The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) East Fork State Fish Hatchery recently completed its annual stocking of striped and hybrid striped bass. More than 21,000 striped and 147,000 hybrid striped bass fingerlings were added to 12 lakes around the state. The fingerlings averaged 1.5 inches in length.

The breakdown of stockings by lake, with the respective counties listed in parentheses, follows: Worster Lake (St. Joseph) – 3,270 hybrids; Gilbert Lake (Marshall) – 370 hybrids; Cedar Lake (Lake) – 7,810 hybrids; Lake Shafer (White) – 12,910 hybrids; Nyona Lake (Fulton) – 1,040 hybrids; Lake Freeman (Carroll and White) – 15,470 hybrids; Clare Lake (Huntington) – 420 hybrids; Shadyside Park Lake (Madison) – 1,000 hybrids; Cecil M. Harden Lake (Parke) – 20,600 striped bass; Monroe Lake (Monroe and Brown) – 53,750 hybrids; Hardy Lake (Scott) – 1,000 striped bass and 7,000 hybrids; and Patoka Lake (Dubois, Crawford, and Orange) – 44,000 hybrids.

Indiana anglers can look forward to continued quality striped and hybrid striped bass fishing opportunities in the coming years as a result of the stockings.

Update on Franklin’s ground squirrel recovery project

It was announced last year, the IDNR, The Nature Conservancy and Purdue Fort Wayne had partnered to help recover a state-endangered mammal, the Franklin’s ground squirrel (Poliocitellus franklinii).

The recovery project aims to establish small populations of Franklin’s ground squirrels on TNC-managed properties and to monitor their survival over the coming years. Indiana DNR biologists have recently begun the monitoring phase.

During this stage, biologists use live traps to capture Franklin’s ground squirrels, collect data, and track their progress. Once tag readings and measurements are recorded, the squirrels are safely released back into the wild.

Goals for the year include identifying the survival rates of the squirrels introduced last year and monitoring any successful breeding activity. Throughout the summer, we hope to gather data on additional squirrels and any juveniles born this year.

The vital work for Indiana’s rare and endangered species is made possible, in part, by donations to the Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund.

Spencer man sought on several charges

Indiana Conservation Officers are seeking the public’s assistance to locate a Spencer man who is sought on preliminary charges of theft and illegal harvest of ginseng.

Conservation officers were investigating a complaint stating Larry W. Tussey Jr., 48, of Spencer, was in possession of live, wild raccoons. Conservation Officer Caleb Hutchison obtained a warrant and searched Tussey’s residence on July 1. While there, Hutchison observed a silver 2011 Ford Fusion on the property which recently had been reported as stolen.

Officers also observed what appeared to be numerous recently harvested out-of-season ginseng roots through the vehicle’s window. Officers seized the stolen vehicle, illegal ginseng roots, and three live raccoons. The raccoons were taken to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

If you know the whereabouts of Larry W. Tussey Jr., please contact Indiana Conservation Officer Dispatch at 812-837-9536.

Two injured in ORV accident

Indiana Conservation Officers were investigating an off-road vehicle (ORV) accident that occurred July 5 in Kosciusko County.

At 6:46 p.m., officers were dispatched to 3466 South Mill Road in the town of Mentone for an ORV accident with injury.

Upon arrival, officers discovered a dirt motorcycle operated by Aaron Bontrager, 24, had collided with an ORV operated by Andrew Nicolai, 30. As a result of the collision, Alissa Nicolai, 28, a passenger on the ORV, was thrown from vehicle. She sustained serious injuries and was flown to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne with head and internal injuries.

Bontrager was transported by a private party to a hospital in Warsaw with a leg injury.

No one involved was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. Conservation officers urge operators and passengers of ORVs to follow all manufacturers’ safety recommendations and properly use all safety equipment, including seatbelts and helmets.

For information on ORV laws, safety courses and safe operating procedures, please visit offroad-ed.com/in/handbook/ and on.IN.gov/offroading.

Search over for missing juvenile

The body of the missing juvenile has been recovered from Lake Kesslerwood. Conservation officer divers used a remote operated vehicle sonar and located and recovered the body.

Indiana Conservation Officers were investigating after a juvenile in Indianapolis went underwater while swimming and never resurfaced.

On July 6 at 6:42 p.m., emergency personnel were dispatched to Lake Kesslerwood near the 5800 block of Fall Creek Parkway North.

Units searched until after dark with side scan sonar, remote operated vehicle (ROV), sonar and divers. The search resumed the following morning.

Woman airlifted after personal watercraft crash

Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating a personal watercraft crash with serious bodily injury that occurred July 4 on Cecil M. Harden Lake, aka Raccoon Lake.

At 8:30 p.m., conservation officers arrived on scene to find two injured adult females in the water. One had sustained a severe laceration to her leg. Conservation Officer Nick Hartman entered the water and applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. The woman was later flown to Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis.

Initial investigation revealed the operator lost control of the PWC, causing it to crash into shore. Both occupants were wearing life jackets.

‘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.