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By Louie Stout

When dealing with hatchery fish, you’re at the mercy of Mother Nature.

A lot of things can go wrong.

Like this year.

The Indiana Fisheries Division learned recently that Wisconsin will not be able to meet the 225,000 king salmon eggs it agreed to provide Hoosiers due to a hatchery issue.

Indiana will get 168,000 instead.

Wisconsin harvested enough green eggs to meet Indiana’s egg request but an unusually low number of viable eggs has resulted in shortages.

Several weeks after fertilization, the eyes of the salmon embryo become visible, signaling the egg is viable. At that point, the eggs are referred to as eyed eggs.


By Louie Stout

Hunter’s 100-year-old Deer Mount Is One for the Record BooksHunter’s 100-year-old Deer Mount Is One for the Record Books

Back in the early 1990s, Bill Nielsen was looking for some loose antlers that he could use to help rattle in bucks during the mating season.

For those who don’t know, a deer hunter will bang a pair of antlers together to imitate two bucks fighting over territorial rights when there are females around. Such a tactic can call in a big buck that has already claimed that turf.


By Louie Stout

Leo Economakos with 15 lb. walleyeLeo Economakos with 15 lb. walleye

Leo Economakos is an avid walleye angler.

But like most Michiana fishermen, he just loves to fish. That’s why he was fishing off the St. Joseph, Mich. pier on Lake Michigan two weeks ago. He had time to kill, so he decided to grab his gear, some spawn, and go after winter steelhead.

“I heard some guys were getting some steelhead, so I figured I’d go give it a try,” said the St. Joe retiree.


By Louie Stout

The stellar Michiana deer harvest that ramped up during the bow season has continued and is destined to be the best we’ve seen in six years.

Deer harvest for St. Joseph, LaPorte, Elkhart, Marshall and Kosciusko counties during the firearm season was up 24 percent compared to the five-year average. For the season, this region is up 20 percent.

“There has been an upward trend in those counties for the past five years,” said Moriah Boggess, Indiana deer biologist. “In fact, we’re seeing that trend across northern Indiana.”

Statewide, the harvest is up 6 percent overall and 8 p`ercent during the firearms season.

Through last Wednesday, the statewide harvest was about 4,500 shy of eclipsing last year’s mark with the muzzleloader and special antlerless seasons remaining.

St. Joseph and Elkhart counties have already eclipsed last year’s season harvest by nearly 100 deer, Kosciusko had equaled it while LaPorte and Marshall trailed last year’s total harvest by 70 and 50 deer respectively.