- Details
IDNR Report
As a result of Indiana’s positive detection of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in April, the Indiana DNR has restricted moving deer from any CWD Positive Area for rehabilitation purposes.
CWD, described in detail at on.IN.gov/cwd, is a fatal neurological disease in white-tailed deer.
With the change, an individual who finds an orphaned, sick, or injured deer in a CWD Positive Area may only surrender the deer to a DNR-permitted wild animal rehabilitator that is located within a CWD Positive Area.
“This restriction is to help minimize the spread of CWD to new parts of the state, as fawns can carry this disease without appearing sick,” said DNR’s Deer Program lead, Joe Caudell.
Currently, there is one CWD Positive Area in Indiana. It includes LaGrange, Steuben, Noble, and DeKalb counties. The state’s first positive case of CWD in white-tailed deer was confirmed by DNR in LaGrange County. While no deer have been documented in Steuben, Noble, or DeKalb counties, those counties are considered part of the CWD Positive Area because of their proximity to where the CWD-positive deer was found.
During their first few weeks of life, fawns often hide by themselves, motionless, to avoid predators while the mother seeks food.
- Details
IDNR Report
Beginning Monday, July 8, hunters can apply for reserved hunts online by visiting on.IN.gov/reservedhunt.
The online application method is the only way to apply for the hunts listed. No late entries will be accepted. Applicants must possess a hunting license that is valid for the hunt for which they are applying.
Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 4. More specific hunt information for individual properties can be found at on.IN.gov/reservedhunt.
- Details
By Louie Stout
The Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area is expanding thanks to Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.
Some 175 acres were purchased through funding by the two conservation groups and with Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration funds. It will bring Willow Slough acreage to more than 10,000 acres.
The land will be the spotlight of a dedication ceremony on the property Friday at 11 a.m. CST.
Willow Slough is located in northwest Indiana near Morocco, Ind. It also is home to J.C. Murphy Lake that has undergone a renovation to help return it to one of the state’s top fisheries.
- Details
IDNR Report
Indiana’s migratory bird hunting seasons for 2024-25 have been submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The hunting seasons include those for mourning dove, waterfowl (i.e., ducks, coots, mergansers, and geese), woodcock, snipe, and sora rails.
| Species | Area | Segment 1 | Segment 2 | Segment 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mourning Dove | Statewide | Nov. 1 - Dec. 1 | Dec. 21 - 29 | |
| Woodcock | Statewide | |||
| Snipe | Statewide | |||
| Sora Rail | Statewide | |||
| Early Teal | Statewide | |||
| Ducks, coots, and mergansers | North Zone | Oct. 19 - Dec. 8 | Dec. 28 - Jan. 5 | |
| Central Zone | Nov. 2 - 10 | Nov. 23 - Jan. 12 | ||
| South Zone | Nov. 9 - 10 | Nov. 30 - Jan. 26 | ||
| Canada geese, light geese, and Brant geese | North Zone | Sept. 1 - 15 | Oct. 19 - 27 | Nov. 23 - Feb. 9 |
| Central Zone | Sept. 1 - 15 | Nov. 2 - 10 | Nov. 23 - Feb. 9 | |
| South Zone | Sept. 1 - 15 | Nov. 9 - 10 | Nov. 23 - Feb. 15 | |
| White-fronted Geese | North Zone | Oct. 19-27 | Nov. 23 - Feb. 9 | |
| Central Zone | Nov. 2 - 10 | Nov. 23 - Feb. 9 | ||
| South Zone | Nov. 9 - 10 | Nov. 23 - Feb. 15 | ||
| Youth and Veteran only hunting days | North Zone | Oct. 12 - 13 | ||
| Central Zone | Oct. 26 - 27 | |||
| South Zone | Nov. 2 - 3 |
New this year, the white-fronted goose season and bag limit are separate from those for other geese. The white-fronted goose season is closed during September’s Canada goose season but opens at the same time as the other geese seasons later in the year. The daily bag limit is two white-fronted geese.
The Canada goose daily bag limit is five, which may include brant geese in aggregate, in any combination. The daily bag limit for light geese (snow and Ross’s geese) remains 20.
There are no changes in duck bag limits from 2023-24. This includes the scaup daily bag limit, which is one during the first 15 days of the duck season, and two for the rest of the eason.
The possession limit for all migratory birds is three times the daily bag limit, except for light geese, for which there is no possession limit.
Find more information about the migratory gamebird hunting seasons and regulations at on.IN.gov/gamebird-seasons.
- Details
By Louie Stout
Lake of the Woods Bluegill
A recent survey of Lake of the Woods (Bremen, Ind.) produced some surprising results for Hoosier anglers.
Oddly enough, walleyes were a small part of what DNR Research Biologist Tom Bacula discovered on the 416-acre lake. It’s located southwest of Bremen in Marshall County.
“We caught more black crappie than we expected and a ridiculous amount of bluegill,” he said. “On a lake like this, I would expect about 200 crappies. We measured 780 and saw a lot more.”
The crappies averaged a little over 10 inches and most were 9 to 12 inches long.
Those fish were captured in nets the DNR team set in 4-6 feet of water in mid-April. The plan was to capture walleyes that moved up to attempt to spawn and access the population.