Indiana firearms season for whitetail deer opens Nov. 12, and a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildlife expert predicts another year of near-record harvest numbers.
Hoosier hunters have enjoyed a third straight record harvest, having tagged 134,004 deer in 2010. DNR deer biologist Chad Stewart said conditions for the 2011 season are shaping up similarly to the 2010 season.
“I’d hate to predict a record, but we should be close to it,” Stewart said. “It’s almost guaranteed to be a top-three harvest.” Firearms season generally accounts for about 65 percent of the overall deer harvest. Legal firearms for firearms season are shotguns, muzzleloaders, handguns and center-fire rifles of specific cartridge dimensions. The 16-day firearms season ends Nov. 27, and hunters on opening weekend of firearms season last year harvested 37,525 deer.
Steuben County led the state in overall number of deer harvested last year with 3,948. The harvest exceeded 1,000 deer in 64 counties; exceeded 2,000 deer in 17 counties; and exceeded 3,000 deer in five counties. Counties with high harvests tend to have a good mix of woods and farm ground.
“For a deer hunter, Indiana is great because it can sustain a very high population and a very healthy population,” Stewart said. The number of antlered deer harvested in 2010 was 53,007, or about 40 percent of the overall harvest.
Approximately 60 biologists will be at check stations across the state on the opening day of firearms season to collect biological information and take tissue samples from deer to detect any possible presence of chronic wasting disease. Biologists will also collect samples to test for bovine tuberculosis at the following locations:
•Dearborn County: Tedesco’s Convenient Store, 24486 State Line Road, Lawrenceburg (812-637-5777); Day Nite Food Mart, 13891 Indiana 350, Moores Hill (812-744-4300); Widolff General Store, 7981 York Ridge, Guilford (812-487-2665); and Manchester Deer Processing, 18675 Willoughby Road, Aurora (812-926-2600)
•Fayette County: Mustin’s Taxidermy, 1660 W CR 350 S, Connersville (765-825-5943)
•Franklin County: 52 Pik-Up, 11183 U.S. 52, Brookville (765-647-3600)
•Ripley County: French’s Locker/Prime Meats, 106 Sycamore St., Batesville (812-934-2902)
Muzzleloader season starts Dec. 3 and lasts through Dec. 18. Early archery season, which is already under way, lasts through Nov. 27, while late archery season opens Dec. 3 and lasts through Jan. 1,
2012.
Unless otherwise exempted, a license is required to hunt deer during the firearms season. The DNR is encouraging hunters to buy their licenses early and avoid waiting until the last minute.
Licenses may be purchased online at www.IndianaOutdoor.IN.gov or by calling the DNR Customer Service Center at 317-232-4200, or at a retailer or DNR site listed at www.Indiana Outdoor.IN.gov The Deer Hunting Guide is available online at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/6032.htm
Safety tips prevent tree stand falls
With firearms deer season approaching in Indiana, hunters should understand the risks of hunting from a tree stand and how to protect themselves from a fall. Falls from tree stands are the leading cause of deer hunting accidents in Indiana, accounting for almost half of all accidents. In an average deer season, about 18 hunters will experience a fall.
Already this year, deer archery hunters have reported five falls from tree stands during the early archery season, including one fatal fall on Oct. 29 in Daviess County. Firearms season, the most popular among the different deer seasons, started Nov. 12 and lasts 16 days.
Lt. Bill Browne of the DNR Division of Law Enforcement said falls are preventable if hunters follow basic tree stand precautions. He went on to emphasize, “If they are thinking safety, safety, safety, they should be just fine.”
The first step toward tree stand safety is to make sure the stand is in working order. Only use a tree stand meeting the approval of the Treestand Manufacturers Assoc. (TMA) and make sure to read the manufacturer’s warnings and instructions before installation.
Hunters who use homemade tree stands should check them thoroughly for stability prior to using, especially stands exposed to weather from being left outside year-round.
Hunters should also wear a full-body, fall arrest harness system meeting TMA standards. Single-strap and chest harnesses should not be used. Do not leave the ground until the full-body fall arrest harness system is on.
Always have three points of contact with the tree when climbing and descending. “Most of the people falling are falling while they are ascending or descending,” Browne said.
A hunter should never climb with anything in his hands or on his back. A haul line should be used to lift a gun, a bow or other gear into the stand. Firearms on a haul line should be unloaded with the action open and muzzle pointed downward.
Other safety tips include hunting with a buddy, telling someone the exact location of your tree stand before heading into the woods, getting a full night’s rest before a hunt and making sure a cell phone, whistle, flare or some other signal device is on your person at all times.
For more information and a short online safety course for using tree stands, visit www.hunterexam.com/tree standsafety
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers withcomments for Jack Spaulding may contact him by email at jackspaulding@hughes.net |
