The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Fish & Wildlife wants to hear your thoughts about suggested fishing, hunting and trapping regulations in Indiana.

From July 15-Aug. 1, the public is invited to use a convenient online form to provide input to the DNR. The process is like a “virtual” open house, and to pitch ideas online, go to www.in.gov/dnr/fish wild and click on the “Got INput?” box near the middle of the page. A list of potential regulations will be found on the “Got INput?” page as well.

There will be two on-site open houses, one in southern Indiana and another in northern Indiana, for people who prefer to present their ideas face-to-face. The first open house will be July 25 from 5-7 p.m. at the Spring Mill State Park Inn near Mitchell. The second will be July 30 from 5-7 p.m. at the Plymouth Public Library in Plymouth.

If neither option works for you, however, input on specific suggested regulations may be mailed to: DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife; Attn: Proposed Regulatory Changes; 402 W. Washington St., Room W273; Indianapolis, IN 46204.

The public input period is the second by the Division of Fish & Wildlife this year. The earlier round was May 15-June 1. After reviewing all suggestions, Fish & Wildlife staff will propose regulations to the Natural Resource Commission.

Despite warmer-than-normal temperatures, preliminary results put the 2012 spring wild turkey harvest at the fourth-highest on record, at 12,594 birds. Only 2010, 2009 and 2006 spring seasons ranked higher.

The 19-day regular season (April 25-May 13) accounted for 10,993 birds. Adult gobblers made up 85 percent, followed by juveniles (14 percent) and bearded hens (fewer than 1 percent).

Youth hunters killed 1,592 birds during the two-day special youth season (April 21-22). Nine birds were taken during a special Wounded Warrior turkey hunt at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center.

Hunter-reported turkeys through the free CheckIN Game online system accounted for 2,160 (17 percent) of the total take. It was the first time hunters could report their turkey online instead of driving to a traditional check-in station. Hunters will have the option of visiting a traditional check-in station or using the online CheckIN Game system for the upcoming fall turkey and deer seasons.

By using their unique Customer Identification (CID) number, which is found in the upper-left corner of their hunting license, hunters can quickly complete the CheckIN Game process. Lifetime license holders may search for their Customer ID numbers on the CheckIN Game online system, and individuals exempt from needing a license to hunt may fill out the required information online and a CID will be automatically assigned.

The final report of the spring turkey season should now be available online.

Beginning July 1, hunters may apply for the following reserved hunt opportunities: dove, military/refuge deer firearm & archery, state park deer reduction and pheasant draw hunts. Go to www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/5834.htm to find specific details about each hunt.

The pheasant draw hunts are at Game Bird Habitat Areas in Benton, Newton and White counties. The areas were purchased or leased with funds from the Game Bird Habitat Stamp required when hunting pheasant, quail, dove, wild turkey and ruffed grouse.

The game bird habitat stamp is included in the resident youth hunt/trap license and the comprehensive lifetime hunting licenses.

A catch of two Northern pike during a recent DNR fish survey at Crooked Lake near Columbia City is increasing concern the predatory fish may harm the lake’s fragile Cisco population. The Northern pike measured 27 and 29 inches long and marked the third time in four years pike have been detected in the 206-acre natural lake.

Pike grow more than three feet long and typically prey on suckers and perch. Ciscoes, where present, make up an important part of their diet. In Indiana, the Cisco, a close relative to trout and salmon, is classified as a “species of special concern” due to a drastic decline in numbers.

Only 13 Indiana lakes still contain ciscoes, down from more than 40 lakes in the 1950s. Although most of the Cisco decrease in Indiana lakes has been linked to declines in water quality, predator fish may play a role in limiting Cisco numbers.

Crooked Lake contains one of the largest remaining Cisco populations in the state. Before 2009, however, no Northern pike were known to occur in the lake. Five pike have since been netted in the lake: two in September 2009, one in June 2010 and two this month.

Biologists speculate anglers may have caught Northern pike elsewhere and illegally released them in Crooked Lake. According to Indiana law (IC 14-22-9-8), anyone who stocks a fish in public waters under state control must first get a permit from the DNR. Catching fish in one lake and releasing them in another lake without an approved permit is a Class C misdemeanor.

Live-wells on boats filled with water make it easy for anglers to transport fish, but difficult for conservation officers to control illegal stocking.

Although the current number of Northern pike in Crooked Lake is low, they could reproduce and become a dominant Cisco predator. Biologists say it is too early to tell if pike are spawning in the lake. They won’t know unless and until they begin to catch small, young pike.

Two illegally stocked Northern pike were also netted in 2009 at Loon Lake, located about two miles west of Crooked Lake. None were found at Loon Lake during a recent survey.

Hoosiers interested in preserving Indiana’s bowhunting heritage are invited to attend a July 26 workshop at Atterbury Fish & Wildlife Area. Attendees will learn how to plant the necessary seeds to promote archery.

The target audience is adults who work with children ages 11-17, including schoolteachers, after-school teachers, outdoor educators, parks and recreation program leaders, scout leaders and camp counselors.

The workshop, called “Explore Bowhunting,” is designed not only to help adults teach skills but to instill a respect for and comfort with the outdoors to preteens and teenagers. The class is being offered for the first time in Indiana, run by the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Hoosier Outdoor Heritage Program.

Participants do not need prior experience with bowhunting. “Explore Bowhunting” is free and is funded through a partnership between the Archery Trade Assoc. and DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife. The program runs from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information and to register, contact Amanda Wuestefeld at 317-547-2075 or awuestefeld@dnr.IN.gov

Additional information is also available at www.indiananasp.com/forms/2012/EB/ Announcement.pdf