Indiana conservation officers reported a Dubois County man has been convicted of illegally taking what most hunters would consider the buck of a lifetime.

Mark Gill, 56, of Holland harvested a non-typical 20-point buck with more than 200 inches of antler during the 2016 season after already taking a buck earlier in the archery season. This was in violation of the state of Indiana’s one-buck rule.

As part of his plea agreement with the Dubois County Prosecutor’s Office, Gill’s hunting license privileges will be suspended for a period of two years and he will serve 100 hours of community service, be on probation for 540 days, and pay $741 in fines and court costs including a $500 replacement fee.

It was determined Gill capped out the second harvested buck of the 2016 season and froze it until the 2017 season before checking it in. By freezing the head until the following year, he provided false information to Indiana’s deer harvest information system.

Because of his Indiana hunting license suspension, he will be entered into the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. The IWVC is an agreement recognizing the suspension of hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses in 48 member states. The only states not currently in the violator compact are Massachusetts and Hawaii.

Gill pled guilty to unlawful taking of a whitetail deer (Class B misdemeanor) and providing false information to a check station (Class C misdemeanor).

To report future wildlife poaching or pollution, you can call 800-TIP-IDNR (847-4367) or submit an online form at dnr.IN.gov/lawenfor/7608.htm

National Volunteer Week at Indiana’s state parks

If you’re looking for a place to donate time for National Volunteer Week, Indiana state parks have the answer. From maintaining trails to helping in a nature center, there are many opportunities for people to celebrate the week of April 7-13 and give of their time for the outdoors.

"Volunteering gives you a great sense of accomplishment,” said Jody Heaston, state parks volunteer coordinator. “You know you are helping manage and conserve our natural and cultural resources for future generations to enjoy.”

Ouabache State Park will have a volunteer call-out on April 7 at 3 p.m. in the Lodge Recreation Building. The park is looking for responsible and dedicated people to fill many roles, including trail maintenance, shelter upkeep, landscape needs, invasive plant control, and event coordination, among others.

Some projects will be independent while other volunteers will work with staff or on scheduled workdays. People will be able to fill out all necessary volunteer paperwork after the informational meeting.

“We value the efforts of the volunteer members of our team. They help keep the park in great shape and strengthen our connection with the community. Even a few hours of volunteering can have a lasting impact,” said Jon Winne, property manager.

Ouabache State Park is located at 4930 E. St. Road 201 in Bluffton.

For complete state list of programs for the week, visit calendar.dnr.IN.gov and for information about how to be a state park volunteer and applications, visit stateparks.IN.gov/2443.htm

DNR monitoring Northern pike

In an effort to continue tracking Northern pike numbers, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) fisheries biologists will set traps in four northeastern Indiana lakes this spring: Diamond Lake (Noble County), North and South Twin Lakes (LaGrange County), and Silver Lake (Steuben County).

Since 2012, DNR biologists have sampled pike in 17 lakes. To sample pike, biologists set large traps in areas likely to attract spawning fish. The typical catch is 18 pike per survey, with the majority 21-28 inches long.

Northern pike serve as an indicator of fish habitat quality in Indiana lakes, as well as being popular among anglers. About one-third of northern Indiana’s 450 glacial lakes still contain pike. Fisheries biologists’ goal is to keep the number from dropping.

Matt Linn, DNR fisheries biologist, said Northern pike do best in lakes with cool water and plenty of oxygen down deep. As lakes age and are degraded, the habitat conditions disappear and ultimately affect the quality of pike fishing. In general, lakes with better habitat tend to have more big pike.

“Over time many of our lakes have lost their cool-water layer due to declines in water quality,” Linn said. “That forces pike into warm shallow areas and puts a lot of stress on them by disrupting their behavior, growth, and survival.”

Various programs now in place are designed to keep numbers from dropping. Efforts to protect wetlands, reduce runoff of nutrients and sediment into lakes, curb manmade changes along lake shorelines, and better manage aquatic plants go a long way in preserving pike habitat.

“One measure of the success of these programs will be based on how well Northern pike survive and grow in the future,” Linn said.

According to Linn, the best pike lakes in the area include Clear and Hamilton lakes in Steuben County and Little Chapman and Winona in Kosciusko County. Winona Lake also has the highest number of large pike.

Rebounding muskie numbers at Lake Webster

If last year was any indication, muskie fishing at Lake Webster should be even better this year. After several years of decline, the muskie population in the 774-acre lake in Kosciusko County is on the rebound.

Jed Pearson, a DNR fisheries biologist, has monitored the lake’s muskie stocking program since the early 1980s, and he said the first sign is young fish.

“We’re seeing a resurgence of young muskies in our spring trap catches,” he explained. “Last spring, we caught 126 muskies during our egg-taking operation. Of those, 79 were young fish less than 34 inches long. We caught 50 young ones in 2017.”

In contrast, DNR caught only 15 young muskies per year from 2012-16.

“We upped the size of muskie fingerlings stocked in the lake,” Pearson said. “More plant coverage has increased habitat for them.”

Trap catches also indicate an increase in the population. “Although our estimates are rough, we think muskie numbers went from a peak of nearly 5,000 in 2005 to fewer than 500 in 2014. Since then, the number has risen to around 1,000. We’d like to see that number eventually double.”

The decline also reduced the number of larger, older fish that may have previously cannibalized newly stocked muskies.

Muskie catches by tournament anglers have also increased, as have catches reported by muskie guides. Both groups report seeing more young fish. Twice as many muskies were caught by guided anglers last year compared to 2011.

Angler creel survey in Lawrence County

An angler creel survey is being conducted at DNR’s public access sites along the East Fork of the White River in Lawrence County beginning April 1 and running through Oct. 31.

A DNR employee will be interviewing anglers at three access sites throughout the season. The access sites are the Bedford ramp (State Road 37 ramp), Spice Valley boat ramp above Williams Dam, the Williams Dam boat ramp, and the face of Williams Dam.

The DNR will be evaluating anglers’ preferred fish species, how long they fish, what they catch, how many they catch, what sizes, and if they harvest the fish. The survey will also evaluate the relatively new black bass protected slot size limit and the new trophy catfish regulations.

The DNR will also be documenting other recreational activities including kayaking, canoeing, and recreational boating. Data collected will help evaluate angler use and preference of fishing at the East Fork White River. Data will also be used for statewide evaluation of two fishing regulations.

State parks offering Go! Packs

Now that spring is upon us, it’s the perfect time to get out and enjoy nature again. DNR Go! Packs are designed to help you enjoy the outdoors at Indiana state parks and save money.

The Go! Pack includes a 2019 resident Annual Entrance Permit, a drawstring backpack perfect for hiking the trails and holding snacks and water, and the option of a $40 gift card from either the state park inns or campgrounds. Go! Packs are also available for individuals 65 and older.

The buyer saves up to $18 over the regular price of the items purchased separately. Go! Packs are only offered online at InnsGifts.com but the offer ends May 12.

The entrance permit grants gate entrance in 2019 for all state parks and reservoirs. The Inns gift card is good at any of seven state park lodging facilities, as well as at the award-winning Pete Dye-designed golf course at Fort Harrison State Park in Indianapolis. It may be used for lodging, meals in the dining rooms, or inns gift store purchases.

The camping gift card is good at any state park or reservoir campground, as well as at Greene-Sullivan State Forest, Covered Bridge Retreat, and Deam Lake and Starve Hollow state recreation areas. It may be used toward cabins (excluding inns-operated cabins), campsites, cottages, group camps, recreation buildings, rent-a-camp cabins, shelters, and youth and rally camps.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments may contact Jack Spaulding by email at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.