Patoka Lake has released its waterfowl resting area access calendar for the 2024-2025 migratory waterfowl hunting season. A copy is available at the Patoka Lake main office, 3084 Dillard Road in Birdseye and online at on.IN.gov/patokalake by selecting “hunting” from the activities tab.

Patoka Lake’s 26,000-acre property offers waterfowl hunters abundant opportunities to hunt open water, marshes, bottomland forests, and more for various migrating waterfowl. Patoka Lake manages three waterfowl resting areas (WRAs) offering distinctive opportunities for hunters.

Wall’s Ramp and Allen Creek WRAs continue to have select dates when they are open to hunting (including waterfowl hunting), fishing, trapping, and motorized or non-motorized boating.

Sycamore Creek WRA continues to remain closed to all forms of waterfowl hunting throughout the year. In addition, there will be no legal access for hunting, fishing, trapping, or boating (motorized or non-motorized) within Sycamore Creek WRA from Nov. 1, 2024, through Feb. 28, 2025. The intent of the restriction is to allow the area to serve as a temporary wildlife refuge for waterfowl, offering them a place of little or no disturbance.

All hunters should sign in and complete a One-Day Hunter Check-in Card at one of the 17 hunter sign-in stations on the property. The system provides valuable wildlife management information and helps in decision making for habitat management. Hunters should ensure their card is filled out and turned in at the end of the hunting day, even if no game was harvested.

Special federal, state, and property regulations must be followed. Visit Hunting.IN.gov for details. Hunters are encouraged to call DNR Law Enforcement at 812-837-9536 regarding specific questions on federal or state laws, statutes, and/or rules. Hunters can find migratory gamebird seasons and regulations at on.IN.gov/gamebird seasons.

Patoka Lake (on.IN.gov/patokalake) is at 3084 N. Dillard Road, Birdseye, IN 47513.

 

Chain-Of-Lakes is grateful

Chain O’Lakes State Park, because it is such a special place, is blessed with a significant number of volunteers. Expressing our gratitude for the special group of people is never done enough. The things we accomplish are directly related to the time and materials the extraordinary individuals and groups donate. Their efforts translate into accomplishments benefiting all who cherish and use the park.

The examples are many. One is when local members of the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association led by Lippert Industries and Forest River Inc., spent a volunteer day at the park. They brought more than 300 volunteers from the RV industry to complete a few new projects. The projects included the installation of new flooring in 12 family cabins. We are overwhelmed with gratitude for what the group made happen in one historic day.

The Ignite Trail Series, ignitetrailseries.com, also made a significant gift to the park, a TrackChair. Now our guests with a mobility disability can use the park trails. The Ignite Series has put on ultramarathons on our trails such as the Indiana Trail 100 ultramarathon Indiana’s only 100-mile foot race.

To our more than 50 regular volunteers who make up our campground host program, staff at the schoolhouse and nature center, and resource management efforts, thank you. You know who you are, and we are deeply indebted to you.

From Sam Boggs, property manager, Chain O’ Lakes State Park

 

Body recovered from Patoka Lake

On July 14, Indiana Conservation Officers investigated after recovering the body of a man from Patoka Lake.

Conservation officer divers arrived on scene and recovered the body of Edgar Osbaldo Garcia Herrera, 19, of Evansville, at approximately 4:31 p.m.

Other assisting agencies included the Dubois Volunteer Fire Department, Jasper Memorial EMS, and Dubois County Sheriff’s Department.

Indiana Conservation Officers would like to remind the public to always wear a life jacket when on or around the water.

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication or e-mail Jack at jackspaulding1971@outlook.com

Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle download.