A new system will enhance online customers’ ease of doing business with the Division of Fish & Wildlife when it’s launched Dec. 11. Called the Activity Hub, it replaces the current licensing system and includes core functions such as fish and wildlife license sales, game check-in, HIP (Harvest Information Program) registration, donations, and gift certificates. Improved functions and new features of the hub include options for the auto-renewal of licenses and purchases of durable license cards, as well as enhanced support during times of high-volume traffic.

The Hub will be accessible with an Access Indiana account. Individuals with existing accounts will be able to log in without any disruption. Customers with recent purchases, harvests, or existing licenses from January 2020 to the present will automatically be migrated into the new system and won’t need to take any additional steps to access their accounts.

Customers who want to retain license purchase information, information on past draws, or CheckIN Game data from before 2020 should take screenshots of their records before 11:59 p.m. Dec. 10. Customers who need help retaining older data or who have questions regarding their accounts should call the DNR Customer Service Center at 317-232-4200 or 877-463-6367, or email INHuntFish@dnr.IN.gov.

Four men arrested on multiple hunting violations

Indiana Conservation Officers arrested four men for numerous misdemeanor hunting violations following a poaching incident on Nov. 23 in Daviess County. About 10 p.m., officers were patrolling County Road 900 East when they heard a gunshot in the immediate area. Officers located Biak Sang, 40, and Muang Hu, 40, both of Greenwood, and Ro Hmung Lian, 34, and Biak Hu, 48, both of Indianapolis.

Officers also located a deer determined to have been shot from the roadway with the aid of an artificial light along with two additional illegally taken deer in the back of a vehicle. All suspects were taken into custody.

All are preliminarily being charged with: Jacklighting; Illegal possession and taking of a white-tailed deer; Shooting from a public roadway; Hunting by the aid of a motorized conveyance and Hunting deer after legal hunting hours. The investigation is ongoing.

Agencies assisting include the Daviess County Sheriff’s Department and Craney’s Body Shop Towing Service.

Indiana Conservation Officers would like to remind the public potential hunting violations can be reported at 1-800-TIP-IDNR (800-847-4367) or tip.IN.gov.

Firewood cutting available at Lincoln State Park

The public is invited to cut up and remove certain downed trees at Lincoln State Park for firewood. Trees eligible for firewood have fallen as a result of natural causes or have been dropped by property staff. They are along roadsides or in public areas such as campsites and picnic areas.

Permit sales and cutting are ongoing through Feb. 28. The cost of one pickup-truck load is $10. A load is defined as an 8-foot standard pickup truck bed without any modifications. All proceeds will be used for resource management and restoration efforts at the parks, including replacement of trees in campgrounds and other public areas.

A firewood permit must be obtained for each load at Lincoln’s office between 8:45 a.m. and 3 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.

Permits are not available on observed state holidays. Wood may be cut and removed between 8:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Firewood cut at Lincoln State Park is for personal use only and may not be sold. For more information, call 812-937-4710.

Lincoln State Park (on.IN.gov/lincolnsp) is at 15476 County Road 300 E., Lincoln City, 47552.

Auburn-Waterloo Trail now open

On Nov. 13, the DNR and the Community Foundation of DeKalb County celebrated the completion of the Auburn-Waterloo Trail in Auburn.

The asphalt multi-use trail was constructed by the community foundation with help from a $1,055,200 Next Level Trails (NLT) grant.

“Next Level Trails at its core is about making connections between people and communities,” said Dan Bortner, DNR director. “This new trail in Auburn makes an important connection both in the community and across the region, and it is the latest of more than 100 trail miles across the state that were built with support from Next Level Trails.”

The project widened 2.77 miles of existing sidewalk to 10 feet wide, connecting the towns of Auburn and Waterloo, stretching from Morningstar Road to Cedar Street. The new trail provides a safe passage for students who use the trail to get to the middle and high schools along South Wayne Street. The project includes five pedestrian crossing upgrades and 23 improved drive crossings along the trail. The city of Auburn and DeKalb County are key partners for the project.

The Auburn-Waterloo Trail is a part of the Poka-Bache Connector Trail, an 81-mile corridor stretching from Pokagon State Park in Steuben County to Ouabache State Park in Wells County.

“The Auburn-Waterloo Trail Committee is very pleased to see the completion of our widened and asphalt-paved trail,” said Dick Shenkle, chair of the Auburn-Waterloo Trail Committee. “This was accomplished with the cooperation and help of DNR, the city of Auburn, DeKalb County, Community Foundation of DeKalb County, our contractors and supporters. Thank you to everyone who made this trail possible.”

More information about NLT is at on.IN.gov/NextLevelTrails.

‘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