Indiana’s migratory bird hunting seasons for 2025-26 have been submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The hunting seasons for mourning doves, waterfowl (i.e., ducks, coots, mergansers, and geese), woodcock, snipe and sora rails are: 

Rails (Sora only) Sept. 1-Nov. 9, 2025. Daily Bag Limit: 25. Possession limit: 75. Shooting hours: half-hour before sunrise to sunset. HIP registration required.

Mourning Doves Sept. 1-Oct. 19, Nov. 1-30, Dec. 20-30, 2025. Daily Bag Limit: 15. Possession limit: 45. Shooting hours: half-hour before sunrise to sunset. HIP registration and Game Bird Habitat Stamp required.

Woodcock Oct. 15-Nov. 28, 2025. Daily Bag Limit: 3. Possession limit: 9. Shooting hours: half-hour before sunrise to sunset. HIP registration required.

NOTE: Woodcock hunters must wear, exposed at all times, as an outer garment solid hunter orange in color one or more of the following articles: a vest, coat, jacket, coveralls, hat or cap.

Snipe (Wilson’s) Sept. 1-Dec. 16, 2025. Daily Bag Limit: 8. Possession limit: 24. Shooting hours: half-hour before sunrise to sunset. HIP registration required.

The white-fronted goose season and bag limit are separate from other geese. The white-fronted goose season is closed during the first and second Canada goose segments but opens at the same time as the other geese seasons during the third segment. The daily bag limit is two white-fronted geese.

The Canada goose daily bag limit is five, which may include Brant geese in aggregate, in any combination. The daily bag limit for light geese (snow and Ross’s geese) remains 20.

There is one change in duck bag limits from 2024-25. The daily bag limit for pintails is three. The scaup daily bag limit remains one during the first 15 days of the duck season, and two for the rest of the season.

The possession limit for all migratory birds is three times the daily bag limit, except for light geese for which there is no possession limit.

To see species and limits and to find more information about the migratory gamebird hunting seasons and regulations, go to: on.IN.gov/gamebird-seasons.

Sheridan Monon Trail extension  

On May 9, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the town of Sheridan celebrated the start of construction for phase 2 of the Monon Trail extension in Northern Hamilton County.

The asphalt multi-use trail will be constructed by the town with help from a $2,089,850 Next Level Trails (NLT) grant. The award was announced in April 2022 as part of the third grant round of NLT.

“Indiana’s Next Level Trails program is all about making connections – and the Monon Trail hits the mark,” said Allen Hurst, trails manager for the DNR. “With this extension, thousands of Hoosiers across Hamilton and Marion counties will soon have an improved connection north to Boone County, and south to downtown Indianapolis.”

The new trail will extend 1.1 miles northwest from Second Street to the Hamilton/Boone County line. It will connect to the existing trail project from State Road 47 to Second Street. The trail follows the historic railroad corridor through the town center of Sheridan. To the south, the existing Monon Trail extends more than 26 miles and travels through Westfield, Carmel and Broad Ripple, ultimately ending at 10th Street in downtown Indianapolis. The project completes the trail within Hamilton County.

“Sheridan’s vibrancy and connectivity will be greatly enhanced by the Monon Trail,” said Si DeVaney, president of the Sheridan Town Council. “We are grateful to the Department of Natural Resources for its partnership.”

Nappanee Hunter injured

Indiana Conservation Officers were investigating a May 10 hunting accident in Fulton County. About 6:20 a.m., Fulton County Dispatch received a call reporting an person was shot while turkey hunting near County Road 375 N and County Road 100 W in Rochester.

Brian Lehman, 41, of Nappanee, suffered a gunshot wound to the head and neck from a shot fired from a 12-gauge shotgun. Lehman was airlifted to South Bend Memorial Hospital where he was treated and released.

The initial investigation revealed Lehman and a juvenile hunter were walking a farm lane to gain access to a property when a hunter on the adjacent property mistook Lehman’s movement for a turkey and fired in his direction, striking Lehman. The juvenile was not injured. The incident is still under investigation.

Indiana Conservation Officers would like to remind hunters to always identify their target, what is in front of it, and what is behind it before shooting while in the field.

Unidentified body recovered from Lake Michigan

Indiana Conservation Officers were investigating after a fisherman on the morning of May 10 discovered a body in the water approximately 2 miles offshore from Central Beach on Lake Michigan.

Shortly after 8:00 a.m., officers arrived on the scene and found the body of an unidentified person. Due to the deteriorated condition of the body, the person appears to have been missing for an extended period. The person was wearing red and black plaid pajama pants, black socks, and there was a unique ring on the right index finger.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Indiana Conservation Officers dispatch at 812-837-9536.

‘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 Kindle download.