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INDIANA'S CHOICE FOR OUTDOOR NEWS AND INFORMATION • SINCE 1994

Vol. 2011 • Number 10 W W W.IN D I A N AOU T D O O RNEW S.N E T October, 2011

COYOTE TRIPLE PLAYPAGE 8

UPLAND HUNTINGPAGE 16

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

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MUSKIES TO BE STOCKED INEAGLE CREEK RESERVOIR

NRC APPROVES RULE CHANGESFOR 2012 DEER SEASON

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Natural

Resources Commission approveda package of changes to deer hunt-ing rules late last month that willgo into effect in the 2012 season.

None of the changes will bein effect this year.

The final adoption vote cameafter preliminary approval by theNRC in January and a six-monthpublic comment period thatincluded hundreds of written com-ments and two public hearings.

The rule changes includecreating a crossbow license andauthorizing its use during theentire archery season; extendingthe archery season without inter-ruption from Oct. 1 through thefirst Sunday in January; extendingthe urban zone season from Sept.15 through Jan. 31; requiringhunters in urban zones to harvestan antlerless deer before harvest-ing an antlered deer; establishinga special antlerless season fromDec. 26 through the first Sundayin January in designated counties;adding the non-resident youthlicenses and a new deer licensebundle; requiring display ofhunter orange on occupied groundblinds; and extending the rifle

INDIANAPOLIS --Anglers will soon have the

opportunity to pursue muskel-lunge at Eagle Creek Reservoirin Indianapolis. The IndianaDepartment of NaturalResources will introducemuskies to the 1,350-acre reser-voir late this fall.

Muskies are popular sportfish native to Indiana, yet thereare limited opportunities to fishfor them in the central part ofthe state. Stocking muskie inEagle Creek Reservoir is intend-ed to provide anglers with aunique sport fishing opportuni-ty while also helping to managean abundant population of giz-zard shad.

In the most recent fishcommunity survey of the lake,gizzard shad and other non-sport fish that muskie common-ly prey upon accounted for 40percent of the fish collected.When shad densities are highthey can have a negative impacton the survival and growth ofsport fish. Muskie diet studieshave documented that muskiefeed heavily on gizzard shad andseldom prey upon largemouthbass, bluegill or crappie.

Indiana muskie populations

are dependent upon stocking.The DNR Division of Fish &Wildlife currently stocks thespecies in 12 Indiana lakes.Eagle Creek Reservoir will bestocked at a rate of one fish peracre, which is less than the tra-ditional five-fish-per-acrestocking rate in other Indianamuskie lakes.

The DNR will closely eval-uate the survival and growth ofstocked muskellunge and theentire fish community in com-ing years to assure that stock-ing muskellunge does not nega-tively impact other sport fish inthe reservoir. Eagle CreekReservoir will continue to bestocked annually with finger-ling walleye at the rate of 100fish per acre.

Eagle Creek Reservoir isoperated and managed by IndyParks.

cartridge length that can be usedin the firearm season to 1.8 inch-es.

These changes must still beapproved by the AttorneyGeneral’s Office and Governor’sOffice and published in theIndiana Register before takingeffect.

In other actions, the NRCapproved the dedication of fournature preserves at Fort HarrisonState Park totaling approximate-ly 670 acres; authorized StatePark Inns to increase lodging feesfrom Jan. 28 through Feb. 12 tocoincide with the Super Bowl inIndianapolis; approved finaladoption of rule amendments gov-erning logjam removal fromfloodways and navigable waters;turned down a citizen’s petition toallow high-speed boating onShipshewana Lake in LaGrangeCounty; approved preliminaryadoption of rules governing thesale, distribution and transporta-tion of invasive aquatic plants,and a rule to regulate thousandcankers disease in walnut trees;removed the four-toed salamanderfrom and added the plains leopardfrog and mole salamander to thestate endangered species list.

SENATE URGED TO PASS BILLFUNDING GULF RESTORATION

BATON ROUGE, LA --Vanishing Paradise, a joint effort of National Wildlife Federation

(NWF) and multiple state, local and national hunting and fishinggroups and businesses to unite hunters and anglers for MississippiRiver Delta restoration, praised the Senate Environment and PublicWorks (EPW) Committee for its recent approval of the RESTORE theGulf Coast States Act, with a strong showing of bipartisan support. Thebill passed by voice vote with only three requested no’s recorded.

The bill could mean billions of dollars for Gulf restoration byensuring that penalties paid by BP and others responsible for last year’sGulf oil spill are actually used to restore the natural resources, ecosys-tems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches, barrier islands,dunes, coastal wetlands and economies of the Gulf Coast; and to addressthe associated economic harm suffered by the people and communitiesof the region.

“Passing the RESTORE Act out of the EPW Committee by a voicevote shows the bipartisan support this issue commands,” NWF’s SeniorManager for Sportsmen Leadership Land Tawney said. “The Mississippi

ION reader Pat Hendrixson has high expectations for the 2011 deerseason after taking this beautiful Washington County 10-pointer in2010. Indiana’s early archery season opens October 1 and runsthrough November 27, the firearms season is November 12-27, muz-zleloader season runs December 3-18, and late archery season will runfrom December 3 through January 1. Photo provided.

COMPLIMENTS OF:

Continued on Page 5

Page 2 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© October, 2 0 11 Edition

October, 2 0 11 Edition INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© Page 3

Page 4 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© October, 2 0 11 Edition

JOSHLANTZ

Writers and industry friendshad been catching nice walleyeson the shallow rocks. By the timeI found a few hours to fish at therecent Association of Great LakesOutdoor Writers (AGLOW) confer-ence, however, a cold front hadrolled through southern Iowa andall but killed Rathbun Lake’sunique walleye bite.

Friends and fellow writersCurt and Tim sat in my boat, over-gunned with stout spinning gearbetter suited for the lake’s abun-dant 25-inch walleyes than the 8-inch crappies we were catching. Isat on the motor and did my bestto control our drift through thesuspended schools, tapping occa-sional commands on the Co-Pilotremote. The skies were brilliant.The wind was crisp. We werehappy to be together.

Tim was telling us how thepieces of his life had reallymeshed lately. Some of his goodfortune had resulted from deci-

sions he and his wife had made,while the rest of it -- in his opin-ion -- had simply been dumb luck.

Tim is a hard-working, lov-able guy with an infectious per-sonality. Curt and I were happyfor him and listened smiling. Butfishermen are superstitious bynature and the conversation soonturned darker.

All of us know good, hard-working people who finally reacha point in their life when they canbegin to worry less and enjoymore, only to be diagnosed withsome horrible, terminal illness orbecome affected by some othertragedy. It is an all too commonstory and we’re always saddenedwhen we hear it.

Tim wondered if his numberwas coming up.

It was an offhand comment,and while Curt and I gave pause,Tim quickly told us how it would-n’t matter to him if it did come toan end. He’d had a wonderful life,he explained, and was grateful foreach piece of it. Yep, that’sTimmy.

I left Iowa the next morning,but I didn’t forget about the con-versation we’d had out onRathbun Lake. I couldn’t stopthinking about the remarkableexperiences I’ve had in my ownlife -- how fortunate I have beenand how thankful I should be.

I thought about all the bluewater I’ve seen -- from my blessedchildhood on Lake Wawasee to mypersonal playground for the past15 years, Lake Michigan. I’veseen the sun rise and set from 25miles offshore, and I’ve marveledat the power of every steelheadand salmon that has zipped orleapt on the end of my line.

Farther from home, I’ve beenprivileged to float and fish onfive different seas -- each bluerand more mysterious than thenext. Water and fishing havebecome key parts of who I am, andI am grateful for both.

I’m thankful for wildernesstoo.

As human beings, we arerightly humbled by true wilder-ness because once there we quick-ly realize our own insignificance.I’ve experienced it many times.As with fishing, I crave it now. Ineed it.

Wilderness is where you findit, but Alaska is packed full. I’vecome and gone many times --always with a vow to return assoon as possible. I’ve spentweeks on a boat on Alaska’sPrince William Sound, chasingbears over mountains during theday and sleeping more soundlythan ever at night. I’ve campedon sandbars and been tolerated bygrizzlies at their fishing holes.

If I haven’t told you lately, thank you

¤

Volume 2011 • Number 10

Publisher: Brian E. SmithAssistant Publisher: Mark C. Smith

Editor-in-Chief: Joshua D. LantzSportsmen’s Rights Editor: Rick Story

Field Editor: John Martino, Central IndianaField Photographer: Bill Konway

Graphic Design: graphics@ION4U.netLayout & Editing: Sand Creek MediaOffice Manager: Shannon E. SmithAdvertising Sales: (877) 251-2112

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INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS® is the official publication of Raghorn Incorporated, and is pub-lished monthly at the address listed above. For home delivery and subscription rates, look for thesubscription card in this publication. Editorial contributions may be submitted to the aboveaddress. No material can be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self addressed envelope.Photographs are accepted and greatly appreciated. All materials submitted become the propertyof Raghorn Incorporated and are subject to editing to meet the objectives of this publication. Theviews and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors, not the edi-tors, staff or any other representative of RAGHORN’S INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS orRaghorn, Inc. “Raghorn’s Indiana Outdoor News” is a registered Trademark of RaghornIncorporated. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be used or copiedwithout prior written consent of Raghorn Inc. Violation of copyright laws will be prosecuted.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to RAGHORN’S INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS, P.O.Box 69, Granger, Indiana 46530.

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I’ve experienced Africa ontwo occasions as well -- far awayfrom the game preserves and thehabituated animals we’re oftenshown on TV. I’ve heard the roarof a wild lion in the black ofnight. I’ve witnessed the primalterror in a wildebeest's eyes as ourhunting party released it from apoacher’s wire snare. I’ve laid ina straw hut with my finger on thetrigger while hyenas paced out-side. I’ve felt the indescribableexhilaration that comes fromstanding undetected in the thickbush amidst a herd of elephants.Four times, I’ve watched the lifeslip from an elephant’s eye, onlyto see it reappear in the form ofincreased protection for thespecies as a whole, and nourish-ment, schools, supplies and clin-ics for hundreds of people in need.

I think of every truly uniqueexperience I’ve ever enjoyed inthe outdoors and feel blessed. ButI realize the true fulfillment in mylife has and will continue to comefrom my family and friends.

No single adrenaline rush orawe-inspiring moment from thegreat outdoors can compare to thejoy and inspiration that floodedthrough me when each of my kidswere born. Whether I die today or50 years from now, my childrenwill be my greatest memory, mostsignificant accomplishment andmy only meaningful legacy.

So, I’m very thankful for myfamily, friends and readers whohave helped me to find and enjoythe many opportunities lifeaffords -- like having and raisingchildren, and sitting in a boatwith buddies on Rathbun Lake.

October , 2 0 11 Edition INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© Page 5

DNR REPORT --Harvesting ginseng,

goldenseal (aka yellowroot),and other plants is illegal onall DNR properties.

Although ginseng is cur-rently in season, it can beharvested only on privateproperty, with the permis-sion of the landowner. PublicLaw 107 (IC 14-4-8) and theGinseng Rule (312 IAC 19) prohibit all digging on state property.

The purpose of these regulations is to ensure a healthy ginsengpopulation for the future.

Details of the ginseng regulations are atwww.in.gov/dnr/naturepreserve/files/ginseng99.pdf.

The only items that may be removed legally from DNR proper-ties are nuts, fruits, berries and mushrooms.

New liability law, DNR program combine to help landowners experiencing deer damage

A new landowner liability law combined with the DNR’s Hunters Helping Farmers program can helplandowners experiencing deer damage to crops, forest regeneration or landscaping get deer populations undercontrol on their property.

The DNR has liberalized hunting regulations in most counties to address deer populations by strategical-ly targeting antlerless deer, but effectiveness depends on landowner participation because 94 percent of thestate is in private ownership.

In the Hunters Helping Farmers program, each DNR district wildlife biologist maintains a county-by-county list of hunters who are looking for places to hunt and willing to harvest antlerless deer during thehunting seasons. Landowners having difficulty finding hunters for this purpose may contact the DNR districtbiologist in their area for a copy. Contact information for district biologists is atwww.wildlife.IN.gov/2716.htm.

The Indiana General Assembly took steps this year to protect landowners from liability associated withallowing sportsmen and sportswomen to recreate on their land. Indiana Code 34-31-9 was created to limit lia-bility associated with agritourism related activities such as field days, self-pick farmers, corn mazes, animalexhibitions, and agricultural fairs, but also includes natural resource based activities such as hunting, fish-ing, hiking and trail riding.

The law, which went into effect July 1, states that landowners who provide access to their land for natu-ral resource based activities is not liable for the injury or death of a participant resulting from the inherentrisks of such activities. Also, a participant or the participant’s representative cannot make claim, maintainan action against, or recover from the landowner any loss, damage, or death resulting from the inherent riskof the natural resource based activity.

Inherent risks include conditions, dangers, or hazards that are an integral part of the activity, includingsurface and subsurface conditions and natural conditions of the land, vegetation and waters, the behavior ofwild or domestic animals on the land, the ordinary dangers of structures or equipment on the land, and negli-gent acts of a participant that may contribute to the injury of that participant or others.

However, the law does not prevent or limit the liability of a landowner who has knowledge of a danger-ous condition that exists on the land and does not make the danger known to the participant, who commitsand act or omission that constitutes willful or wanton disregard for the safety of the participant, or who inten-tionally injures the participant.

The new law also protects landowners who charge a participant a fee for providing natural resources basedactivities, as long as they provide the participant with a specific warning notice specified by the law. Thewarning notice can be printed on a sign, posted and maintained in a clearly visible location at the mainentrance to the property where the natural resources based activity is to occur, or included as part of a signedrelease or written contract between the landowner and the participant. The actual language of the new law canbe found at www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2011/HE/HE1133.1.html

More information on managing deer damage is at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/2718.htm. The 2011-12Deer Hunting Guide is at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/6032.htm

Free trapping course at Salamonie Lake, October 8 & 9

DNR REPORT -- Salamonie Lake and

Indiana State TrappersAssociation (ISTA) will host afree trappers education courseon Oct. 8 and 9, at the UpperWabash Interpretive Center.

The program starts onSaturday, Oct. 8, at 9 a.m.Participants will learn abouttrapping issues, ethics and reg-ulations.

Trappers will get a chanceto set traps and accompany aninstructor on the trap line, andset traps under close supervi-sion of the instructor. Trapswill be left overnight andchecked the next day.

Free camping is availablefor all course attendees at theLost Bridge West Youth Campground near the interpretive center.

On Sunday, Oct. 9, at 9 a.m., trappers will accompany trappinginstructors to check traps and handle the fur of animals caught. Afterthe traps are checked, furbearers that are caught will be used in skinningand fleshing demonstrations by ISTA instructors.

Participants will not need a trapping license to attend this pro-gram. Property entrance fees will be waived for all participants.

Trappers may want to bring waterproof boots or hip waders to wearand will need to dress for the weather. Trappers must attend both daysessions of the course to receive the DNR Trapper EducationCertification. Lunch will be provided both days.

Registration is required. To register and for more information, callthe Upper Wabash Interpretive Center at (260) 468-2127.

Harvest of ginseng, goldenseal from DNR properties prohibited

Lake Michigan bass tournament raises money for Shriners

EAST CHICAGO, IN --In the early hours of June

25th, twelve teams of bassanglers left East Chicago’sPastrick Marina bound for theopen waters of Lake Michigan.The 2011 Smallmouth Slam,sponsored by Bass Pro Shops,brought out the best fishermanand put them to the test. Themission?, Catch the largest 5fish limit of smallmouth bass towin the tournament while hav-ing fun and raising money forthe Shriners in Michigan City.

Competitors worked therock walls and other nearshorestructure to pick up their bassbefore heading back to the dockat 4pm, where they were greetedby busy Shriners cooking ham-burgers and hotdogs for all.

The winning team of JakeHorn and Mike Myers brought 5bass weighing 16.24-lbs. to thescales and walked away with acash prize of $1000. The duo’slargest bass weighed 4.12-lbs.Big smallie of the tournament wascaught by Ed Czerwinski and NateGunningham and weighed 4.44-lbs.

All proceeds raised by theevent went to the Orak Shrine inMichigan City.

Planning for next yearsSmallmouth Slam is alreadyunderway. Organizers hope tohave many more boats, largercash prizes and bigger fishcaught! For more information,contact Dave Heath at 219-405-4330 or send him an email atfastfruit@frontier.com.

Reciprocal hunting and fishing agreement with Ohio endsIndiana’s reciprocal agreement with the state of Ohio that allowed people who live in the Buckeye

state and own land in Indiana to hunt and fish in the Hoosier state without an Indiana license, has ended.The change is in reaction to the Ohio legislature’s recent passage of a bill that eliminates the abili-

ty of Indiana residents who own property in the Buckeye state to hunt or fish that Ohio property withouta license

With the law change in Ohio, Buckeye state residents who own land in Indiana and want to hunt orfish on that or any other land in the Hoosier state must now purchase a nonresident license before theycan hunt or fish on that or any other Indiana property. Similarly, Indiana residents who own land in Ohiowill need to buy a nonresident Ohio hunting or fishing license to hunt or fish on that or other land in theBuckeye State.

River Delta is a national treasure that deserves to be made whole fromthe impacts of the largest oil spill this country has ever seen. We mustcarry the momentum out of the committee and take it to the full Senateand House in a timely fashion. The chorus of ducks quacking and redfishtailing has started, but we must follow through to ensure our childrencan enjoy this phenomenal resource into the future.”

Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Richard Shelby (R-AL) authoredthe RESTORE the Gulf Coast States Act, which is cosponsored by nineof the 10 Gulf state senators. They were joined as original cosponsorsby Senators David Vitter (R-LA), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Thad Cochran(R-MS), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Kay Bailey-Hutchison (R-TX). EPW Committee ChairwomanSen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) was instrumental in securing her commit-tee’s support for the bill.

EDITOR’S NOTE --The coastal wetlands surrounding the Mississippi River Delta providecrucial wildlife habitat that help Louisiana live up to its nickname as a“Sportsman’s Paradise.” The delta provides a winter or stopover groundfor 10 million migratory waterfowl each year, which accounts for up to70% of the ducks and geese using the Mississippi and Central flyways.The delta also supports world-class salt- and freshwater fishing oppor-tunities. But sadly, this Sportsman’s Paradise is vanishing at an alarm-ing rate. Nearly 1,900 square miles, an area the size of the state ofDelaware, have disappeared since the 1930s, largely because of floodcontrol and navigation projects that have isolated the freshwater andsediment from the Mississippi River from its deltaic wetlands, whileallowing saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico to intrude far inland. Everyhour, an area of wetlands the size of a football field disappears. Thishabitat loss threatens homes, communities, nationally important eco-nomic interests—and our world-class hunting and fishing opportuni-ties. For more information, visit www.vanishingparadise.org .

Gulf Restoration -- Continued from Cover

2 0 11 Bass Pro S h o p sSmallmouth Slam Results

1st Place: Jake Horn and MikeMyers Jr. / 5 fish / 16.24 lbs. /big bass 4.12 lbs. / $1000.002nd Place: Ed Czerwinski andNate Gunningham / 5 fish /16.14 lbs. / big bass 4.44lbs. / $400.00 + $120.00 bigbass3rd Place / Jeff Miller and AlHuhra / 5 fish / 15.68 lbs. / bigbass 4.18 lbs. / $280.004th Place / Ross Tornbene andRandy Ramsey / 5 fish / 15.11lbs. / big bass 4.22 lbs.5th Place / Rick Coleman andTashko V. / 5 fish / 13.98 lbs. /big bass 3.14 lbs.6th Place / Eric Iyzinski andJake Dammarell / 5 fish / 13.60lbs. 7th Place / Jack Belt and DaveHeath / 5 fish /13.28 lbs.8th Place / Mike Myers Sr. andRon Meyers / 5 fish / 12.10 lbs./ big bass 3.06 lbs.9th Place / Darryll Barnett andRob Rongers / 4 fish / 10.60lbs.10th Place / Dennis Price Jr.and Sr./ 4 fish / 7.14 lbs.11th Place / Art Kerns andPhillip Duracz / 2 fish / 5.44lbs.12th Place / Brent Skrzekutand Mike Hoose / 0 fish

Page 6 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© October, 2 0 11 Edition

Ken McCormack is wellknown throughout the SouthBend area for his walleye fishingexpertise. He's taken his fairshare of quality 'eyes fromElkhart to Lake Michigan alongthe St. Joseph River.

But the 67-year-old Osceolaresident has developed quite aknack for hooking giant big-mouth buffalo, too.

By accident.In September, McCormack

“probably” broke the Indianarecord with a 53-pound, 8-ouncemonster he caught one eveningfrom Lake of the Woods inBremen.

We say “probably” becausethe fish came within an ounce ofthe current record when it wasweighed the day after he caught it.

“It pushed 54 pounds on myscales, but I couldn't find anyplace open that has certifiedscales that can handle anythingthat big,” said McCormack.“Grocery scales only go to 30

pounds.”About 12 hours after the fish

was caught, he took the fish toDC Meats where it was peggedofficially at 53 pounds, 8 ounces.The current record of 53-9 wascaught in southern Indiana in2002.

McCormack's fish measured33 inches long and had a 42-inchgirth.

“I tried keeping it alive but itbled out,” said McCormack. Fish,especially big ones, can lose apound or more after they die.

Most people aren't familiarwith the bottom feeding buffalo.

Monster fish falls shy of record

LOUIESTOUT

taking lures, yet McCormackcaught his on a _-ounce jigheadtipped with a 4-inch, whiteYamamoto twister tail grub. It'sthe same lure combination thattook the 48 _ pounder six yearsago.

Fortunately, he had justspooled up with fresh, 6-pound,Cajun Red monofilament line onhis Okuma spinning reel riggedon a 7-foot medium lightShimano rod. It took 15 minutesto land the giant fish as he let itplay out before easing it into anet. It took everything he andpartner Scott Fuchs (South Bend)

Two years ago, Jeremy Price stepped intosome big shoes as Indiana's DNR District OneFisheries biologist.

Bob Robertson, the man he replaced whomheld that job for three decades - had retired.

Price now finds himself stepping into perhapsbigger shoes - if not hip boots. The 35-year oldfish manager was promoted to Northern IndianaFisheries Supervisor, replacing Stu Shipman, whoretired last spring.

As a district biologist, he coddled lakes andstreams in 15 counties west of St. Joseph andKosciusko. He's now over another 19 counties, theentire natural lakes region, and Lake Michigan.

Is he up to the task?“All I ever wanted to do was become the

District One biologist,” said Price, who grew up inWinamac and worked for Robertson for nearly fiveyears. “But when the supervisor job became avail-able, I felt I could make an even greater impact in

New fish bosses. . .

They often get mistaken as carp,yet the buffalo is a one of thelarger species of the sucker fami-ly.

And, oddly enough, it's thesecond giant he's caught - andboth came from the same sandbaron Lake of the Woods at Bremen.His first weighed 48 _ pounds inDecember, 2004, a fish that wonhim Indiana's Fish of the Yearhonors.

And, in both instances, hewas fishing for walleyes.

What makes this even moreunusual is that Buffalo are plank-ton feeders and not known for

improving northern Indiana fisheries. And really,that's all I've ever wanted from my career: To makea difference.”

He'll get that chance if he can handle thelifestyle change. Instead of running a shock boaton a cold spring night, he'll be locked behind adesk, attending laborious meetings, and of course,flogging through state bureaucracy that tends todrive supervisors into old age fast.

But Price doesn't see it that way. “Actually, that's how I can make a difference;

be a buffer between the central office and the fieldguys so they can be more effective in the field,”said Price.

Tom Bacula, Price's assistant since May, willserve as “acting” District One biologist until agovernment hiring freeze is lifted.

“Tom is a sharp guy who has done an excellentjob as the assistant and is more than capable tooversee the district,” Price noted.

had to muscle the fish into theboat.

“I was just beginning theretrieve after the bait hit the waterwhen the bait didn't move,” hedescribed. “I figured it was stuckin weeds and I tried to pull it freewhen I felt the fish move off.”

Despite missing the record,McCormack has it entered in theIndiana Fish of Year contest forbigmouth buffalo.

“It was still fun to catch, butin my mind, I believe I broke therecord,” said McCormack, whofishes year round and severaltimes a week.

Walleye angler Ken McCormackhefts his Lake of the Woods buffa-lo, which fell an ounce short of thestate record. Photo provided.

www.zolmantire.com

October , 2 0 11 Edition INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© Page 7

Harvesting a lovesick spring gobblerisn't easy. But the general strategy is.Think about it: you know you're dealingwith Toms that are on a quest to score withhens. So you gravitate to a favorable loca-tion close to known roosting sites. You setup a blind, put out a decoy or a combina-tion of hen, jake and/or longbeard decoys.Then you make the calls of a lonesome henin need of company to elicit a gobblingresponse. You stay still and coax the dizzygobbler into shotgun or bow range. Bang.You're done.

Now, a lot can go wrong in this simplescenario. Even though gobblers are drivenby a desire to breed, they still keep theirwits about them. Their eyesight is just askeen, and their instinct to flee the scene ifthings aren't right is just as strong. Soeven though you know just what's in a bigTom's head, he's still hard to kill.

In the fall, he's harder to get. He's notdriven by desire. He's driven by necessityto eat and not get eaten. Simple as that. Sohow in the heck do you go about harvest-ing a fall longbeard? There are generallyfour ways to hunt autumn birds: ambush,spot-and-stalk, scatter/call-back and flockcalling.

Ambushing is a great way to score, ifyou know the lay of the land and the behav-ioral patterns of the birds you're after. Forexample, if you have a predictable roostsite, and know that at some point duringthe day the turkeys feed in a certain field orscratch in the same places, then you canapproach fall turkeys like deer hunting. Setup between bedding and feeding areas andwait.

Spotting and stalking is a fun way tobag a bird too. This requires a lot of timespent glassing and studying birds. Ifthey're loafing on a field, hillside, ridge orwhatever, you can creep within range. It'stough, because their eyes are so amazinglygood. Plus you're typically dealing withflocks. A pack of 17 has 34 eyes - all onthe lookout for you. Only the best stalkersequipped with great camouflage and a lot ofpatience can pull off a successful stalk. Ifyou see a flock marching, then it's time toput on the gas and get yourself in front ofthem to intercept a bird.

The scatter & call back method is avery proven fall technique. If you're after amature Tom, this really isn't the way to go.That's because Toms are not terribly socialin the fall. They don't care about the hensand poults. They're more likely to hang outwith other Toms as they vie for their peck-ing order in the flock. When scattered,they take their sweet time getting back toother birds.

But if you're content with a hen orpoult, go ahead and do the scatter tech-nique. Find a flock, run into them makingas much racket as you can and try to bustthem up into as many different directionsas possible. Then hunker down, wait a fewminutes and make some standard yelps andpurrs. If you get a response, or hear a

turkey in the distance calling independent-ly, mimic that bird. Give the same callright back to it. The turkeys desperatelywant to regroup for security, and if you imi-tate their language then you can't gowrong.

If it is only a longbeard you want, andif you want to get him by calling, thencalling to a gobbler group is the way to go.The one thing that never changes amonggobblers is their disdain for one another asthey rank in the pecking order. And they'realways up for a fight - or at least to watchone and see how it unfolds. So here's whatyou do: imitate a turkey fight. Fights areloud, so you need to make a lot of noisewith fighting purrs, cutts and clucks. Andremember that turkeys fight with theirwhole bodies, so mix a lot of wing beats,thumps and brush busting into the sym-phony. It's helpful to have a buddy workwith you as a team to accurately duplicate

BABEWINKELMAN

A fallen fall turkey is a real trophy

the sounds of a drop-down-drag-out fight.One guy can call while the other guy beatsthe wings and brush. For safety's sake,make sure you know you're hunting in anarea where there are no other hunters whiledoing this.

If you succeed on an autumn long-beard, then my hat is off to you. It's quitean accomplishment, and we'd like to hearabout your success story and see a pictureof your bird at Winkelman.com!

Good Hunting!

Babe Winkelman is a nationally-knownoutdoorsman who has taught people to fishand hunt for more than 25 years. Watch theaward-winning "Good Fishing" and"Outdoor Secrets" television shows onVersus, Fox Sports, Texas Channel andmany local networks. Visit www.winkel-man.com for air times where you live andbe sure to check us out on Facebook.

Maslowski photo / www.NWTF.org

Page 8 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© October, 2 0 11 Edition

The Coyote Triple Play

TOMBERG

Fur trappers encounter a lotof firsts on the trapline. Some aregood and some are bad. The firsttime you catch a raccoon is one ofthose good experiences. The firsttime you get sprayed by an angryskunk, of course, is not.

For some reason, it seemslike the bad incidents are oftenthe most memorable. It's hard toforget the first time your handgets snapped in a trap. You'll alsoremember the first time you slipdown a muddy bank and fall intoan icy creek. If you accidentallydrop your cell phone into the lakebeside a muskrat lodge, you'llremember it too. The list goes onand on.

Happily, the good firsts canbe etched into your mind, too.

Early last fall, diehard coyotetrapper and ION contributor MikeSchoonveld from Morocco expe-rienced a very good first on hisrural Newton County trapline. Hecaught a trio of coyotes in one ofhis sets. Thankfully, I had comealong for the ride.

Catching two coyotes at onelocation (a double) is not terribly

uncommon. After all, it's notunusual for coyotes to run in fam-ily groups, and if you catch onethere is a good chance one of theothers will investigate the samearea. Or at the very least, one willstop to see why his companionrefuses to move on.

Catching three coyotes atonce, however, is pretty rare.Coyotes are notoriously wary andcautious, so to fool three of themin a single location is a prettyamazing feat. Besides their natu-ral wariness, coyotes have anincredible sense of smell. If theydetect human scent on the trap oraround the trapping site, theywill usually leave or dig up thetrap.

Mike was very careful not toleave any of his scent in the areawhen he set his traps the daybefore. He keeps his coyote trapsscent-free by boiling them inwater, and puts on a pair of rub-berized gloves to prevent anyhuman scent transfer when han-dling them.

Even though Mike buries histraps and covers them with a thinlayer of dirt, coyotes can detecteven faint scents beneath the dirt.If they detect any human scentwhatsoever, they become verysuspicious and are extremely dif-ficult to catch. Humans mean onething to a coyote: danger.

Mike is always very thor-ough when he sets his traps, andmakes sure the only scents heleaves behind come from the baitin the bait holes and the coyote

urine he squirts from a squeezebottle. Mike buys the urine athis favorite trapping supplyhouse and uses it to trick any vis-iting coyote that find the buriedmeat into thinking the coyotewho buried it simply urinatednearby to mark his territory.

On this particular set, Mikehad used the coyote urine near thefirst two traps. Those traps wereset about 8-10 feet apart at theedge of a lonely farm lanebetween two pastures. A smallditch filled with brush separatedthe two fields. Mike had set athird trap on the other side of theditch, figuring any wanderingcoyote would either travel alongthe ditchline or along the farmlane. No matter which way theywent, they would have to go pastall three of his traps.

Mike digs a hole with a smalldirt auger and drops some stinky,slightly rotted meat into it toattract roaming coyotes to histraps. This meat smells veryenticing to any coyotes passingnearby. They home in on it andthink a different coyote hasburied some food with plans toreturn later. Coyotes love tosteal food whenever they get thechance.

When we drove up the lane tocheck the traps at this spot, Mikesaw the first two coyotes rightaway and shouted “a double!”. Aswe pulled up near the brush-filledditch to park the truck, he saw thethird coyote caught on the otherside. “No, a triple!”, he said. I

could tell he was excited, and hetold me this was the first triple hehad ever scored in his many yearsof coyote trapping.

The lone coyote on the otherside of the ditch was an oldermale, possibly the father of theother two younger coyotes. Hemay have smelled the bait, camein to investigate, then was caughtby the trap in front of the baithole.

The two coyotes in the adja-cent traps looked like youngadults and were probably litter-mates. They may have stoppedwhen the older coyote got caught,then hung around, reluctant toleave by themselves. As theymilled around, they likelysmelled and found the other twobait holes on the opposite side of

the ditch. As they walked aroundtrying to figure out how to get themeat, they were soon caught, too.

Mike dispatched the coyotesquickly and humanely before care-fully resetting all of the traps.We moved on, as there were stillseveral more traps to check atother locations.

Before the morning was over,Mike caught a fourth coyote atanother spot and it joined theothers in the bed of Mike’s Ram.

It had been a very successfulday on the trapline, but the realreward was the coyote triple-play.It may not happen very often, butwhenever you can catch threecoyotes at one spot, you knowyou did everything right. It wasone of those special days thatneither of us will ever forget.

October , 2 0 11 Edition INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© Page 9

JIMBIDDLE

jitterbug and it seldom fails toget the attention of some ofthose big cruisers.

If you can spare the huntingtime, October is a great month tobe on the water. Here’s what toexpect.

Lake MichiganEd McCain at Mik-Lurch

Tackle in Hammond says the wordof the day is salmon! You cancatch kings and cohos in TrailCreek and Salt Creek usingspinners or spawn. Take salmonin the big lake on Jplugs orRapalas. Ed says Willow Sloughis the place to go for bluegill andWolf Lake is the spot for walleye.Use leeches or a Rapala and fishwhen skies are cloudy.

North Central IndianaJim Housman at Ye Old

Tackle Box in North Webstersays the muskies are taking offand the action should just keepgetting better -- especially on theBarbie chain and Tippy. Uselive suckers or red October twist-ed tubes. Wawasee is the spotfor perch, and the bluegill are hit-ting just about everywhere.Head to Wawasee for smallies andfish the shallow waters with aSenko or a white spinner.

Saint Joseph RiverDick Parker tells me the river

is a steelhead and coho hotspot.Fish below the I & M or CentralDams in Mishawaka using a spin-ner, spawn or Hot-N-Tot .

state fair exhibit into the pond atFort Harrison . Don’t be proud,go out there and get yourselfsome. Take a youngster and letthem have a good time.

West Central IndianaJohn Raines from Twin

Lakes Fish & Game tells me thefall white bass action is starting.If you fish the river use a deer hairjig and if you fish the lake use aRattletrap or a Silver Buddy orother blade bait. John says youshould hit the shallows with aminnow to take some crappies.Black bass action is strong usingjust about any artificial. Catfishaction is fantastic right now, asis bluegill. The TippecanoeRiver and other feeder creeks intoto lake are producing some nicewalleyes. Sounds like you cantake just about anything thismonth, so get out there.

East Central IndianaEd Gipson at Peacepipe Bait

& Tackle at Andrews tells me theshad are playing havoc with thefishing in the area. The shad areso plentiful that crappies aren'ttaking the bait. White bass areabout the only thing beingcaught and they're hitting onnight crawlers. Ed expects thecrappie action to pick up oncethe shad die off. On the brightside, Ed reports some decentNorthern pike being taken.

Southwest IndianaDedra Hawkins at The Fishin

Shedd in Bloomington says youcan take a walleye by trollingwith a night crawler or shinernear the dam at Monroe.Crappies are hitting on smallSouthern Pro jigs around sub-merged brush. The largemouthbass will be coming on strongereach day this month. Catfish arehitting on just about anythingfrom night crawlers to doughbaits. Dedra says last week a fel-low took a 40-lb. flathead.Sounds rather exciting,don’t youthink?

Southeast IndianaTag Nobbe at Brookville

Lake Guide Services inBrookville says fishing shouldbe good this month. You can takecrappies on a jig and minnow orcatch yourself a smallmouth witha spoon. If a smallmouth does-n’t go for the spoon a white bassis likely to grab hold. The wall-eye action is good using nightcrawlers and jigs. The best spotfor them is out on the flats.

Well, that’s about all thewisdom from the pros I have toshare. Take this knowledge andgo in peace. I think I’ll spendthe next couple days cleaning andorganizing my tackle box tomake room for those new lures.

Hey, keep casting andremember what Ol’ JB alwayssays, “fishing seems to be inces-sant expectation and perpetualdisappointment.” Good luckand I’ll see you next month.

Northwest IndianaPenny Boisvert at

Greenwood Bait Shop saysthey’re taking some nice walleyewith large flathead minnows atthe point in English Lake.Regular or green crawlers fishedalong the banks of the Kankakeewill get a nice smallmouth.Horseshoe Bend just south ofLaCrosse is the place to go forsome nice ‘gills.

Doris Salada from CountryBait in Valparaiso reports greatcrappie action on Long Lake andLoomis Lake. Try drift fishingon the northern end of Long Lakeusing a minnow or a wiggler andyou’ll probably get some goodaction. Doris says bluegillaction is good just about every-where. The local large mouth arehitting on leeches and nightcrawlers. There should be somegood northern and walleye actionthis month too. Try minnows atnight for the walleyes.

Central IndianaDave McCalla from the Bait

Barn in Indianapolis reportsgood smallmouth and bluegillfishing in the Blue River. Thesmallmouth like plastic worms,Senkos or a Kelly’s originalscented worm -- especially thefiretail. The local retentionponds are producing some realnice bluegills too. Wigglers,bee moths or crickets will get abluegill’s attention quick, so beready! Dave tells me that theDNR dumped all the fish from the

I just returned home from theAssociation of Great LakesOutdoor Writers’ annual confer-ence at Honey Creek Resort inSouth Central Iowa. Let me tellyou, it’s a great place to get awayand do some fishing on RathbunLake, hunt, take a dinner cruise,go kayaking, do some hiking,do some nature photography orjust kick back and relax. I haveto admit I didn’t drop a line in thewater but the folks who did had agreat time catching big walleyesin less than 3 feet of water! If youwant more info, go to www.hon-eycreekresort.com.

At the conference I had achance to look over a lot of newlures and other fishing equipmentready for the market and I wasquite impressed. The folks fromBerkley loaded me up with allkinds of lures and equipment totry out. My tackle box won’tlook right with all the new stuff.When I compare it to some of theold stuff in my tackle box it’s awonder I ever caught a fish. Ofcourse, as we all know, old does-n’t mean bad. When I want a fewlargemouth for an evening meal Itend to grab my old battle scarred

Page 1 0 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© October, 2 0 11 Edition

The Sa fe ty Consc iousPoacher

One of the tools IndianaConservation Officers (ICO) useto catch poachers is the animateddeer decoy. Sophisticated ver-sions can move, twitch theirears, and display other life-likeactions. However, it wasn’talways that way.

In the early days of using adeer decoy to catch poachers theICOs were on their own to comeup with something. Their decoywas limited by their own creativ-ity and the materials at hand.ICO Frank Routh described“Maxine”, the decoy that he andMac Spainhour cobbled togetherwith the fondness one would havefor a prize winning science fairproject.

“The first decoy that Mac andI made had tobacco stakes forlegs, a chicken wire frame stuffedfull of cardboard for a body, and adoe head that we stuck antlers on.It didn’t even look like a deer butwe made seven cases with it in thefirst year!”

One of those cases startedwhen a local newspaper reporter,shopping in a Kmart departmentstore, overheard some young menbragging that they were going tothe state forest and weren’t com-ing back until they had killedsome deer. To back up their boldstatement they purchased a newshotgun and flashlights. Thereporter quickly passed on thisinformation to local ICOs MacSpainhour and Frank Routh.

gun was new (It still hadStyrofoam packing balls cling-ing to it.) he didn’t want hisfriend to make the first shot incase the gun blew up!

All the young men went tojail and seven firearms were con-fiscated. Like many illegalactivities their deer poachingadventure was not well thoughtout. “They had driven a FordPinto or something small likethat,” Frank said. “So, I don’tknow where they thought theywere going to put a deer!”

Some Days The Bear GetsYou…or Your Elk!

Every ICO I know is also anoutdoorsman. They love to huntand fish as much as anyone. ICOGary Pennington is no excep-tion. In 2010 he went on a muchdeserved elk and mule deer hunt inMontana, which soon became anadventure.

“I had been elk huntingbefore with my bow but this wasmy first gun hunt,” Garyexplained. “Due to the warmweather game was scarce.” Onthe third day of the hunt Gary andhis friend Richard Penwick hikedto the top of several mountainsand spent the day looking forgame but only saw some muledeer.

As they headed back to campfor the night their luck changed.“About an hour before sunset we

Since the local state forestspanned three counties Mac andFrank didn’t know exactly wherethe men would strike, but theyused their experience and intu-ition and headed out with theirnew decoy. To cast a broader net,Mac went into the forest on oneroad and Frank took another.Mac’s route took him directly totheir rendezvous point, but Frankhad to take a route past DeamLake on fire trails and throughlocked gates. “I no sooner gotthe decoy set up when Macradioed that there was a car com-ing,” Frank explained. “I turnedmy lights off and went back upthe road to wait.” The poacherswere excited and quick on the trig-ger. “I had no sooner opened mydoor to listen when Mac radioed,‘They’ve shot, they’ve shot!’”

Frank rushed back down tothe decoy setup and joined Macwho already had the suspects onthe ground. With the suspectsfull in the headlights and undercontrol, Frank retrieved thedecoy and placed it in the back ofhis truck.

Once Frank was back withthe suspects, the shooter statedthat he hadn’t shot the deerbecause he had watched it run off ,not knowing Frank had just takenthe decoy.

As the ICOs questioned theyoung men, the shooter con-fessed that he had shot at the deerdecoy to protect the safety of hisfriend… His bizarre line of rea-soning was that since the shot-

crossed a creek that bordered ameadow a few miles from thecabin.” In the meadow were twobull elk heading away from thehunters. Gary crouched and triedto get a shot at a nice 5 by 5 bullthat was quartering away.

Gary looked through thescope. The commotion had alert-ed the elk and the large bull

looked back as Gary fired. Withthe range only being thirty-fiveyards, the .300 WinchesterMagnum did its work and the elktumbled.

The weary hunters tagged andfield dressed the bull. Beingmiles from camp and daylightrapidly waning, the two grabbedthe elk’s head and vowed to return

ALANGARBERS

ICO Gary Pennington and his 5x5 bull elk. Photo provided.

October , 2 0 11 Edition INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© Page 1 1

for the rest the next morning.Early the next morning Gary

awoke with an uneasy feeling.He joked with his companionsthat he hoped the elk was stillthere. The plan was to go inwith horses, quarter the elk up,and pack it out. It was a goodplan but nature had other ideas.They arrived at the meadow butthe elk was gone!

“I had always heard a rifleshot is like a dinner bell to a griz-zly,” Gary laughed. “Thatproved to be true.” Since theywere in grizzly country theyapproached the meadow with cau-tion. “I had dragged the gut pilewell away from the carcass hop-ing it would be left alone, but it

was gone.”They followed the drag marks

down into a brush filled ravine.Gary knew that grizzlies oftenstay near a recent kill to guard it,so the hunter’s nerves were onedge. Since grizzly bears areprotected, hunters are welladvised to avoid confrontation atall costs, even if it means leavingtheir trophy behind.

With other hunters standingwatch, Gary used the horses topull the elk carcass back into theclearing and salvaged a good por-tion of the meat.

The sheer strength of thegrizzly stunned Gary. “Thepower of that grizzly amazedme,” Gary said. “To pull the

500-lb. carcass of an elk 40-45yards, something that we couldbarely move, that’s one heck ofan animal!”

Gary is haunted from the pos-sibilities and might-have-beens.“Had we gone back that night toget the rest of the meat, we mighthave encountered the grizzlyitself.” A hungry grizzly…inthe dark? No thanks.

The author invites all ICOs,active and retired, to contact himat agarb84@bpl.coop with theirown true stories from behind thebadge.

Gary’s elk. . . post-grizzly.

Page 1 2 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© October, 2 0 11 Edition

It started as a casual conversationwith a guide on a fishing boat on Lake ofthe Woods. We were discussing the upcom-ing ice fishing season and our conversa-tion somehow shifted to bird hunting. Hebegan bragging up the ruffed grouse hunt-ing in that neck of the woods and chastisedme when I got this, “Ya, right,” look onmy face. I was thinking that the only birdsin those woods that far north were sprucegrouse and I hadn't heard reports of manyof those around. He told me he was seeinglots of ruffed grouse and he was predictinggreat hunting and I figured I better check itout.

I figured if what I was hearing was true,hunting that far north for grouse should beoutstanding for a couple of reasons.Hunters from the cities and even otherstates likely won't travel that far northpreferring instead to hunt in the heavily-promoted north-central section ofMinnesota. This means less pressure onthe birds and fewer hunters in the woods.

So off to the northwoods I did go witha couple of my hunting buddies. Our goalwas to take advantage of the bird huntingin the morning and get in some great fallwalleye fishing in the afternoons.

We were barely 10 minutes into thewoods when a half dozen spruce grousestarted shooting out of the pines. I don'tshoot spruce grouse but one of my huntingbuddies dropped one and the rest of thosebirds took advantage of the nearby heavycover.

People say that spruce grouse are notas wary as the ruffed grouse and they jokethat sometimes you have to kick them to

get them to fly. Contrary to the reputa-tion, these birds we were stumbling onwere getting up quickly and high tailing itout of there.

Since the season had been open for acouple of weeks, maybe these birds hadbeen shot at already. I wondered how manyhunters chased spruce grouse and later Iposed that question to the Minnesota DNRForest Wildlife Coordinator. He said theydo get picked off by predators, but notmany hunters shoot them. They're notpressured by hunters because of how theycompare as table fare. Ruffed grouse havebeen described as the best eating game birdin the world. Spruce grouse have beendescribed as the very worst. You get anadult spruce grouse that's been feeding onspruce and jackpine buds and its meat is redand gamey.

The spruce grouse aren't as far south asthe ruffed grouse are and this shorter rangemeans less hunting pressure. It's alongthe northern tier of counties where you seebig stands of conifers that you find thespruce grouse. It's more of a boreal bird.Not many people pursue them. Data showson the order of 20,000 to 25,000 get takeneach year in Minnesota compared to sever-al hundred thousand ruffed grouse per year.

After we circled a swamp in theBeltrami Island State Forest we came uponsome high ground where the aspen wereabundant and sure enough a few ruffedgrouse scooted out from under our feet. Ididn't have the right angle but the hunterto my left made a spectacular shot anddropped one as it pirouetted around a tree.The other grouse were saved by the coverthey flew behind.

Moving to our second spot the con-versation was all about the abundance of

Doubling Up oTIMLESMEISTER

Photo by author.

www.RainyRiverResort.net

October , 2 0 11 Edition INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© Page 1 3

snowshoe hares. Dan Small, who hosts the popular tel-

evision show, Outdoor Wisconsin was oneof the hunters on this trip. He put the wordout that he was going to shoot a couple ofhares because he wanted to try some of hisrecipes and he hadn't had fresh snowshoein awhile. The rest of us decided to stick tobirds.

The first grouse off the ground in thisspot was a ruffed and I made an impressiveshot. We had decided as a group before thehunt began that ground-swatting was notallowed. This cost us some shootingshortly after I bagged my bird. When wecame out onto a clear cut a few minuteslater there were four ruffed grouse millingaround behind some trees. They started toget real nervous when we moved out of thecover and as I tried slipping around behindthem to get into shooting position theyall flushed in unison and headed in theonly direction possible where we couldn'tget shots. We might have killed them all ifwe would have shot them on the ground.

By noon we were back at the lodgewith a half dozen ruffed grouse and the urgeto set the hook into some walleyes.

The walleye fishing on this huge lakeis the best in the world. There simply isno equal. In the summer months the bigcharter boats can take out an entire familyto troll through schools of big walleyesthat are suspended in open water. In thefall it's the rock piles and reefs wherewalleyes sit waiting for someone to back-troll by with a fat leech on a red hook. Andthis is why I love fishing the fall period onLake of the Woods. Instead of the tap-tapyou get in the summer its a bone-jarringbite with a hard fight all the way to theboat.

With four of us in the boat includingthe guide we were setting the hook andlanding a dozen fish per hour -- and thatwas each of us. We only kept a couple fisheach but the fishing was outstanding. Thenext day called for more wind so we decid-ed to make it a full day of grouse hunting.It sure is nice to have options.

Minnesota is the gold standard whenit comes to ruffed grouse hunting. Thoseof us who live here may cuss a bit when thecycle is at a low point and we grousehunters always hope for more habitat thatsuits the production of our favorite game-bird, but when the cycle is on the upswing,like it is now, there's no better excuse thana shot at a speedy little brown bird dodg-ing through the trees to take a walk in thewoods. Trust me. I drive from the TwinCities, so it is well worth the drive fromIndiana to experience this angling andhunting paradise.

You can bet I'll be doing a lot morewalking in those northern border woods,and when my legs start getting a bit tiredthen it's time to wear out my arms settingthe hook on one of the many walleyes thatcan be found on nearby Lake of the Woods.It's truly the best of both worlds.

on the Border

There’s More Than Grouse and Walleye at Lake of the Woods

While the trophy wall-eye fishing and grouse hunt-ing are well worth the priceof admission, as they say,the muskie, smallmouth,waterfowl hunting and biggame options make anautumn trip to Lake of theWoods an irresistible propo-sition.

At approximately 1 mil-lion acres, Lake of theWoods is a serious factorwith respect to migratingwaterfowl, pulling and holding birds like perhaps no place else in North America.Shoots are fast and furious, and offer waterfowl hunters the chance for limits of multi-ple species in an unforgettable setting.

When it comes to big game, Lake of the Woods doesn’t disappoint. As a matterof fact, guiding customers for big,northern whitetails and black bear is a core serviceof many of the area’s lodges. Over 70% of Lake of the Woods County is public groundopen to hunting, while many lodges and outfitters maintain access to thousands ofadditional private acres for their guests and customers.

No matter what combination of hunting and fishing you’re looking for, one callto Lake of the Woods Tourism will put you in touch with the lodges and outfittersyou’ll need to make the most of your autumn visit. Call them today at 1-800-382-FISH, or visit them online at www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com.

www.lakeofthewoodsmn.comwww.lakeofthewoodsmn.com

www.sportsmanslodges.com

Page 1 4 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© October, 2 0 11 Edition

Squirrels and .22 rifles sim-ply go together. I would be will-ing to bet that the majority ofreaders took their first game usingthe ubiquitous cartridge that sitsprominently in most Americangun racks. If you haven't at leastconsidered pulling out the oldrifle and chasing a few bushytailsaround the woodlot during thecool mornings of October, federallaw requires that you sell all yourfirearms and take up golf.

The .22 Long Rifle rimfirecartridge as we know it has beenaround since 1887 when the J.Stevens Arms & Tool Companytook the casing from the older,existing .22 Long cartridge andcombined it with a 40 grain bul-let.

The new .22 Long Rifle car-tridge proved to be a great combi-nation of performance, accuracy,negligible recoil, minimal noiseand low cost. Today almost everyarms manufacturer makes at leastone model that utilizes the car-tridge. It is likely that there aremore firearms chambered for this

In praise of the .22

The Straight ShooterBRENTWHEAT

cartridge in the world today thatany other.

The .22 rifle is a great roundfor small game up to 120 yards.Beyond that range, the bulletgoes subsonic, the trajectoryresembles a melting rainbow andaccuracy decreases exponentially.

Accuracy of the .22 is reason-able for such a low-cost cartridge.Any shooter with a decent rifleand a bit of practice should beable to hold 1” groups at 50 yardsfrom a stable rest. A good shoot-er/rifle/ammunition combinationcan often keep three shot groupsunder one inch at 100 yards.

Most knowledgeable .22shooters sight in their gun at 75yards. If you are using the popu-lar flat-shooting CCI Stinger,this translates to a .7 inch rise at50 yards and 2.3 drop at 100yards. For standard velocity 40-grain offerings, the numbers aretypically double.

An untold variety of .22rounds exist today. The selectionranges from target rounds thatwill set you back at least .25cents per shot to bulk packs oflead-nosed bullets that come inunder $3.00 per box.

Cheap .22 cartridges frommajor manufacturers are good,even excellent. More so thanother calibers, individual .22rifles will have very decided pref-erences for certain rounds, so withthe low cost of ammo there isnothing stopping you from find-ing the exact round that makesyour rifle a tack-driver. In many

cases of sporting arms, the low-cost Winchester, Federal orRemington standard rounds aretypically as accurate as the priceytarget cartridges and may evenoffer better performance at the tar-get.

We highly recommend stick-ing with the well-known ammuni-tion makers. Perhaps in .22 morethan any other caliber, low-quali-ty rounds of questionable offshoreheritage are frequently junk.There are perhaps two dozen man-ufacturers from several countrieswho make good stuff; so far,China isn't among that group.

For small game and pests,virtually any reasonable hit willbring down the animal as you areessentially shooting it with -- rel-atively-speaking -- a bowlingball-sized projectile. Once youbegin shooting raccoon-sizedgame, bullet-placement becomescritical. If you plan on shootingcoyotes, it would be exceedinglyoptimistic and ethically question-able to plan on a clean kill atranges longer than 60 yards.

There are several high-per-formance cartridges on the mar-ket, typified by the CCI Stinger,Remington Yellow Jacket andothers. Essentially, these arerounds with a slightly lighter bul-let and a longer-burning powderto tweak more velocity from theround. They do bump up the per-formance specifications and offerhigher bullet energy while shoot-ing significantly flatter trajecto-ries.

argument to rest. The small bulletfragments that essentially“grenade” in small targets quicklylose energy as they travel throughsolid material and overall penetra-tion in calibrated gelatin onlyaverages around five inches- cer-tainly not sufficient for mediumgame and not anywhere in theballpark for two-legged attackers.

If you haven't dragged out theold .22 in a while, make arrange-ments to spend a pleasurable houron the range or in the woods. Youwill be surprised how quickly thatlong-overlooked rim fire will takeyou back to a simpler time -- thedays when the smell of smokelesspowder wafting through the gold-en leaves of an October forestmade some of the most indeliblememories of a young hunter's life.

On small and medium-sizedgame, these rounds are devastat-ing. The range is somewhatshorter as the lighter bullets shedenergy quicker downrange but ifyou properly place one of thesebullets in a varmint under 100yards, the results are dramatic.

Keep in mind that in short-barreled weapons, these roundswon't have any appreciable per-formance increase. They will,however, dramatically increasemuzzle flash and blast.

It is interesting to note thatwhile the high-speed rounds offerhigher downrange energies, thestandard-velocity round nose leadcartridges often penetrate moredeeply in ballistic gelatin tests.

Another interesting roundthat has drawn much attention isthe CCI Quick-Shok pre-frag-mented bullet. In essence, thebullet immediately breaks intothree equal pieces upon hittingthe target. Though we haven'tpersonally put these roundsthrough the paces, correspon-dence and media reports suggestthat they are spectacular in smallgame such as squirrel and rabbit,essentially exploding uponimpact. In fact, increased meatdamage has often been noted.Things change when you are deal-ing with bigger critters. I wouldnot attempt to use this round toput down a coyote but there areeven some who believe the roundhas the potential for self-defense.After a review of ballistic gelatintests, we can quickly put that

October , 2 0 11 Edition INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© Page 1 5

Marcus Mejia from Elkhart, IN caught his firstgrass carp bowfishing in the St Joseph River. Itwas 19 inches long.

Tab Casper photographed this pair of mature bald eagleswhile waterfowl hunting on Dewart Lake last year.

Cory McClellan with a nice Porter County 8point buck taken with his bow.

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

A winner will be randomly selected each month to win a great outdoor prize!

Entry Information:

Person submitting the photo:

Name(s) of person(s) pictured:

Other information describing the photo:

If I’m selected as this month’s random winner, please send my prize to:

Send your photos to:Gone AfieldP.O. Box 69

Granger, IN 46530E-mail submissions welcome at: www.contact@ION4U.net.

If mailing photos, please include a SASE if you’d like us to return them to you

CONTEST RULES: Raghorn, Inc. shall retain the right to publish or not publish any images submitted inany of it’s media outlets. Winners chosen at random. Prizes are subject to change and contest may ceasewithout notice.

Jacob Adams of Connersville shot thisdoe in Franklin County with his 20 ga.single shot .

Zach Stockman and ION Co-Publisher, MarkSmith with Zach's first deer.

This months answers From

Puzzle on Page 20

THIS MONTH’S WINNER!THIS MONTH’S WINNER!

Jack Minix from Knox, IN caught this nice 36-inch Kingsalmon from Lake Michigan at Michigan City.

Page 1 6 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© October, 2 0 11 Edition

Given the sorry state of wildquail numbers throughout much ofthe nation these days, a huntermight think that a trip back intime would be the only way toexperience the kind of shootinghis or her father and grandfatherknew.

But that kind of thinkingdisregards the fast and furiousaction to be had today on some ofAmerica’s top upland bird huntingpreserves. And here’s a news-flash: Some of these modernoperations offer hunting andshooting that your forefatherscould have only dreamed about.One of the finest of the modernhunting preserves is within amere three-hour drive of much ofIndiana.

Winghaven Lodge, nearProvidence in western Kentucky,is where the in-the-know crowd ofthe Midwest’s and near-South’squail hunting community gathersto relive the glory days ofAmerican bobwhite hunting. Aswild bird numbers have fallenthroughout the quail’s historic

eastern U.S. range, a handful ofpreserve operators have perfectedtechniques that have spawned newgenerations of hard-rising, fast-flying bobwhites. The nearly5,000-acre Winghaven Lodgepreserve is at the top of the heapwhen it comes to offering shoot-ing that surpasses the finest quailhunting of days gone by. Couplethe incredible hunting with finelodging amenities and first classfood and staff and you have themakings of a shooting expedi-tion that will stay in your memo-ry for a lifetime.

Russell Edwards, the mildmannered native of the land onwhich Winghaven is located ownsand manages the preserve alongwith his wife Michele. He said itbest when he mentioned in pass-ing: “Last year, we put out 20,000birds for 75 hunters. We alwayshave at least a 50 per cent successrate.”

By rapid calculation, that’s133 birds per hunter -- on a one ortwo -day hunt. My dad and grand-father, who lived through theglory days of Missouri quail hunt-ing, never dreamed of a wingshooting bounty like that.

“A lot of the first-timehunters are skeptical when I tellthem that we’ll see 15 covey risesin one area on one day and anoth-er 15 rises every day they huntthereafter,“ Edwards admitted.They become believers after a few

UPLAND HUNTING Winghaven Lodge offers a glory days hunting experience By Rick Story

hours at Winghaven and tend tocome back year after year.

Does Winghaven put out pen-reared birds? Yep. Do they requirea boot to the butt to make ‘em fly,then stumble through the air likeobese bumble bees? Not onyour life! These birds are bulletsthat rise like an explosion, andthen rip through the air likefeathery shrapnel! They areamong the sportiest birds thewing shooter will ever encounter.

“It’s important to manage theland, certainly, but the key to afine wing shooting experience isthe quality of the birds,” saidEdwards. “We start with state-of-the-art breeding and employ themost aggressive and modern feed-ing and rearing programs that ourindustry has developed. Sure, wemanage our property down to theinch and provide good cover andshooting lanes, but the birdsthemselves are the differencebetween great hunting and goodhunting.” In the opinion of hisclients, Edwards and his staff tryfor “great” every year and achievei t .

Winghaven, which has

received accolades from some ofthe nation’s top wing shootingpublications, including ShootingSportsman, and is one of Cabela’sWorld’s Foremost Destinations,offers a variety of species, includ-ing pheasant and chukar. You caneven arrange a duck hunt, huntrabbits or pursue Kentucky’sfamous Crittenden County boonerwhitetails! Or, when your shoul-der gets tender, you can opt forsome bass, catfish or bluegillfishing on one of the property’sstocked ponds or arrange for afloat trip on the nearbyTradewater River.

But the top draw atWinghaven is bobwhite quail andit offers packages that include no-limit hunts that start at only $695per day. The hunt is all-inclu-sive. All you need to provide isthe necessary license and someshot shells. Of course, it alsoincludes meals and lodging. Stopand think: you’ll have a crack atmore birds in a day than youwould probably be able to find intwo or three years of hunting wildbirds back home!

Winghaven Lodge offers all

the comforts of home, with finesouthern cuisine and spaciousaccommodations including pri-vate rooms with private bath. Therooms offer internet and the lodgefeatures top shelf libations, finefood, spa services, a media center,conference space, trap shootingfacilities and a 3D archery course.

If you’re a wing shooterlooking for legendary quail andother upland bird hunting youreally should consider lookinginto Winghaven Lodge. It’s justa short drive to the kind of hunt-ing most of us have dreamt aboutbut have seldom if ever found.Russell and Michele Edwards willtreat you like family and offer youfine food and comfortable accom-modations, in addition to thehunting, for which you wouldexpect pay much more at otherresort destinations. To inquireabout a trip, go to winghaven-lodge.com on the internet orphone the Lodge at (270) 836-7998. Ask for Russell orMichelle and feel free to ask anyquestions you might have. Youcan also send an email inquiry toredwards@apex.net.

October , 2 0 11 Edition INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© Page 1 7

The evolution of shotguns and muzzle-loaders in the last few years has highlight-ed a need for scopes specifically designedfor use on these popular firearms. TheDeerPASS (Point and Shoot System) scopefamily from Hawke Sport Optics is thatproduct.

Designed and tested specifically foruse with shotguns and muzzleloaders, butcustomizable to any firearm, the DeerPASSreticle is the key to its use. The MAP(Multiple Aim Point) reticle is fully cus-tomizable using your own ballistic data,and the exclusive, and FREE, Hawke BRC(Ballistic Reticle Calculator) software,providing you the exact yardage of eachaim point, no matter what bullet, powder,or slug you shoot. The benefit to the useris simple, the opportunity to drasticallyincrease accuracy.

But the reticle is also a rangefinder.With multiple ways to rangefind builtdirectly into the reticle you can take theguesswork out of your rangefinding, with-out adding another tool to your pack.Anyone who has hunted knows that mostoften, things happen fast. You don't havetime to be reaching into your pack for yourrangefinder to verify distance. You need toknow if that buck of a lifetime is at 95 or135 yards. Not knowing means you won'tneed to work overtime to pay the taxider-mist.

Also exclusive to the DeerPASS EV(Extreme View) scopes is the EV lensingsystem, a radical new design allowingHawke to provide its users with a 20%-43%wider field of view over comparable scopeson the market today. What does that meanto you? Put simply, quicker target acquisi-tion when it matters most. The mostimportant thing to note is that this wasachieved without adding bulk to the scope.The 1” mono-tube chassis has beendesigned and tested to withstand the vio-lent recoil of shotguns and muzzleloaders.

Offered in 3 variations you are sure tofind the model that fits your budget andneeds. The base model features a wireDeerPASS MAP (multiple aim-point) reti-cle and a standard lensing system. TheDeerPASS EV adds the extreme view opticalsystem to the mix. Rounding out the fam-ily is the DeerPASS SR. It features a glassetched, dual color illuminated reticle that isblack in the off position, in addition to theEV optical system. All 3 models are avail-able with 3x to 9x magnification, a 40mmobjective, 1/4” MOA fingertip turrets, flipcaps included, and are threaded to accept asunshade that is offered separately.

On the outside the DeerPASS scopeappears to be just another hunting scope,

OPTICS Hawke DeerPASS Scope brings new focus to deer hunting

but with a radical new reticle design andrevolutionary optical system you'll knowas soon as you pick it up that this is any-thing but just another scope.

Like all Hawke scopes the DeerPASS iswaterproof, shockproof, and fog proof andis covered by the the Hawke WorldwideWarranty. To learn more about theDeerPASS a full video tutorial of theDeerPASS scope is viewable atwww.youtube.com/hawkeoptics, or youcan visit our website at www.hawkeop-tics.com. If you have any questionsregarding this, or any other Hawke productyou can also call our office toll-free at877.429.5347, we would be more thanhappy to assist you.

DeerPASS MAP Scope

DeerPASS MAP Reticle

DeerPASS SR ReticleDeerPASS SR Scope

Page 1 8 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© October, 2 0 11 Edition

If you feel you are beingsqueezed as a hunter or angler, youare not alone. More and morehunters, anglers, recreationalshooters, and trappers are facingmore restrictive laws, less access,reduced opportunities, and feweroptions.

The restrictions and attackshave occurred at the local, stateand the national levels. Much ofthis has been caused by subver-sive laws passed in part becauseof back-door politics and deepfunding by the animal rightslobby. Among these groups thatare working against YOU are theHumane Society of the UnitedStates, PETA, ASPCA, Center forBiological Diversity and manyothers.

But help is on the way!Thanks to the newly formed

Sportsmen’s Issue Defense Fund(SIDF), developed by the U.S.Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), thefuture of hunting and anglinglooks much brighter. The SIDFwas launched during a recentUSSA board meeting inColumbus, Ohio.

This fund will provide the“on-the-ground” dollars neces-sary to initiate efforts to protectthe rights of sportsmen andsportswomen from attacks. TheSIDF will support direct lobby-ing, grassroots coalition build-ing, ballot issue campaigning,and legislative and governmentrelations. In short, it’s a work-ing fund, or war chest, designed toinsure the future of hunting,angling, trapping, and recre-ational shooting across America.“Every year I have been involvedwith the USSA, the animal rightslobby has attacked our huntingheritage,” said Mason Lampton,vice-chairman of the USSA’sboard of directors. “This year isno different as we’ve seen nosigns that they are letting up. Ashistory is my judge, we will not

let up either.”This fund will work in many

ways and at many levels. It willdefend against local dog lawsaffecting sporting dog owners andbreeders, against trapping restric-tions, against efforts to reducehunting seasons, against unnec-essary lead sinker and traditionalammunition restrictions, fishing-focused issues, plus other issuesas they arise. As the anti-hunt-ing forces are planning their nextmove and securing the funds topush their agendas, the SIDF is achance to build a wall of protec-tion against these attacks.

It’s important to note that allsportsmen and women will bene-fit from this unified fund that willpool financial resources for thedefense of our outdoor heritage.The SIDF will draw resources fromthe entire sportsmen communityand provide the strongest –andmost immediate—defense for eachfacet of our hunting heritage.

“The SIDF will provideimmediate seed money wheneverand wherever the animal rightslobby attacks our great huntingheritage,” continued Lampton.“Whether in the states, inWashington D.C., or at the bal-lot.”

The SIDF fund is open forsupport by all sportsmen and

SPORTSMEN’S RIGHTS News Headlines from the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance

women.Fighting for our heritage is

not cheap. State and nationalcampaigns are expensive tolaunch and carry out. The SIDFgoal is to secure $1 million toensure funding is available at amoment’s notice to defend allhunting, fishing, recreationalshooting and trapping activities.This is an on-going fund thatsportsmen and women acrossAmerica are urged to donate gener-ously in their defense.

This SIDF fund needs yourinput immediately. The time isnow as a hunting community tocircle the wagons to defend thesmallest segments of hunters,trappers, shooters, and anglers.If smaller segments of hunters andanglers are forced out, you couldbe the next group in the sights ofthe anti-hunting and animalrights lobby. The anti- forces arealready whittling away yourrights, access, opportunities andoptions. A fully funded SIDF’smission is to turn back theseattacks. Donate now!

“We must ban together, poolall our resources, and stand up forour sport, our heritage, our fight!”concluded Lampton.

Sportsmen and women candonate directly to this effort at:www.ussportsmen.org/donate.

New fund leads charge for future

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Board of Directors announced the Sportsmen’s IssueDefense Fund late last month. USSA photo.

Suing for BIG bucksIn case you have not heard, the U.S. economy is slow and federal dollars are scarce. Tax dollars are

being very closely watched under public scrutiny. Now, there are less of those tax dollars to watch thanksto the former Fund for Animals, alias Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

Back in 2003, the Fund for Animals (this group merged with and is now HSUS) sued the U.S.Department of Interior and its director Steve Williams, plus former director Dale Hall. The charge: that theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). These charges tar-geted the USFWS ruling that permitted hunting on 60 units of the National Wildlife Refuge system, andthe lawsuit covered periods ranging from 1998 through 2003. The U. S. Sportsmen’s AllianceFoundation and others intervened in the case on behalf of sportsmen.

At great expense, the USFWS reviewed and updated the NEPAstatus and findings on those 60 refuges.On April 13, 2011, a federal judge ruled that the USFWS new information met the criteria and huntingcould continue on the listed NWRs. HSUS lost its lawsuit. Then, however, HSUS filed on July 12, 2011for “an award of a portion of the attorney’s fees and costs.”

The result: the USFWS must now pay the defeated HSUS $116,000.00 dollars. Can you say fleecingor milking the system?

The bottom line: though the HSUS lost and was defeated by the U.S. Sportsmen’s AllianceFoundation, the U.S. Department of Interior, and other groups in this 8-year lawsuit and hunting remainsopen on the refuges, the HSUS gets $116,000 for simply suing.

As you can clearly see and read, lawsuits are profitable for some groups.Spread the word.

Hunting and fishing opportunities will become a priority on 440million acres of federal public lands under the newly proposed“Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act”introduced today by Reps. Dan Benishek (R-MI) and Dan Boren (D-OK).Cosponsors of the bill include Reps. Don Young (R-AK) and Mike Kelly(R-PA). The bill is also supported by other key members of the U.S.House Natural Resources Committee, members of the CongressionalSportsmen’s Caucus, and the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance.

This vast acreage is managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) andthe Bureau of Land Management (BLM), is found from coast to coast,and is used – and relied on – by many public land hunters, trappers,shooters and anglers. This bill, championed by the U.S. Sportsmen’sAlliance (USSA) and other leading angling and hunting organizations,establishes in law that recreational fishing, hunting (which includestrapping) and shooting are important and traditional activities to becontinued on these public lands and that fish and wildlife conservationis improved by protecting these activities. Joining USSA in this land-mark effort are the American Sportfishing Association, National RifleAssociation, Safari Club International, and the CongressionalSportsmen Foundation.

“The USSA has strongly encouraged such legislation for over adecade to spell out in law that fishing and hunting on federal publiclands must be protected from the rising animal rights lobby,” said BillHorn, USSA director of federal affairs. “This bill will provide neededprotection for years to come.”

This landmark measure recognizes that recreational anglers,hunters and shooters have been, and continue to be, the foremost sup-porters of sound fish and wildlife management and conservation in theUnited States. The bill further highlights that hunting, fishing andrecreational shooting occurs on Federal public lands and waters, with-out adverse impacts or effects on other uses or users. These features aresimilar to the designation of fishing and hunting as priority public useson refuge lands in the 1997 National Wildlife Refuge SystemImprovement Act. USSA played a key role in enacting the 1997 Act andhas been working since then to expand these concepts to USFS andBLM lands. The Refuge Act has curtailed attempts by anti-huntinggroups to stop hunting on some public lands where hunting has tradi-tionally occurred.

Animal rights activists, however, continue to press for fishing andhunting closures on public lands. These assaults against hunters takeseveral routes. Some courts require the land’s managing agencies toactively consider wholesale hunting and shooting closures to appeasethis fringe group. In other cases, fishing, and hunting get treated as“new” activities which cannot be authorized (and continued) untilnumerous lengthy and costly environmental reviews and land plans arecompleted. This new bill will block these threats.

“We have been very pleased to work with Reps. Benishek andBoren and the House Natural Resources Committee to develop thisimportant legislation,” Horn continued. “USSA stands ready to assureenactment of the bill into law to ensure that our hunting and fishingheritage on federal public lands is protected.” Today’s introduction ofthe bill begins this important process.

When enacted, the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage andOpportunities Act would specify that federal public land managementofficials shall exercise their authority under existing law, includingprovisions regarding land-use planning, to facilitate use of and accessto federal public lands and waters for fishing, hunting, and recreationalshooting. Going forward, all management plans would include provi-sions for those popular practices.

The affected lands that will be open include: lands under the juris-diction of the BLM and the USFS, including lands designatedWilderness or administratively classified as Wilderness eligible or suit-able, and primitive or semi-primitive areas. National parks, however,are excluded from the Act as are Wildlife Refuges (already governed bythe 1997 Act).

The Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and OpportunitiesAct will also recognize the work of conservation organizations andtheir assistance to fish and wildlife managers, plus enforcement offi-cers, at the federal, state and local government levels. Hunters andanglers volunteer countless hours to fish and wildlife conservationprojects across America that have also benefitted all public lands andcitizens in general. Additionally, associated outdoor industries havegenerated billions of dollars of critical funding for fish and wildlifeconservation, research, and management through revenues from pur-chases of fish and hunting licenses and permits. Many other projectsundertaken on BLM and USFS lands are funded by excise taxes on fish-ing, hunting, and shooting equipment. Those billions of dollars arecritical funding for fish and wildlife conservation, research, and man-agement and are unequalled by any group or program in our nation.

It’s important to note that the new bill recognizes that recreation-al shooting is also an important and traditional activity in which mil-lions of Americans participate, and establishes that safe recreationalshooting is a valid use of federal public lands. Participation in recre-ational shooting helps recruit and retain hunters and contributes towildlife conservation through taxes and assorted programs.

Opportunities to recreationally fish, hunt, trap, and shoot aredeclining, which depresses participation in these traditional activities.As a result, less participation adversely impacts fish and wildlife con-servation and funding for important projects by reducing or limitingmonies available. The term “recreational shooting” means any formof sport, training, competition or pastime, whether formal or informal,that involves the discharge of a rifle, handgun, or shotgun, or the use ofa bow and arrow. The public interest would be better served, and our cit-izens’ fish and wildlife resources benefitted, by action to ensure thatopportunities are facilitated to engage in fishing and hunting onFederal public lands.

Another key provision finds that fishing and hunting are “neces-sary” to fulfill wilderness purposes on lands designated or managed asWilderness. This ensures that recent anti-hunting, anti-wildlife man-agement decisions by the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in SanFrancisco cannot be used to bar fishing, hunting or wildlife conserva-tion efforts in Wilderness areas.

“When passed, this legislation will have a profound beneficialimpact on anglers, hunters and shooters far into the future,” said Horn.

Special benefits for SentriesIn an effort to help U. S. Sportsmen’s Alliance

members live healthier and enjoy more of life, theUSSA is kicking off a new member benefits pack-age. All Sentries and other members are eligible toreceive these benefits. The package features some-thing for everyone with a wide assortment of prod-ucts and services, including:

• Insurance for health, life and pets

• Discount products for dental/ vision/hear-ing/prescriptions

• There is also an online mall with products anddeals for everyone.

You are eligible for these benefits if you are acurrent USSA Sentry or other member. You can sam-ple the program at http://www.ussainsure.com/. Togain entry to the programs, or to enroll, you mustemail info@ussportsmen.org or call USSA at 614-888-4868 to get your user name and password.Please be prepared to confirm your membershipstanding when calling.

New bill will improve, increase public land opportunities

October , 2 0 11 Edition INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© Page 1 9

D.T. Pro Staff dog trainer EthanPippitt of Willow Creek Kennels in LittleFalls, Minnesota uses a variety of tech-niques in training hunting dogs. He hasfound the vibration feature of the D.T.Systems H2O 1820 Collar to be a veryeffective tool when crate training yourdog.

Dog owners often see crate training assomething that is unnecessary, too diffi-

cult or time consuming to try, or evenunnatural for the dog. When you look atthe origin of dogs, and strive to use morenatural training techniques, we can seethese are simply common misconceptionsabout crate training.

Looking at the origin of dogs, we findthat they are the domesticated form of thegray wolf. Over a time period of approxi-mately 15,000 years dogs were domesticat-ed and developed into hundreds of breedsdesigned for many specific tasks. Takinginto consideration that domestic dogs wereoriginally derived from wolves we canassume that some wolf habits will comenaturally to the domesticated dogs oftoday.

Naturally wolves are den animals andlike enclosed safe environments. Our dog'skennel is their den and should be a safeplace that is their own within our house.Providing this for our dog, starting at ayoung age, is not only good for us but alsoour dog. Having a crate or "den" for yourdog will give him a safe place of his own aswell as give you the ability to know wherehe is and what he is doing to preventunwanted accidents, especially with pup-pies. With a little history behind whycrate training is natural for a dog we canlook at the proper way to crate train.

First, you need to start your dog in a

DOG TRAINING

READER EMAIL

Tips For Crate Training Your Dogcrate that is the right size. Your crateshould give the dog enough room to standup, turn around, and lay down without hit-ting their head on the top. However, thecrate should not provide enough room toallow the dog to sleep on one side and defe-cate on the other. Dogs are clean animalsand do not want to "go" where they lie. Thecorrect size of crate allows you to preventunwanted crate accidents.

Once you have the right size crate, it isimportant to keep it close to an outsidedoor so that your dog has a quick route out-side. Consistency is key; outside is thefirst place the dog should go when leavingthe crate. You will be able to increase thetime your dog stays in the crate graduallyuntil your dog is able to hold its bladder atleast eight hours or an average night'ssleep. Also, making outside the first stopwill condition your dog to this process,which leads right into house training.

After your dog has gained some blad-der control and is conditioned to relievehimself first thing after leaving the crateor "den", you will be able to allow your dogin the house knowing when he last went tothe bathroom. Begin this introduction tothe house gradually starting with 30 min-utes in the house then back in the crate.You can wait 15 minutes or so, then allowyour dog again to go outside to relieve

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Collin's First Deer: 8 Point Buck for an 8 Year Old Boy

Collin and I took advantage of the 2011 Indiana Youth Deer Hunt this year. We werehunting out of a blind and as soon as we setup we had turkeys in the bean field in whichwe setup as well. Collin had used his own money and purchased a pair of binoculars andtook them on this trip to field test them. I was showing him how to adjust them appro-priately and we were whispering in the blind when we both jumped out of our seats aftertwo does that were located 15 yards from the blind blew at us. They took off in the middleof the field about 80 yards and finally disappeared over the hill. Collin was sure frustrat-ed after learning that we caused the deer to hear us. I got a kick of this because I have beenhunting enough to know that every deer hunter has had this happen sometime or another.

About 45 minutes later we spotted another two does and then another doe and beforelong we had 10 deer in the field. I was watching one particular doe as she was curious ofour blind and was heading straight for us. I had Collin sit on my knee because the gunholes in the blind are too high for him to use. The doe was getting closer and closer butCollin started saying, “Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh”. I turned slowly and looked and weboth locked in on an 8point buck that come out on the other side of the field. While bothof us were locked in on this buck, we failed to notice the doe that come within 10 yards ofour blind and she started blowing at us. Making the other deer a little scared, I knew webetter take a shot even though my range finder said 120 yards to the 8 point buck. I hadCollin ease the gun out of the gun hole and get the buck in the scope at least but the buckstarted walking. I whispered to Collin that we have to stop him, hold on. I made a sound,stopped the deer, took the safety off for him, and told him to shoot when ready. Before Igot the when ready out, BAM the 20 gauge went off. The deer took off in the direction thatit came from. I couldn't tell if he hit him or not because we were both shaking and breath-ing so hard. I don't know who was the worst! We waited about 5 minutes and decided tosee if we could find some initial blood.

I seriously doubted my son abilities because this is the first time that he had shot ata deer let alone the first time he shot the 20 gauge. I sighted the gun in at 50 yards usingLightfield sabot slugs. Now going out at a 120 yard shot seemed a long way for him, con-sidering.

We located where the buck was at during the initial shot placement and sure enoughwe found what a deer hunter loves to find. We had our blood trail! I was actually shockedand Collin turned to me to, gave me a high five and said, “SEE, I told you I hit him”. Wegave each other a high fives and I explained that you can't start looking for a deer rightafter the shot. We might jump him and chase him farther, Son! He wasn't happy about itbut we both sit there looking at the blood and here come deer in the field again. For daddy

that was a good thing becauseit took his mind off of search-ing to watching the deer.

We waited about 25 min-utes and started following theblood trail. The excitement inmy son's face during the trackwas keeping me from stayingon the blood trail as, I was justwanting to watch him. I lethim do the work and not 30minutes later, he found hisbuck! Smiles, high fives,jumping around and countingantlers!

Ol' Dad showed him howto clean the deer but I will tellyou, Collin got his hands dirtyand I didn't have to tell him to.I am very proud of my son andhis passion for hunting. Hedid say, “This was just likewatching one of those deerhunting videos we watch allthe time together”. I said,“This sure is a lot better in reallife”.

I will have to share something that I was told during Dove Camp one year. Next timeyou go deer hunting with a shotgun, try using Lightfield ammunition. Now I won't saywho told me that but the references were excellent. So I sighted Collin’s gun in at 50 yardswith 20 gauge Lightfield Sabot Slugs. I was told you don't have to sight it in after that,you should be good at 100 yards.

Well we proved them right. Collin put it right in the kill zone on his first deer. Thecasing of the shell is on his dresser at the house. Lightfield did the trick for Collin andit's time to buy some 12 gauge for my gun now!

-- Edward V. Hayes II, South Bend, IN

himself. You will be able to increase thetime in the house always knowing whenthe last time your dog emptied his bladder.Soon your dog will be fully house trainedand will never learn that wetting in thehouse is even an option.

After looking at the history of dogsand their nature and comparing the naturalconcept of dens to crates, you can see thatcrating your dog is not too difficult tolearn. Also, you can see how effectiveand helpful crate training can be while try-ing to house train your dog.

Having a solid crate training founda-tion will help when you start to teach thecue kennel. This process can be viewed inour recent video showing how to teach"Kennel". The video includes how we rec-ommend using DT Systems H20 1820 tovibrate condition your dog to kennel.Check out this video at www.willow-creekkennels.net.

For more information, log onto the D.T.Systems website at www.dtsystems.com,write tocustomerservice@dtsystems.com, or calla Customer Service Specialist at 214-350-9446. For more information aboutWillow Creek Kennels and their trainingmethods visit us at www.willowcreekken-nels.net.

Page 2 0 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© October, 2 0 11 Edition

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Sport-Brella Portable Shelter / Blind

RIBZ Front Pack The RIBZ Front Pack is an innovative new complement to or substitute

for a backpack, the perfect solution for the outdoorsman who wantsessential gear in a fast and easy to reach location. Capable of carryingmore than 600 cubic inches of gear (smaller 400 cubic inch modelalso available), RIBZ fits comfortably and securely around theuser's ribcage, positioning the contents so that they do not impedetorso or arm movement and can be accessed from the front. The RIBZFront Pack is comfortable enough to be worn in a vehicle or plane,not to mention any outdoors setting. Heavy duty but also light-weight, the RIBZ Front Pack is made from 210D waterproof rip-stop nylon and weights just 11 oz (18 oz. water resistant 600Dnylon also available). When used with a backpack, RIBZ allowsimportant items to be moved forward to a readily accessible loca-tion, allows a greater quantity of items to be carried and reposi-tions weight to decrease backpack size and increase comfort, balance andmobility. Four external zippered pockets, and four additional internal pocketsprovide plenty of storage options. The shoulder straps of the RIBZ pack are extra-wide, heavy-duty nylon, designed to evenly distribute the weight, yet remain com-fortable when wearing with an additional backpack. The back of the RIBZ packconsists of two adjustable velcro straps which will not bunch up or sag when wear-ing the RIBZ with a backpack. Available in camo, blaze orange or black. $64.95,ribzwear.com.

Successful water-fowl hunters understandthe importance of hav-ing a realistic decoyspread. Ducks and geesesee a lot of different pre-sentations during theseason and become waryas hunting pressureincreases, making itincreasingly importantto have a collection oflifelike decoys.

Final Approach, a leading developer of waterfowl products andaccessories, has introduced FA Gunner floating feeding Mallards tohelp add extra realism to the hunter's arsenal of decoys. The Mallarddecoys are available in two-pack sets that include a drake and hen.Designed by acclaimed decoy artist Marty Hanson, the decoys offerthe most lifelike anatomy on the market, and feature a vivid custompaint scheme. Each decoy is complete with weighted keels for a real-istic on water.

Pair the floating feeding Mallards with a six-pack of FA Gunnerfloating Mallards to enhance the realism of the spread.

For more information about Final Approach and its completeline of waterfowl products and accessories, visit www.fabrand.comor call 1- 800-423-3537.

Final Approach Mallard Floating Feeder Decoys

The Sport-Brella is aportable 9 ft. wide group umbrel-la that gives you instant protec-tion from the sun, rain and windwith its domed shape, side flapsand 125 SPF. It comes in a varietyof colors/patterns, includingcamo for use as a blind. Itsumbrella action open mechanismallows it to be set up in just threeseconds. The Sport-Brellancludes top wind vents, side zip-pered windows for efficient air-flow and additional visibility,internal pockets for gear andvaluables, convenient carry bagand tethers/ground stakes for usewhen necessary for additionalstability. The Sport-Brella retailsfor $69.99, and can be purchasedonline at sklz.com, via phone at877-225-7275 or at retailersthroughout North America.

After Alton Jones won theBassmaster Classic with theArdent XS casting reel, inventedand patented by fishing tackleinnovator David Gray, Gray setout to build a fishing rod thatanglers would proclaim deliversbetter fishing performance and isa better fishing tool.

Carbon X™ Fishing Rodshave emerged from Gray’s initialvision, and professional anglerswho have used and tested the rodsover the past two years say theyare the highest performing fish-ing rods made in the USA today.

Carbon X™ rods are qualitybuilt in the USA using premiummaterials and components. TheirX1 graphite rod models use bothSM and IM graphite in patternsand blends that deliver the superi-or action and fishing perform-ance desired from each individualrod. Their X2 graphite models usehigher modulus IM and HMgraphite to enhance and deliverhigher performance fishing rods.

Carbon X™rods are manufac-tured with high quality, consis-tent grade graphite using the bestresin systems. They use highstrain rate graphite with verygood elongation qualities and theblends of modulus required to pro-duce superior rod performance in

Carbon X Fishing Rods

each individual rod action.All Carbon X™ rods use pat-

terns of graphite, not just onepiece of graphite. How the pat-terns are cut and rolled along withthe modulus of the graphite havegreat effect on the action and per-formance of the rod. Other factorsthat affect the fishing perform-ance of the rod blank are diame-ter, hoop size, wall thickness andblank taper. Carbon X combinesand uses all of these factors whendesigning rods to produce excep-tional fishing performance.

Carbon X does not to producepainted or colored blanks becausedoing so does not add to the per-formance of the rod. Painting orcoloring a blank does, however,add manufacturing cost. CarbonX prefers to keep their costs inthe quality of graphite they userather than making a white, yel-low, or red rod. Some colored rodsdo look attractive and are madethat way to catch fisherman.Carbon X™ rods are made with a

singular purpose and that is tocatch fish. In addition to beinghighly utilitarian, their sanded,matte black finish is both durableand attractive.

One of our favorite rods inthe Carbon X lineup is the S1,6ft.-6in. medium power, moder-ate fast action spinning rod. TheS1 was the first Carbon X™ spin-ning rod to go into production.We think it is one of the sweetestall around high grade spinningrods available. It is very sensi-tive, with great casting character-istics. The S1 will handle aboveand below the recommended lineweights of 6 to 10 lb monofila-ment and fluorocarbon. It hasquickly become our favorite all-around spinning rod and we thinkyou’ll agree. The S1 retails for$139 at www.fishingtacklejunc-tion.com.

For more information onCarbon X Fishing Rods and eachrod in their lineup, visit www.car-bonxrods.com.

Page 2 2 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© October, 2 0 11 Edition

I probably got hooked onGreat Lakes fishing when I pulledmy first yellow perch out of thewaters of Lake Erie when I was ayoung teenager. A few years laternews of coho salmon beingstocked, living, maturing andeven being caught fueled myimagination. A friend and Iskipped morning classes at col-lege and drove a couple of hoursone morning to a Lake Michiganpier and spent the day castingevery spoon, spinner andcrankbait we owned hoping tocatch one of these exotic species.In those days, an exotic specieswas a good thing.

My biography on my per-sonal blog (www. brothernature.info) includes the words, I startedfishing for Lake Michigansalmon in 1969 and actuallycaught one in 1972. I’ve beenhooked ever since. Once Icaught a coho, I wanted to catchlots more. Then I hoped to catcha chinook salmon. Then, perhapsa steelhead, brown trout or laker.I don’t remember all the details,

Fishing the loneliest place on Earth

but after mastering (or at leasthaving some tolerable success)the art, science and skills of GreatLakes fishing, I started lookingfor greener pastures.

I still enjoy fishing the sameplaces I started fishing decadesago, but my quest for finding newand interesting places to fish hastaken me to all five of the realGreat Lakes and even the three lit-tle Great Lakes: Lake St. Claire,Wisconsin’s Lake Winnebago andOntario’s Lake Nipigon.

You’d think I’d be satisfiedwith the amount of Great Lakesadventures I’ve had. Truthfully, Iam. But there are still a few placeson the Great Lakes I’d like to weta line. One less than a few, actual-ly, since I made it to one of thespecial Great Lakes places I’vealways wanted to fish, recently. Iwent to Stannard Rock far off-shore in Lake Superior.

Picture a spot so desolate it’sbeen nicknamed the “loneliestplace on Earth.” Picture thelargest freshwater reef in thelargest freshwater lake in theworld, guarded by the mostremote lighthouse in the UnitedStates.

“It’s 45 miles to StannardRock,” Captain Terry Huffmantold me and my fishing compan-ion, Pat Black, director of theMarquette Country Conventionand Visitor’s Bureau. “The lake islaying down after last night’sstorm and by the time we get

there, hopefully, it will be nearlycalm.”

Getting there happened over3 hours later with Capt. Terry andI taking turns at the helm. Iglanced at the depth finder whenwe were about a mile from thelighthouse. It read 513 feet deep.Huffman was on the back deckreadying the light spinning rodswe’d use.

No downrigger trolling here,none needed. No trolling reelsloaded with 20- or 30-pound lineor leadcore and copper line rigs.We shut down the engines justnorth of the reef and cast LittleCleos, Kastmasters and Pixiespoons into the crystal waters.The reef juts up to within 15 or 20feet of the surface along most ofthe length. Stannard Rock itselfis a boat-sized island juttingabove the waves.

“You can let the spoons sinka little,” Huffman coached, “butthe trout are used to chasing theherring up off the bottom, so justcasting out and reeling in willwork.”

That’s how Huffman did itand he scored first. I had a hardtime picturing lake trout charging18 feet or more to strike myspoon so I let it sink. Thatworked, too!

Our fish were “eater” -sizedlake trout, which was fine by us.We kept a few, destined for thechef at Kapers, the restaurant atthe Landmark Hotel in downtown

The Last ThoughtMIKESCHOONVELD

Marquette where I was staying.The rest we quickly unhooked andwatched swim back to their home.

Remember, lake trout are nolonger stocked in Lake Superior.The fish population grew to thepoint stocking wasn’t needed tosupplement the wild stocks andit’s now increased to the point thedaily limit at Stannard Rock hasbeen increased to five per day.

Stannard Rock and the reef surrounding it lie 45 miles north ofMarquette, MI in the middle of Lake Superior. Photo by author.

Still, in the cold clear waters ofLake Superior, it takes a longtime for a wild-spawned laker togrow-up.

There are plenty of places tocatch Great Lakes lakers. Noneare so special, however, as theloneliest spot in the world. Justgoing there is special. Usingcommon sense about your harvestwill help keep it special.

October, 2 0 11 Edition INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2011© Page 2 3

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