Select Indiana State Park properties will close temporarily for controlled deer management hunts in the coming weeks.

Each hunt runs for two days. The first hunt was Nov. 18-19. The second hunt is Dec. 2-3.

Participating state park properties will close to the general public on the evening before the hunts. The state park properties are: Brown County, Chain O’Lakes, Charlestown, Clifty Falls, Fort Harrison, Harmonie, Lincoln, McCormick’s Creek, O’Bannon Woods, Ouabache, Pokagon, Potato Creek, Prophetstown, Shades, Shakamak, Spring Mill, Summit Lake, Tippecanoe River, Turkey Run, Versailles, and Whitewater Memorial state parks; Raccoon and Trine state recreation areas; and Cave River Valley Natural Area, which is managed by Spring Mill State Park.

The state park properties will re-open the morning after each two-day hunt. All other Indiana state park properties will be open and operate under normal hours.

Indiana DNR biologists evaluate which state park properties require a deer management hunt each year based on habitat recovery and previous harvest rates at each park. The state parks are home to numerous natural communities serving as significant habitat. The deer management hunts help control browsing by deer to a level allowing for sufficient habitat for native plants and other native animals.

Only individual licensed hunters who were selected from a previous draw may participate at any site.

Spring Mill State Park reopens

The newly renovated Spring Mill Inn at Spring Mill State Park will be available to the public at an open house on Nov. 20 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. The historic inn, located in Mitchell, has been closed for renovations since November 2022. Originally opened in 1939, the inn was due for significant mechanical modernizations, accessibility upgrades, and cosmetic room and conference facility improvements.

As part of the open house, Indiana State Parks staff will answer questions, share information about the inn’s renovations, and provide refreshments.

Reservations for lodging can be made beginning Dec. 6 by calling 1-877-LODGES-1 or visiting IndianaInns.com.

“Following extensive renovations honoring the history of this special place, we can’t wait to officially welcome guests back to Spring Mill Inn,” said DNR director Dan Bortner. “Its location in the heart of Spring Mill State Park with so many unique features makes it an attraction for Hoosiers and for our guests from other states. The investments made in the infrastructure and cosmetic features of the inn will ensure that it is a place where we can all make memories for years to come with family and friends.”

With the renovations, guests will now enter the front doors to an accessible lobby and a centrally located registration desk, alongside a fireplace ready for guests to sit and relax.

The new gift shop will offer souvenir items along with self-serve snacks and drinks 24 hours a day. The downstairs lobby area will provide comfortable gathering spaces for music, family games, reading, and relaxing by the fireplace. The new family-friendly splash pad still under construction will feature both indoor and outdoor elements when completed.

The look and feel of the inn remains true to the original rustic pioneer atmosphere but with modern conveniences. The same tables and chairs, beautifully refinished, will return to the Millstone Dining Room. A new buffet unit will provide group dining for conference and meeting attendees, and it will periodically accompany the restaurant’s daily menu.

The dining room’s first meal is the much-loved annual Thanksgiving Buffet on Nov. 28 with turkey, fried chicken, ham, baked whitefish, stuffing, and plenty of sides and desserts. Reservations are required with limited seating available at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and can be made by calling 877-LODGES-1. The cost is $34.99 per person for adults, $17.49 for children 4-10 years old; children ages 3 and younger are free. The meal includes soda and coffee. Tax and gratuity are not included in the pricing. The Millstone Dining Room will open with a daily menu for meals on Dec. 6.

The inn’s guest rooms have been outfitted with all new fixtures, carpet, and furnishings. Meeting rooms will be available for conferences, group meetings, banquets and weddings. The Lakeview Room, with its expansive view of Spring Mill Lake, has been equipped with bird-friendly windows designed to reduce bird collisions. For inquiries about holding weddings, banquets, and conferences at Spring Mill Inn, email cfouke@dnr.IN.gov.

Less-visible upgrades include new HVAC, new water lines, and a new fire alarm and sprinkler system. A generator has been installed to power the inn when electricity is down due to storms. Parking garage improvements include work on the facades, staircases and traffic flow. The concrete in the garage has also been resealed.

Monarch butterfly project at

Mississinewa Lake

In March, Indiana State Parks announced the upcoming establishment of 60 acres of prairie pollinator habitat at Mississinewa Lake over the course of the year. About 9 acres of pollinator habitat were planted last winter, and this summer Mississinewa Lake saw some of the wonderful results of the small portion of the planting.

Typically, a first-year planting may look a little rough, with many of the plants forgoing flowering to establish sound root systems for the future; however, several of the planted plots in Miami State Recreation Area still had many beautiful blooms of flowering milkweed, coneflower and many other varieties of native prairie flowers.

This winter, Mississinewa Lake will work on planting the additional acres of pollinator habitat. The habitat will support not only pollinators, but also deer, turkeys, quail, rabbits, and countless other birds and insects. The developments come thanks to Monarch Joint Venture and the dedication and collaboration of multiple partners.

Hunter dies in tree stand accident

Indiana Conservation Officers were investigating a fatal fall from a tree stand occurring on Nov. 9 in Starke County. At 3 p.m., officers and emergency personnel responded to the 3500 block of S. 700 E. in Knox for a report of a fatal tree stand fall.

Once on scene, officers discovered Larry Sedwick, 53, of Cedar Lake, had been deer hunting from an elevated tree stand when he fell from the stand. Sedwick was not wearing a full-body safety harness and was pronounced dead on the scene. The incident was still under investigation.

Conservation Officers remind all hunters to wear a full-body safety harness when hunting from an elevated hunting platform. Assisting agencies include the Starke County Sheriff’s Office, Starke County Coroner’s Office, Starke County EMS, and Knox Police Department.

‘till next time,

Jack

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 d