| By JACK SPAULDING
Spaulding Outdoors Hunters may apply for a reserved hunt online by visiting www.hunting.IN.gov and clicking on the "Reserved Hunt Information" link. The online method is the only way to apply. All applicants must possess a valid hunting license for the species they intend to hunt. All applications must be completed by the application deadline to be eligible for the drawing. Hunters will be selected through a random drawing. All drawing results will be posted at www.wildlife.IN.gov within a week after application deadlines. Dove hunt draw: Online application must be completed by July 27. Available properties for 2015 are Blue Grass, Jasper-Pulaski, Kankakee, Kingsbury, Pigeon River, Willow Slough and Winamac Fish & Wildlife Areas (FWAs), and Salamonie Lake. Due to flooding during the sunflower growing season, J.E. Roush Lake, LaSalle and Willow Slough will not be in the 2015 draw. Deer Creek FWA deer hunt: Online application must be completed by Aug. 17. Deer Creek FWA upland hunt: Online application must be completed by Aug. 17. Military/refuge firearm and archery deer hunt draw: Online application must be completed by Aug. 24. Hunts on military/refuge properties may be canceled at any time. State park deer reduction hunts: Online application must be completed by Aug. 24. Youth firearm deer hunt at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge: Online application must be completed by Aug. 24. T.C. Steele firearm deer hunt: Online application must be completed by Aug. 24. Pheasant hunt draw: Online application must be completed by Sept. 28. Adults should not apply for the Nov. 7 hunt; Nov. 7 is reserved for youth (17 and younger) only. Applications for waterfowl draw hunts begin in late August. Pheasant put-and-take and state park goose will be available in September. DNR firewood program Hoosiers may cut firewood in designated areas of Indiana state forests to help heat their home and reduce utility bills. Starting July 1, permit holders will pay a fee of $10 per rick of firewood. The increase of $7 per rick is the first fee increase in more than 30 years for firewood permits. "State Forests have a long tradition of offering economical firewood opportunities for home heating," Assistant State Forester Dan Ernst said. "The fee increase helps us continue the program and cover part of the program costs." A rick is about the size of a standard pickup truck load. A volume discount for $25 paying for three ricks is also available. A rick of cut firewood in much of southern Indiana costs from $45-$55, with $10 more generally charged for delivery. Each year about 1,000 firewood cutting permits are sold, with projected revenues to the state of about $10,000 a year. The designated cutting areas are on portions of forest where managed timber harvests have been completed. No standing trees may be cut. No off-road vehicles are allowed. Cutters are expected to have appropriate personal protective equipment. Permits must be purchased in advance from state forest offices and will outline the cutting location and times when wood may be cut. Wood available includes oak, maple, yellow poplar, hickory and other hardwoods. Wild edibles workshop at Lake Monroe Here’s a chance for the admirers of woodland gatherers to gain some skills of their own. Coming up is an opportunity to learn to identify, harvest and prepare wild edibles, during a July 22 workshop at Monroe Lake’s Northfork Marshes. Lake Monroe interpretive naturalist Jill Vance will lead the workshop, which runs from 8:30-11:30 a.m. The workshop is designed for people with little or no experience. Vance will focus on 4-6 plants and cover steps to bring them from field to table. The workshop is limited to eight people, ages 16 and older. There is a $20 per-person workshop fee. Registration is required by July 19 at www.bit.ly/wildedibles2015 Participants will spend the majority of time outside. The workshop will conclude with food sampling, "dos and don’ts" and info on how to expand your new skills. The Northfork Marshes at Monroe Lake are on McGowan Road, off of State Road 46 between Bloomington and Nashville. |
