From Indiana Department of Natural Resources press releases
Deer licenses for sale
| Don’t wait until right before deer season, purchase your 2020-21 deer hunting license now. Season dates and answers to deer hunting FAQs can be found at deer.dnr.IN.gov. Deer licenses can be purchased at an authorized retailer or online at on.IN.gov/inhuntfish. You must sign up for an Access Indiana account this year before purchasing your license online – we recommend setting up your account ahead of time to avoid any delay. Changes to online license system portal Signing in to buy hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses looks a little different now. A new state online portal called Access Indiana, which allows citizens to interact with all facets of state government through a single login, has been implemented. Presently, there are 18 services that users can enter through Access Indiana. Individuals who already have an online account to purchase licenses should have received an email with helpful account information. New DNR customers will be directed to create an Access Indiana account before supplying additional DNR-specific account information. New customers will then be able to complete their DNR profile and purchase a license. If you haven’t already purchased your hunting license for this fall, we recommend creating your Access Indiana account today. Find instructions for getting started online. For additional assistance with user names or passwords, call 800-457-8283 for Access Indiana customer support. DNR is unable to assist with user names and passwords. More information about the Access Indiana portal, answers to FAQs, and other helpful information is available online. Deadline for reserved hunt applications Aug. 17 Don’t forget that applications for reserved hunts, which includes State Park Deer Management hunts, must be submitted through the online portal by 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 17. For more information, go to: on.IN.gov/reservedhunt. Please note that only one application per hunt is allowed. No changes can be made once the application is submitted. In the system, hunts without a registration fee will follow the same process as those with a fee. For hunts with no fee required to register, applicants will be asked to “Add to Cart,” “Proceed to Checkout,” and “Place Order.” If the transaction total is $0, the applicant will not be asked to enter credit card information. Applicants must click “Place Order” to submit their application. To view draw hunt results, applicants can log in to their online services account or click “View hunt draw results” at: on.IN.gov/reservedhunt. Once logged into the online services account, hunters should select “Click here” under Reserved Hunts to see the status of registered hunts. The link will only show upcoming hunts that an individual has registered for. Logging into an account online is required to see the full history of past hunt registrations, including those from previous years. |
Hunting & Trapping Guide available in late August
| The new DNR Hunting & Trapping Regulation Guide will be available in late August. Pick up a copy at your local retailer or a DNR property. The new guide will also be posted online at hunting.IN.gov. Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration If you don’t already have your Harvest Information Program (HIP) number for the 2020-21 migratory bird seasons, register now online or by calling 866-671-4499. It’s easy to register online, and there’s no cost for using either method. Hunting seasons starting soon Gray and fox squirrel hunting season begins Aug. 15 and runs through Jan. 31, 2021. Hunting seasons for rail (sora only), mourning doves, and snipe open Sept. 1. Check out this year’s season dates for early migratory gamebirds and remember to purchase your hunting license. Avoid late summer fish kills in your pond Late summer is one of the hardest times for fish in your pond. Temperatures are peaking, and this can cause some biological changes in the water. These changes could result in less oxygen, causing fish to suffocate. Proper pond aeration and avoidance of chemical usage in your pond during late summer are key techniques to ensure the fish in your pond survive. To learn more about fish kills and techniques to avoid them, visit our pond management page or check out our pond management guide. What’s biting? Although the 2020 Indiana State Fair (and the Fishin’ Pond) is canceled, you can still go fishing and reel in a tasty catch. August is a good time to fish for channel catfish at our reservoirs, especially in the evenings or at night. Several of our urban stocking locations still hold plenty of catfish. For flathead fishing, try fishing with live bait along a river bank or on a boat at night. Flatheads will also bite during the day. August is also a great time for stream fishing – hot temperatures and less rain make rivers and streams more accessible and easy for wading. When the day is hot, fishing in a creek can be a great way to cool off. It’s hard to top fishing for smallmouth bass while wading in a beautiful Indiana stream. Bluegill and redear sunfish are also still biting at lakes and ponds across the state. Get out and enjoy at a spot near you. Visit a range during National Shooting Sports Month August is National Shooting Sports Month, a month celebrating the shooting sports industry and providing an opportunity for gun owners to get involved in recreational shooting. Indiana DNR has 12 public shooting ranges and 10 archery ranges that anyone is welcome to enjoy. Try out your equipment at the range today. Reminder: Turkey brood reports still needed Each summer, Hoosiers are asked to count the number of young wild turkeys (poults) with turkey hens in what are termed “brood surveys.” These surveys provide the Division of Fish and Wildlife with information about turkey poult survival and help us decide on action plans for wild turkey management. Hens without poults can also be reported through this survey. So far, citizens have reported more than 500 observations. We need 2,500 more to reach our goal of 3,000 turkey brood observations. Anyone can report turkey sightings between July 1 and Aug. 31 at: on.IN.gov/turkeybrood. Dan Bortner is new DNR Director Dan Bortner, who has served as director of Indiana State Parks since 2005, is the new director of the DNR. We look forward to working under his leadership to continue to improve our fish and wildlife areas, public access sites, and other public lands for fish, wildlife, and people. Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund at Work: Aquatics Indiana waters are home to nearly 30 different species of darters. Darters are members of the perch family, which contains the more recognizable walleye, sauger, and yellow perch. Darters look similar to these well-known sportfish; however, they don’t get as large. Few darters grow larger than three to four inches. Three of Indiana’s 10 state endangered fish species are darters. Variegate darter, gilt darter, and channel darter were once much more widely distributed, but are now each restricted to only one unique river system in Indiana. The channel darter inhabits deeper waters of the mainstem Ohio River, and monitoring populations in this vast habitat requires some unique techniques. A Missouri trawl, specifically designed to sample smaller fish, is pulled by boat along the river’s bottom to net this tiny species for study. Many darters require special sampling practices to monitor their populations and determine their abundance. Monitoring of Indiana’s endangered darter species is made possible by donations to the Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund. |