling, after waiting a few min-utes, I will switch to some type ofdistress call. If I am using a mouthblown call, it will be either a cot-

tontail rabbit in distress call or afawn bleat call. I've had good suc-cess with both of them, so I don'tknow which is better. If I am usinga digital caller, I might go withsomething like fighting tom cats,squabbling chickens, kid goat indistress or one of my favorites forcoyote, the vocalization of a red-bellied woodpecker in distress. Iam quite sure that when a coyotehears any of these calls or the dozenothers available on most digitalcallers, that the coyote does not situp in his bed and say “Ahaa, thatsounds like raccoon kits squab-bling.” To the coyote, each of thesevocalizations just sounds likesomething which might be edible.

Some very good callers use thedigital callers because they doafford the hunter so many options.While this might be a big advantagein areas where the coyotes are sub-jected to a lot of calling, day-in-and-day-out I think you will call inmore coyotes with either a mouthblown or digital call playing the oldstandby, the cottontail in distress,

than you will with any other vocal-ization out there. The first coyoteever to come to my calling came toa cottontail in distress and so have astrong share of those I've called insince. And there is a good chancethat the last one I ever call in willcome to a cottontail in distress call.

I usually call in bursts of 30 to60 seconds each. Then I sit quietlyand wait for three or four minutesbefore sending out another invita-tion. If I have not seen a coyoteafter 20 to 30 minutes of calling, Iget up and go to a new calling site.Sometimes I hike back to the truckand drive to the next set, but if thesection is large enough, I will oftenjust move about one-quarter mile.

I hope these tips will help youcall in more coyotes in what isstarting to look like an above aver-age year for calling in numbers ofcoyotes.

What to Say to Coyotes By Gary ClancyPREDATOR HUNTING

The author with a coyote hecalled in before the snows came.Photo provided.

Page 10 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© December, 2012

Deer camp is full; every bedand sofa claimed in anticipation ofopening morning. Gear is piledhigh on the porch away from thesmells of cooking in the house.The morning's hunt is palatable.This is the deer hunter ChristmasEve. This is what we have waitedall year for!

Autumn is by far my favoritetime of year. The leaves turn andthe days begin to shorten as the icy

winds blow from the west. Despitethe inhospitable weather conditionsto come and the Mid-westernmantra, “Oh, I just love the chang-ing of the seasons,” I become likea child unable to sleep on the evebefore the big day. Friends beginto stream in from Florida, Iowa,Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Instead of gifts, bounties offood are unpacked and shared.Fresh oysters and shrimp from thecoastal waters blend with thehardier mid-western fare of porkloin from the Iowa guys. Thesmells emit from crockpots and thegrills, so tempting as to make usforget how cold we were just a halfhour before in the tree stand.

Conversations bounce aroundthe house. “I had 11 deer in front ofme!” “A dink buck wanted me tokill him, he practically climbedinto the tree stand with me.” Thewarmth of the farmhouse makesmy cheeks turn bright pink. “I wascovered in deer, if only we couldhunt with rifles I would have hadthat big, dark bodied deer thatstayed in the field out of range.” “Iswear I am giving your neighbor agift certificate to Grunt TubeAnonymous if they start soundinglike a sick cow this year.” Ourgroup jokes and eats, telling storiesabout last deer season and our fam-ilies over the last year.

Plans are made and everyonedecides what stands or blinds tohunt. Snoring and giggling kidssoon fill the farmhouse. Morning

The Source ofTradition

D.L.SMITHCurves in Camo TM

Not All First DeerStories Have Happy

Endings

KRISTENMONROECurves in Camo TM

TM

Protein, stories and memories hang from the meat pole each year atdeer camp. Photo by author.

Respectable hunters dowhat's right, especially when itcomes to appreciation for theirgame. A few weeks ago I shotmy first deer. It didn't have ahuge rack with bragging rights.It was a doe. But still, my firstdeer made me proud. In fact, Iwould have had her mounted ifall went according to plan.

I sure was grateful when aninvitation came to join myfriends Mark and Lori at theirMarshall County farmhouse --the ultimate deer camp.Preparing for the hunt is half thebattle. My weekly routine con-sisted of slinging several arrowsinto a target to help build up mus-cle memory. On the way to deercamp, I spent time in the passen-ger seat watching You Tubevideos learning how to rattle andmake grunt calls. All the necessi-ties were in my backpack, includ-ing a brand new range finder.

Hope and anticipationflowed through my veins as Ihooked my safety harness to thetree the first sitting in the woods.Was it really the peak of the rut?All the deer I saw that day werein my own day dreams. The deermust have been hiding on theother side of the farm. Perhaps I

will come early I tell myself. Ineed to sleep or I will fall asleep inthe stand.

Morning does come in whatseems like minutes. Thankfully Iadminister coffee in medicinaldoses. Bleary eyed and bed headedeveryone congregates in thekitchen before leaving to hunt.Weather conditions are confirmedand any last minute adjustments aremade. Biscuits and gravy are con-sumed in hopes that the heartybreakfast will give us super humanpowers in the tree stand. As a packwe all head out to accomplish theancient ritual of harvesting whatwe eat.

Heavy frost covers the ground.It is well below freezing this open-ing morning. The biting windfreezes in my nostrils making theend of my nose tingle. The buckshave been heavy in the rut all weekchasing does and this morning is nodifferent. I sit in a stand over look-ing the CRP fields and as the sunbegins to rise I can make out move-ment in the tall grasses. A basketrack buck is chasing a doe acrossthe field. Not 25 yards from them,another doe moves stealthily toavoid the persistent suitor’s atten-tion.

Nothing notable comes withinmy range but I do see uniquemoments in nature. Two turkeysamble underneath me, puffedagainst the cold they look likebronzed beetles. A coyote cutthrough the field slinking toward

the deer feeding on the edge, nevergetting within range of the deer buttrying nonetheless.

The meat pole in the back yardfills with harvests and stories areshared. There are many aspectsthat make us all kindred spirits.Our collective love of the outdoorsand the quest to pursue wild gamebring us together for opening dayevery year.

As a society we have grown sofar away from community and thesource of our foods. Hunting campallows us to be closer to what, ashumans, has driven us for eons, theneed to hunt for survival and thecommunity to share our struggleswith. This is what hunting is reallyabout. It's more than harvesting thegame. It is the full experience ofcommunity.

scared them all away with all theeating in my stand. Raiding mykids Halloween candy before I leftseemed ideal for deer camp (don'tworry, they didn't miss any). Still, Iknew plenty of deer were around,as scrapes and rubs were every-where. How exciting. But it wasn'tnearly as thrilling as day two.

It was a little colder the secondday but still warm enough to gowithout gloves. The gigantic buckbounding across the field was onlythe beginning. He kept his distancefrom the free standing blind I wasin. The blind was placed in a corn-field about 70 yards from the edgeof the woods.

It seemed so calm until twobeautiful does meandered out ofthe trees, breaking the silence. Thepreoccupied does were eating andgave me plenty of time. I wasn'tnervous, just prepared to shoot myfirst deer. The moment I had wait-ing for had finally come. There shestood, broadside. I had practicedthis shot several times -- almostexactly 20 yards according to therangefinder. I drew back andwatched may arrow sail throughthe air and stick right above herarmpit.

The nice sized doe made aslight yelp and took off into thewoods along with the other. Awave of anxious and relieved feel-ings flooded my body. The otherlucky doe hesitated at the tree lineand decided to come back into thefield. I guess she wasn't done eat-ing. But the deer I shot never cameback.

My hands were a little shakyas I sent a text to my friend, Mark(the land owner). The text read, “Ishot a deer how long do I wait?”He replied, “sit tight, I'll be there ina bit.”

After about thirty minutes Isaw the top of his white truckpulling into the field. “We need towait until dark... it looks like sheran across the ditch which alsomarks the end of my property. I'llmake a call and see if we cansearch over the ditch for your deer.We'll wait so we don't interrupt myneighbor if he's hunting,” Marksaid. Minutes felt like hours.Finally, Mark made contact with

his neighbor. He did not want uson his property. “But we justwant to look over the hill, the doeprobably didn't make it that far,”said Mark. Nope. He refused tolet us on. My feelings of excite-ment slowly faded away.

Sure, we could have justcrossed the border to retrieve thedeer without him even knowing.We were shocked he wouldn't letus on. “We share a mile border”,Mark said. “This situation mighthappen to you someday.” “So it'stit for tat?” said the unwillinglandowner. In other words, hedidn't feel the need to let us on hisland but thought Mark should lethim on if the tables were turned.They share a mile border; it'sbound to happen again.

Besides my feelings beingcrushed not able to search for myfirst deer, somewhere over thatditch lay a meal that could havefed my family for weeks.Chances are the coyotes ate freshvenison that night.

All first deer stories don'thave a happy ending. I’d like tobelieve the landowner will readthis story in Indiana OutdoorNews and feel slightly sorry forletting a deer go to waste in hiswoods. But on second thought, itoccurs to me that he probablywouldn't even care. In any case,I'm not giving up. There’s a lot ofdeer season left.

This 9 point buck was taken by 15-year-old Klaudia Kovach of Hamleton opening day. It was her first deer. A Curves In Camo salute to you,Klaudia!

December, 2012 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© Page 11

Page 12 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© December, 2012

Bunnies aren't beneath me.Sadly, this is not the case for most

hunters, nowdays. Too often, most hi-pow-ered hunters think it's a kids game to hunt forrabbits. Too bad. They're missing out on oneof the classic American hunting traditions.

Our pioneers survived on hunting smallgame on their trip westward. After the farmswere plotted out and fences were installed,these country-folk continued their associa-tion with the outdoor wildness by continuingto hunt these furry little rodents.

Pursuing rabbits is simple, cheap, andpure fun. Who gives a rodent’s rear end whatother hunters think?

“Hunt” is the key word in all of this.When I was about 10 years old I was invitedto go along with my two older brothers andtheir friends on a rabbit hunt. Little did Iknow I was invited along primarily to carrywhatever they killed. I didn’t care. I felt Iwas “accepted”.

With modern day rabbit hunters youdon't have to worry about your scent or ifyou have the right color of camouflage. Youcan go out and kick some brush piles and just“hunt”.

Another thing you don't have to worryabout is getting out to hunt on openingweekend ,as the bunny season lasts for manymonths and the daily bag limits are gener-ous. Nobody's going to get the big oneyou've been watching on your trail camera,as all those expensive electronics are defi-nitely not needed when in pursuit of “ol br'errabbit”.

Anyone who's hunted rabbits knowsthey are nervous critters and will most likelybolt from their hiding place at the slightestperceived danger. When you enter a briarpatch, walk slowly, stopping every now andthen as you would when hunting pheasants.This will most likely unnerve them in toleaving their present surroundings for saferhabitat.

Contrary to popular belief, rabbits don'texactly run in a big circle when being chased

by dogs. A lot depends on just how hard theyare being chased. Most of the time, rabbitsare really only familiar with the general areaof where you jumped them. Therefore, theytend to stay within their known range, and ifyou have the patience to wait, the dogs willundoubtedly bring the bunny around towhere you can get a shot at them. Even whenspooked from their hideouts, they typicallywill only hop a short distance to another bitof cover, where they will no doubt lay upuntil spooked again.

Most avid rabbit hunters feel that anImproved Cylinder is enough choke in yourgun to bring down the hairy creatures. That'strue, in that you'll not put too many pellets inthe rabbit, damaging the meat. I personallyfeel I'm not that quick on the draw anymoreso I need to use my 20 ga. Remington 1100with full choke to insure a clean kill or aclean miss. It also depends on how muchcover you're hunting in. If the cover is verythick, I hunt with #4's in my 20 guage.Whereas, if the hunting is done out in theopen, I'll use #6's. It only takes 2 or 3 pelletsto stop a bunny from escaping into the nextcounty.

My bunny hunting friends tell me Ihave a senior citizens beagle, because in thelast 2 or 3 years, he's taken to fetching therabbits for me. With him being 10 years old,and me being 75+, I can't ask much more ofmy dog than that.

Weather more than anything else affectsthe rabbits’ behavior and temperament. Thetime of day must be taken into considerationtoo. Twice in the last 2 or 3 years I've expe-rienced a situation where, having justjumped a rabbit, the dogs could not pick upits scent because it was still too cold or thesnow was too fluffy. So I've now taken tohunting rabbits only when it's above 25degrees, or near that, with the sun shiningprofusely. What convinced me of this newtactic, was when I could not get the dog totrack a rabbit I just spooked, yet when Icame back to the same area some 2 hours

later we kicked up 3 bunnies as the sun hadcome out and it started to thaw a bit. The dogseemed to be able to pick up the scent easierif there's some moisture on the ground.Besides, rabbits are a lot like people---theywant to be outside and moving if the sun isshining.

According to a recent U S Fish andWildlife survey back in 2006 there were 1.9million rabbit hunters in the United States.The average number of days spent rabbithunting was 11, with a total of 20+ milliondays spent out in the cold in pursuit of rab-bits.

The truth is there is no bad time to go rab-bit hunting. Grab the 20 ga. or .410, whistleup the dogs, and call the kids. It's time for abunny hunt.

Bunnies aren’t beneath me By Gene CliffordSMALL GAME

The author and Zeke teamed up to put thisIndiana cottontail into the game bag. TomBerg photo.

Cooper Grolich of Marshall County is following in his daddy's footsteps! Congrats,Cooper on a great buck. Photo provided.

December, 2012 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© Page 13

If you’ve read this column for very longyou know that capturing a criminal can take agreat deal of investigation. An IndianaConservation Officer (ICO) has to learn thesuspects’ habits: where they frequent, whothey associate with, when they perform theircriminal activities, etc. But then, on rareoccasions, the criminal gets dumped in anICO’s lap by events that neither expected.

A few years ago Louisville undercoverofficers were monitoring a high drug trafficarea when they spotted a suspect with sever-al outstanding warrants selling drugs. Whenthey attempted to detain the suspect he fled inhis car. The officers followed in pursuit. Asthe call went out over the radio other officersjoined in the pursuit as it wound through thecity.

The chase went from Louisville,Kentucky across the Ohio River and intoClarksville, Indiana. When the Clarksvilleofficers tried to stop the suspect, he woundaround and headed back over the Ohio Riverand into Louisville. With an ever growingline of law enforcement officers chasing thesuspect, he somehow got turned around andheaded back across the river, back into FloydCounty Indiana on I-64. At that point offi-cers from New Albany joined in the pursuit.

During all of this ICOs Mac Spainhour,Gary Pennington, and a few others wereworking at the Middle Creek boat ramp offOld River Road. They were wrapping up aninvestigation dealing with human remainsfound along the Ohio River that werebelieved to be part of a missing person casefrom 1997. As they pulled their search andrescue boat back on the trailer they listened tothe radio traffic pertaining to the pursuit. Asfate would have it the suspect exited the inter-state near the boat ramp and was then headingwest down Highway 111. In a plan to assisttheir fellow officers, Most of the ICOs

class-A uniform, followed the suspect’sprogress as the current tugged him along.Mac needed to keep visual contact of the sus-pect to aid in the rescue or to retrieve thebody if he went under.

Tensions were running high as the boateased out into the river and over to the sus-pect. By that time the suspect had given upon swimming across the river and seemed tojust be trying to prevent his capture. As therescue boat would near, the suspect wouldswim away. Changing strategies, the ICOsstarted herding the suspect using the boat, inhopes of pushing him into shallower water.

Finally as the suspect gained a foothold,ICO Jim Schreck, jumped in to apprehendhim, but the suspect was not willing to bearrested. At that point Mac Spainhour, in hisfull dress uniform, jumped into the river fromhis shoreline vantage point, as did aLouisville metro officer, and a New Albanyofficer. About that same time GaryPennington jumped off the boat to aid hisfriends and comrades. Even with five offi-cers trying to detain him the suspect refusedto give up. Fearing the possibilities giventheir situation, they decided to use a stun gunon the suspect. One of the officers shoutedto get clear, then stunned the suspect with50,000 volts of electricity. Like magic, thesuspect became compliant and allowed themuddy and soaking wet officers to detainhim.

With the suspect in custody all of thepursuing officers left the ICOs and headedhome, giving ICO Gary Pennington the hon-ors of being the arresting officer.(Translated, this meant that Gary had to fillout the mountain of paperwork and reportsretaining to the case! Thanks Gary! Andremember no good deed goes unpunished… )Gary took the man and booked him into theFloyd County Jail.

jumped into their vehicles and headed up theroad.

Before the ICOs could get all the way toHighway 111, the suspect turned on the dead-end road leading to the boat ramp. In whatclosely resembled the chase scene from theBlues Brothers movie, approximately fifteenpolice cars followed in hot pursuit. Mac,Gary, and the other officers quickly tried todeploy their vehicles as a road block, but thesuspect was able to maneuver past them.The ICOs gave the right-of-way to the pursu-ing officers and then followed.

Desperate not to be captured the suspectdrove his car down the boat ramp and into themuddy waters of the Ohio River. As policecars lined the river bank the suspect climbedout of the car window and started swimming,but it appeared from shore that he was unableto use his legs to swim. “We didn’t know ifhe was intoxicated or had drugs in his sys-tem,” Gary said. Wanting to capture the sus-pect and fearing that he would drown, someof the ICOs commenced re-launching their24-foot rescue boat. Mac, dressed in his

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January 5 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, and January 24-27 atthe New! Chicagoland Fishing, Travel & Outdoor Expo

(www.sportshows.com/chicago/index.html) in Schaumberg, IL.

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Page 14 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© December, 2012

Remington Offers More Affordable Versa Max

Reliability and durability are problemsfor most gas operated autoloading shotguns.Why? Because a 3-1/2” super magnumgoose load produces a lot more gas pressurethan a lighter and shorter 2-3/4” dove load.The amount of gas that travels through theports on a typical autoloader varies based onshell length and loads. High pressures slamthe bolt against the receiver and eventually wearout the action, while the weak pressures generatedby light loads are often not adequate to cycle them con-sistently.

First released in 2010, the Remington Versa Max wasdesigned with an ingenious seven port configuration, so it generates theproper amount of gas pressure for whatever shell is loaded. The widelyacclaimed shotgun retails for around $1,300.

Building on the no-nonsense popularity of their Sportsman Series 11-87 autoloader, Remington will release a Sportsman version of the Versa Max in early 2013. TheSportsman edition loses some of the premium features of the standard Versa Max. It does not include agrey rubber overmold on the stock, a TriNyte barrel finish or nickel plated internals. Instead of a selec-tion of chokes it will only ship with a modified choke. Instead of Hi-Viz fiber optic sights it ships witha bead sight. The result is what we expect to be the hardest working, best performing shotgun availablefor the announced pricetag of $1,000. Sign us up, please.

Learn more at www.remington.com.

Smith & Wesson M&P SHIELD

Smith & Wesson’s new M&PSHIELD™ is a slim, concealable, light-weight, striker-fired polymer pistol.Available in 9mm and .40 S&W, the newM&P SHIELD features a slim design combinedwith the proven and trusted features found in the M&PPistol Series. From the pistol’s easily concealed one-inchprofile to its optimized 18-degree grip angle, the M&PSHIELD offers professional-grade features that provide consumers withsimple operation and reliable performance.

Chambered in 9mm and .40 S&W for proven stopping power, the M&PSHIELD features a high-strength polymer frame with a black, Melonite® coat-ed stainless steel slide and barrel. Both models are standard with a 3.1-inch bar-rel, which contributes to an overall length of 6.1 inches and an unloaded weight of19 ounces. For fast tracking and smooth target acquisition, the M&P SHIELD is standard with a 5.3-inchsight radius and has been enhanced with a short, consistent trigger pull measuring 6.5 pounds. Featuringa quick and audible reset made possible by the striker-fired action, the M&P SHIELD allows multiplerounds to be placed on target both consistently and accurately.

Looking for that perfect conceal carry pistol? The M&P SHIELD may be your new favorite. The.40 S&W version packs a bit more punch, but it barks more too. Personally, we like the easy-handlingqualities of the 9mm version and its more affordable ammo. More ammo mean more shooting. Andmore shooting means more fun! The SHIELD retails for around $450. Learn more at www.smith-wes-son.com.

Frabill Straight Line 241 Ice Reel

Extracted from the panfish-addled brain of Brian“Bro” Brosdahl and Frabill R&D, the Straight Line241 Reel, available as part of the Straight Line 241Bro Series Combo or by itself, is a true break-through in ice reel design and technology.

It’s like the stealth fighter of ice set to an AC/DCsoundtrack. Back in black, this lightweight winch willtake a pounding and still perform, slab after slab. And while it’s rock ‘n’ roll(Bro wouldn’t have it any other way), it’s definitely not metal. An all-newcomposite design allows easy glove-less reel cupping without the icy palmsand fingers. Line falls dead straight off the spool like a good winch, and the2.4:1 reel ratio and super smooth drag ensure quickly putting that bait backin front of fish-faces—and once hooked they stay hooked. An oversized reelhandle allows anglers with meathook fingers (or gloves) easy operation. Gotcold? No worries—the 241 is suffused with Frabill’s Sub-Zero® for Swisswatch performance even in the coldest people-only-dogsled-here condi-tions.

The Frabill Straight Line 241 retails for around $60. More info atwww.frabill.com.

Bass Pro Shops ElectricSmokehouse Smoker

Enjoy precise push button digital tempera-ture and time control with this professional-grade smoker from Bass Pro Shops®. The BassPro Shops Electric Smokehouse Smoker fea-tures a digital thermostat-controlled heating ele-ment that adjusts up to 275º for even consistentcooking. Four removable smoking racks in 1.7cubic feet of cooking space give you lots ofroom to smoke large quantities of food. Powdercoated steel outer construction surround insulat-ed walls for a cool-touch exterior. Automaticshut off prevents overheating. Intelligent designincludes side loading wood chip holder, removable drip pan, rear-mountedgrease pan, and top air damper to make smoking easier. Retail is $240.Available at www.basspro.com.

HHoo HHoo HHoolliiddaayy EEddiittiioonn!!

Bass Lure Assortment Stocking

Any bass angler would love the Lurenet Bass Lure Assortment Stocking, andyou’ll love getting different lures plus a free Christmas stocking for just $19.99.That’s less than $2 per lure! Plus, these are some of the best lures for catching bass.You get all the below listed lures packaged in a free Christmas stocking ready tobe hung by the chimney with care.

• 1 pk. YUM 5-inch Dingers• 1 pk. YUM 2.75-inch Crawpapis• 1 pk. YUM 3-inch Mighty Bugs• 1 1/4-ounce Booyah Blade spinnerbait• 1 3/16-ounce Booyah Bed Bug• 1 XCalibur Xcs200 Square Lip crankbait in "Real Craw"• 1 XR50 Rattle Bait in "Real Gill" color pattern• 1 1/4-ounce Cotton Cordell Super Spot• 1 Bomber B04 Square Lip crankbait

Order at www.lurenet.com.

Rivers West Women’s Lynx Parka and Pants

This is IT! The original waterproof fleece, but don't be confused; this isn'tfleece like your neighbor's sheep! Smooth, soft, supple and snag-resistant, you mayhave to "Buy It to Believe It!" The Rivers West Lynx Parka and Pants are madefrom the Lightweight, All-Weather H2P System. The women's line of RiversWest clothing is soft, comfortable and elegantly styled to fit a woman's con-tour. This lightweight, all-weather system offers all the weatherproof pro-tection you've come to expect from the Original H2P, but half the weight andbulk. LIGHTER. THINNER. COOLER. MORE PACKABLE. TheLynx parka will keep you warm and dry and looking fashionable all at the

same time during all your outdoor activities. Features includefleece comfort cuffs to prevent water from wicking up yoursleeve, high warm collar, no-split zipper, hour-glass contoursides, 2-zippered handwarmer pockets, weatherproof frontzipper, comfort-cuffs, drawcord waist, snap-off, stow-awayhood, 4-mesh-lined cargo pockets and 2-interior cargo pock-ets. Comfort Zone 20-45 degrees. Like the Parka, Rivers WestFitted-Lynx pant is cut to fit a woman's curves and keep her warm and dry in the mostbrutal conditions. The Lynx pant is comfortable and ready to tackle anything mothernature has to offer. The Lynx pant features the Diamond-flex crotch for added com-fort, zippered front and rear pockets, magnetized flaps on the 2-cargo pockets, 2-frontpockets, 1-back pocket, 2-7 inch zipper vents to enhance breathability and allow yourbody to breath along with 5-belt loops. Comfort zone 3-55 degrees. Shelly at HerCamo Shop says these pants tend to run 1 size small, so if you normally wear a Mediumorder a Large. Both the pants and parka are available in Advantage Max4 or Duckblindcamo. Price is about $179 for the parka and $139 for the pants at Indiana-basedwww.hercamoshop.com.

Hi Mountain Jerky Summer Sausage Kit

The deer is in the freezer, so make yourown summer sausage with this great kit fromthe experts at Hi Mountain Seasonings! Thiskit contains two 10 oz. bags of gourmet sea-soning, two 4.2 oz. bags of maple cure, ten 3pound capacity 2.5'' mahogany casings and aset of complete sausage making instructions.The kit will season 30 pounds of meat andretails for around $18.50. Check out all thetasty gift ideas from Hi Mountain Seasonings atwww.himtnjerky.com.

Browning Micro Blast Penlight

I picked one of thee ultra-handy lights up at theAssociation of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers conference and ithas quickly become one of my favorite possessions. Thesuperbright Nichia® 5mm LED shines at 15 lumens, 3Xbrighter than most other pen lights. The Browning MicroBlast sports the following:

• Two Bore Light Adapters: red for map read-ing and white for firearm inspection and cleaning

• Rugged all-aluminum construction withheavy-duty pocket clip

• Unbreakable LED lasts for 100,000 hours

• Two AAA batteries• Brightness: 15 lumens• Effective distance: 20 meters

Retail is about $19 at www.browningshop.com.

Real Avid Turkey Tool

The patent pendingTurkey Tool is the only oneof it’s kind and is made forthe specialized needs ofturkey hunters. The TurkeyTool combines the most essentialtools needed for the hunt. With ityou can: brush in a blind set-up;change shotgun chokes; disassemble ashotgun; field dress a bird; measure thebeard and spurs on a big old Tom. Best of all, the carry hook combines with theincluded toter strap to allow you to shoulder your bird out of the woods.

Get one for the turkey hunter on your list for about $45 atwww.realavid.com.

December, 2012 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© Page 15

Page 16 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© December, 2012

EARLY ICEBellied to bottom; prowling from within thick masses of

weeds- that's the most common contemplation about thewhereabouts of northern pike and what they are doing there.

While it's true many a monstrous Esox entangled in veg-etation has been pulled through a hole in the ice, the truth ofthe matter is trophy-size fish frequent the upper reaches of thewater column more often than most anglers realize. Evenwithin inland lakes and The Great Lakes where depths regis-ter to triple digits, the larger the fish the higher in the watercolumn they roam.

What are they doing there? Like their lesser brethrendown deep, these marauders are also searching for their nextmeal. After all, they didn't get to be the biggest and baddest inthe bunch by skimping at the buffet line.

But even northern pike-thought by many to be thefiercest freshwater fish under the ice-don't swim aimlessly

under the surface whenin search of food. Theyoften rise to the occa-sion over the verystructure the smallerfish are hunting from,or swimming directlyabove the breaklinesbeneath their bulgingbellies.

In short:Although trophy pikemight not be lurkingtight to structure, if youtarget the upper half ofthe water column verynear cover you standthe chance of catchingthe pike of a lifetime.

Aiming highWalleye tour-

nament pro MarkBrumbaugh is one ofthe fishing industry'sfinest anglers. He'saimed high and won

many professional walleye tournaments by landing big fishwhere others had no idea they even lingered. Within the mixof big walleyes often were larger than average pike.

“I've caught a lot of big pike up high over structure indeep water when trolling walleyes, which led me to fish themjust below the surface in close proximity to cover when icefishing. And that's led to catching bigger pike more often,”says the Ohio angler.

Brumbaugh's wintertime pike-ploy usually involves aswath of tip-ups strategically placed midst various types ofstructure, aiming specifically at weeds, wood and rock adja-cent to drop-offs; especially those nearest points, cuts or anyirregularity in the shape of a straight breakline.

Once his holes are drilled, Brumbaugh reaches into hisaerated Frabill Aqua-Life Bait Station for only the liveliest ofminnows to be nipped onto his treble hook. “Because a tip-up is a hands-off device, I want only the healthiest baitfinning below. The bait must wiggle… a lot. And it needs tostay alive a long time so I don't have to spook fish by check-ing tip-ups too often.”

Brumbaugh skewers the minnow closer to the tail thanthe head, often hooking it through the bottom of its tail sec-tion so that it's always struggling to right itself. “The minnownever quits squirming if you hook it here,” he adds. “Littledetails like this that are important.”

One trouble anglers often have with tip-ups is gettingtheir offerings back down to the same sweet-spot-depth theyjust banked a fish at. Introduced this year to correct thispredicament is Frabill's Calibrator Line Counter Tip-Up, withan LCD display line counter, so you always know the exactdepth of your bait. Now resetting is a faster and smoother,which minimizes angler commotion and gets a fresh minnowquickly back to business.

Walk softlyA major mistake Brumbaugh sees anglers make is creat-

ing too much noise.“Often, the fish are swimming just feet under the surface

and any noise out of the ordinary will spook both baitfish andprey from the area. Sound travels faster and farther underwater than through air, so anglers need to take every step asquietly as possible.”

One way to lessen the need to move around is using aGPS coupled with a mapping program to find drop offs,humps, holes and other attractive lake features. From theiced-over waters of Minnesota, guide Brian “Bro” Brosdahluses a Humminbird sonar/GPS in conjunction with an SDcard filled with a LakeMaster mapping program. Map-chipengaged, he's able to instantly locate probable fish holdingplaces. And if there's success, Bro logs the spot for a pinpoint

return trip.Electronics in hand with mapping program, Bro makes a

beeline to key structure, drills, sets, and tiptoes away from thefield of flags. “Adding covertness to ice fishing is probablyone of the most overlooked reasons to use electronics,” saysBro. “Just one more reason modern sonar, GPS and mappingprograms have been pivotal in producing more fish on theice.”

On the slyEmploying crafty equipment is as important as being

stealthy yourself. Bright light seeping through a hole around a tip-up can

cause alarm under the ice. Tip-ups that envelop the entirehole, such as a Frabill Pro Thermal Insulated Tip-Up, keepsunlight out and fish at ease. This unique style of tip-up alsoinsulates the hole and keeps it from refreezing, making it eas-ier to remove the device after a fish hits.

On days when the bite's tough, you might have to mini-mize gaudiness, lessening the hardware near the bait.

Instead of a steel leader to keep bite offs at bay, try 30-to 40-pound-test fluorocarbon leader material connected toyour main line with an InvisaSwivel. Both are clear in colorand virtually indistinguishable by pike.

If it's numbers you're after, work the weeds. But if yourfishing clan is willing to invest in a trophy hunt, forgoing thebutton-bucks, fawns and eater does, there might be a 'turdypointer,' or rather a 'turdy pounder' bedding out over thebasin.

The high and sly for Northern pike By Mitch Eeagan

Walleye pro Mark Brumbaugh learned years ago that titanicpike will situate in openwater off major structure - likely los-ing a crankbait or two in the educational process. Time onthe ice has also proved that the pattern holds in the winter.Photo courtesy of Frabill.

Set fresh and frisky bait on a battery of tip-ups, blanketingthe edges of structure out across openwater. More the merri-er when spanning large swaths of water. Photo by BillLindner Photography.

December, 2012 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© Page 17

Answers on page

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ACROSS

1 Name for part of a caribou's rack4 Gopher, mole is classed as this8 The large bass, ____ bass9Huntr's give this TLC10 A type of bait11 Wild turkey spurs12 To expel a used cartridge13 Good wood for arrow shafts14 Spotted coloration on a duck18 The shoulder hide on a deer20 The body of an arrow22 A small game predator23 The camp home24 The female deer26 Female bear28 The archer's weapon29 The _____ Walton League30 The salty expanse31 The ring_____ pheasant32 A duck species35 The trapper's interest37 Brings a catch into the boat39 The hunting area40 Wildlife having young42 A line grommet on a fishrod43 A game bird44 The trapper's gear

DOWN

1 A habitat for some trout2 The skin-like cover on antlers3 A grouse species4 Oxidation on a gun part5 Shedded antlers6 Name for the Hawaiian goose7 Anything that attracts fish, game8 Term for a casting method11 he lisence cost13 A deer food source15 The pond croaker16 Bucks usually feed _____17 To skin out a game19 Trout brings out the stream fish-erman20 Act of a fish hitting a hook21 To seek out food25 Of the deer family, prong____27 Whitrtail of the North30 Pelts, fur, hide33 Act of pushing deer towardhunters34 Hunt and fish regulations36 Indian name for deer38 Part of an antler39 Some game's teeth reveal this40 A Gun Organization41 The rifle

Indiana Outdoor Calendar- December -

Fox and Coyote Hunting Season Open All MonthArchery Deer Hunting Season Open All MonthSquirrel Hunting Season Open All MonthRuffed Grouse Hunting Season Open All Month (Private land only)Rabbit Hunting Season Open All MonthQuail Hunting Season Open All Month (South of S.R. 26 Only)Light Goose Hunting Season Open All MonthSouth Zone Duck and Canada Goose Hunting Seasons Open All MonthNorth Zone Canada Goose Hunting Season Open All Month

Dec. 2: Last Day of Firearms Deer Hunting SeasonDec. 8-23: Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Season OpenDec. 8: Late Split Fall Archery Turkey Hunting Season Opens*Dec. 9: Last Day of North Zone Early Split Duck Hunting SeasonDec. 22-30: North Zone Late Split Duck Hunting Season OpenDec. 23: Last Day of Pheasant Hunting SeasonDec. 23: Last Day of Quail Hunting Season (North of S.R. 26)Dec. 25: Last Day of Central Zone Early Split Duck & Canada Goose Hunting Seasons

* See Hunting and Trapping Guide for counties open to fall turkey hunting.http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/2343.htm

• A variety of Hunter Education courses are offered around the state this month. For details,visit www.in.gov/dnr/lawenfor/4812.htm.• For current information about Ducks Unlimited banquets and events throughout Indiana thismonth, visit www.ducks.org/indiana.

2012 A.M. A.M P. M. P.M.Dec. Minor Major Minor Major Sunrise Sunset Fishing Quality / Notes01 Sat 9:00 1:38 7:10 2:05 7:47 5:21 Fair02 Sun 9:38 2:24 8:08 2:53 7:48 5:20 Fair03 Mon 10:12 3:10 9:06 3:39 7:49 5:20 Fair04 Tue 10:44 3:55 10:07 4:25 7:50 5:20 Poor05 Wed 11:14 5:07 ----- 5:11 7:51 5:20 Poor06 Thu 11:44 5:26 ----- 5:58 7:52 5:20 Fair / Waning Half Moon07 Fri 12:12 6:13 12:15 6:46 7:53 5:20 Fair08 Sat 1:17 7:03 12:49 7:38 7:54 5:20 Fair09 Sun 2:27 7:56 1:25 8:31 7:55 5:20 Fair10 Mon 3:37 8:52 2:08 9:29 7:55 5:20 Fair11 Tue 4:50 9:54 2:59 10:29 7:56 5:20 Fair12 Wed 6:00 10:58 3:57 ----- 7:57 5:21 Good13 Thu 7:05 ----- 5:03 12:04 7:58 5:21 Good / New Moon14 Fri 8:02 12:32 6:14 1:08 7:58 5:21 Good15 Sat 8:51 1:32 7:25 2:08 7:59 5:21 Good16 Sun 9:32 2:28 8:35 3:03 8:00 5:22 Fair17 Mon 10:09 3:22 9:42 3:55 8:00 5:22 Fair18 Tue 10:41 4:11 10:47 4:44 8:01 5:22 Fair19 Wed 11:11 4:59 ----- 5:29 8:01 5:23 Poor20 Thu 11:40 5:44 ----- 6:14 8:02 5:23 Poor / Waxing Half Moon21 Fri 12:49 6:29 12:10 6:58 8:02 5:24 Fair22 Sat 1:47 7:14 12:41 7:43 8:03 5:24 Fair23 Sun 2:45 7:59 1:14 8:27 8:03 5:25 Poor24 Mon 3:41 8:46 1:52 9:14 8:04 5:26 Poor25 Tue 4:36 9:35 2:34 10:00 8:04 5:26 Fair26 Wed 5:27 10:23 3:19 10:47 8:05 5:27 Fair27 Thu 6:15 11:12 4:10 ----- 8:05 5:28 Poor / Full Moon28 Fri 6:59 ----- 5:04 12:01 8:05 5:28 Fair29 Sat 7:39 12:21 6:02 12:50 8:05 5:29 Fair30 Sun 8:15 1:08 7:00 1:37 8:06 5:30 Fair31 Mon 8:48 1:54 8:00 2:24 8:06 5:31 Fair

“okay, now let’s check your

weight”.

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Page 18 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2010© December, 2012

I was once an avid fly fisher-man. You know, long rods, compli-cated casts, a stealthy approach tocatch fish against postcard-likebackdrops featuring distant highmountains or ardent streams flow-ing through scenic meadows.Except I fly fished here in north-west Indiana. Self taught and selfreliant, I spent much of my teenageyears with a fly stick in my handand battled bluegills by the thou-sands, bass by the hundreds, aswell as the occasional carp, bull-head or other fish that happenedalong. I may have been fishingfarm ponds or bayous off slow-flowing rivers; in my mind’s eye, Iwas I was on the slopes of theRockies catching native rainbowsor in the streams of Yellowstonematching the hatch upon whichwild cutthroats were feeding.

I wandered away from flyfishing so recently, when I had thechance to pick up a fly stick andrekindle old skills, I signed on.

Fly Fishing Revisited

Lake Taneycomo, near Branson,Missouri is actually the tailwatersof Table Rock Lake. The TableRock dam is over 200 feet high andthe water that flows through thedam to power the hydroelectric tur-bines comes out at the cold bottomof the lake between 45 and 50degrees. The Missouri DNR stockshundreds of thousands of trout inTaneycomo and the fishing there, islegendary.

It’s also a bit different than Iexpected.

“There’s one!” Guide SteveDickey (www.anglersadvantage.net) coached, ashe spotted my strike-indicator tugunder surface of the river a secondor two before I noticed it. I liftedthe long rod but came up empty. Bythe time I pulled the line tightenough to set the hook, the fish thathad nudged the hook under thewater had let go and I ended uponly with a pile of fly-line coiledmenacingly along the side of theboat.

I explained my miss by tellingSteve, “The way the sun was glint-ing off the water made it hard forme to see the bobber.”

I was instantly corrected. “Weare fly fishing. Fly fishermen don’tuse bobbers. Fly fishermen usestrike-indicators.”

Some time between my youth-

ful addiction to fly fishing and thisrecent reacquaintance with thesport, “strike-indicators” had beenadded to the list of tackle used byfly-flickers. I’d always sight fishedor relied on my sense of feel todetect the strikes to the poppingbugs, rubber spiders or hand-tiedflies and streamers I made myselfwith my Herters fly-tying kit. I’dsee the fish bite, or feel it, then setthe hook. I didn’t use a strike-indi-cator.

A strike-indicator is a smallspherical, very lightweight, bright-ly colored “floaty-thing” thatattaches to the leader between flyand fly line. I say “floaty-thing”because like the bobber it apparent-ly isn’t, you can watch it float onthe surface and when it bobs ordoes some other unnatural sort ofthing, it indicates you’ve just gottena bite.

“You wanna know the differ-ence between a bobber and a strike-indicator, Steve asked?”

Before I could answer yes orno, he told me. “About three dol-lars. A bobber costs about a buck, astrike indicator costs about fourbucks.”

Instead of a fly, we were using

The Last ThoughtMIKESCHOONVELD

a tiny, tiny lead-headed jig with aminiature plastic grub on the hook.I would guess the jig weighed nomore than 1/64th ounce and thegrub tail was less than a half-inchlong. We were using only 1 - poundtest leader (called a tippet).

The old skills came back, I gotused to watching the strike indica-tor and hooked, fought and boatedseveral rainbows. Then I lost thelure on the end of my line.

“I need a new jig,” I toldSteve.

Again I was chastised. “Wedon’t use jigs,” Steve told me. “Weare fly-fishing. The lure on the end

The author did not catch thisTaneycomo rainbow using a tiny jigand bobber! Photo provided.

of your tippet is a fly.”“Okay,” I said, “But if I took

the same set-up and cast it out witha spinning rod, would I be fishingwith a jig or a fly?”

“It would then be a jig,” hesaid. “You want to know the differ-ence?”

“Probably about 3 dollars,” Ianswered.

“You’re catching on to this flyfishing, Mike. A natural.”

I smiled and thought of snowcapped peaks as I whipped the longrod, shooting the fly and strike-indicator out to where I hoped thenext trout was holding.

TThhee CChhrr ii ss ttmmaa ss BBiirrdd CCoouu nn tt

From mid-December through early January, birdwatchersacross North America, will hike trails, drive roads, watch feeders andstand in parking lots to count and identify every bird they see. Theinformation they collect and send to the National Audubon Societywill be added to over 100 years of data from previous winter counts.Known as the Christmas Bird Count, or CBC, this annual citizen sci-ence event is a holiday tradition formany birdwatchers.

The CBC began in 1900 asa way to replace an event known asthe Christmas Side Hunt.Participants chose “sides” or teamsand visited woods and fields toshoot as many birds as possible.The competition was a bloodymassacre of thousands of birds andmammals. The animals they killed

were heaped into piles, and the team with the biggest pile of feathers andfur won.

As an ornithologist, or someone who studies birds, Frank Chapmanbegan to be concerned that bird numbersseemed to be decreasing. Although wildlifeand nature conservation was still a new idea inthe United States at the time, he suggested adifferent holiday activity, the "Christmas BirdCensus,” to count birds, not kill them. As amember of the newly formed AudubonSociety, he was able to get 27 volunteers tocount birds in 25 places from California toNew York on Christmas Day. The volunteerscounted 90 species.

According to the Audubon Society, todaynearly 60,000 birdwatchers participate andtally about 65 million birds. On foot, by car orby boat, teams of volunteers cover their territo-ry: a 15-mile diameter circle that does notchange. The tallies from the same site eachyear help scientists determine whether birdspecies are increasing or decreasing or movinginto new areas.

Did you know?

The Christmas Bird Count is the longestcontinuing wildlife census in the world.

Nature’s AlmanacDECEMBER

If you find a fuzzy curled upcaterpillar in your garage, itmay be a wooly bear. It'shibernating until spring.

Lichens may not look likemuch, but to a flying squirrelthey are a tasty winter treat forthese mammals that do nothibernate.

Winterberry is a native hollythat loses its leaves in late fall.Its bright red berries thoughare a cheerful sight in wet-lands.

Think warm! December 21 isthe first day of winter in thenorthern hemisphere, but it isthe first day of summer in thesouthern hemisphere!

Mistletoe grows in some areasof southern Indiana. It is a par-asitic plant, which means itsends rootlets into the branch-es of a host tree and takesnutrients from it.

Evelyn Kirkwood is Director of St. Joseph County Parks inIndiana and host of Outdoor Elements which is broadcast

Sundays at 9:00 am on WNIT Public Television.

Hands On Nature:Do a Winter Feeder Count

You can gather information ornithologists can use about birds that visit your winter feeders.

You'll need...

• To be able to identify the common birds that visit your feeders• A minimum of one day a month to watch birds at your feeders for at least 15 minutes• Pencil• Bird field guide and binoculars are helpful, if you have them• A set of tally forms for your state (see below)

Write down the highest number of birds of each species that yousee at any one time on the day you do your count. If you see threechickadees in the morning, and later in the day you see two, you willwrite down “3 chickadees.”

In Indiana, feeder surveys are coordinated by Indiana AudubonSociety. Volunteers count birds on one or more days at the end of eachmonth, through February. Information on how to participate and acopy of the reporting form can be found here:www.indianaaudubon.org Click on the Activities tab and selectWinter Feeder Count.

In Michigan, feeder surveys are coordinated by MichiganAudubon Society and Kalamazoo Nature Center. Volunteers watch thebirds one day a month through April and mail in a survey form everytwo months. Call Kalamazoo Nature Center (269)381-1574 ext. 12 torequest the forms.

December, 2012 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2012© Page 19

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