1

Indiana Division of Fish and WildlifeDepartment of Natural Resources

Summer 1998

Walleyes are the most sought afterstocked fish by Indiana anglers,according to an angler survey con-ducted by the Division of Fish andWildlife. The survey indicates that ofthe nine fish species stocked by thedivision, walleye is No. 1, preferredfor its excellent taste and food value.

Unfortunately, while the walleye isnative to Indiana, its natural distri-bution has been limited. As a result,the Division of Fish and Wildlifestocks certain natural lakes andimpoundments to provide qualityfishing opportunities for walleye.

One of the earliest recorded wall-eye stockings dates back to 1891.During the ‘30s, fishing enthusiastsannually placed 15-20 million fry(recently hatched walleyes) in Indi-ana waters. Modern day managementefforts began in 1970.

Since natural reproduction is verylimited and contributes little to wall-eye fishing, state biologists use bothwalleye fry and fingerlings to stockseveral lakes and rivers with walleyeand hybrid walleye. Stocking effortshave centered on increasing anglers’harvest and improving anglers’ per-ceptions of Indiana walleye fishing.

Each April biologists collect wall-eye eggs from mature fish at Brook-ville Lake. This egg collectionsupplies Indiana’s entire walleye pro-gram. Biologists seek some 30 milliongreen eggs and, during the past twoyears, have exceeded the goal by 3million to 5 million eggs. These eggsresult in about 17 million walleye fry,one million 1-2 inch fingerlings and

60,000 hybridwalleye finger-lings for stock-ing.

In selectedlakes, biologistsstock walleye atdensities of2,000-3,000 fryper acre or 100fingerlings peracre. Experimen-tal river stockingsof walleye arestocked at densi-ties of 50 finger-lings per acre.

Walleye StockingThe Division of Fish and Wildlife

currently stocks nine impoundments,six natural lakes and one river withwalleye or hybrid walleye. Fisheriestechnicians have conducted creelsurveys by interviewing anglers onselected lakes. The creel surveys havedocumented good walleye fishing atBrookville, Monroe, Cagle’s Mill,Kokomo, Clear, Bass, Maxinkuckee,Sullivan and Pike lakes.

Fisheries biologists have also de-veloped quality walleye fishing in thetailwaters below dams at Monroe,Salamonie, Mississinewa, Cagle’s Mill,and Freeman lakes. The St. JosephRiver in St. Joseph and Elkhart coun-ties is stocked in Indiana with Michi-gan-raised walleyes. Recent concernsabout fish genetics in St. JosephRiver motivated the cooperative wall-eye stocking with Michigan.

Walleye RulesAnglers have a 14-inch minimum

size limit on walleyes. The 14-inchminimum went into effect in 1996because anglers were catching andkeeping stocked walleye before theycould reach their growth potential.➢pg 3

Hot spots for walleye fishingFisheries biologists identify lakes teeming with walleye

Topics this issue. . .

Migratory bird hunters have newlicense requirement

New fishing & hunting rules gointo effect

Volunteer aids state’s peregrinefalcon work

Unwanted exotic species infiltrateIndiana waters

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Focus on Fish & Wildlife is a quarterly publi-cation from the Indiana Department of NaturalResources Division of Fish and Wildlife. Focuson Fish & Wildlife seeks to educate sportsmenand women, conservationists, wildlife recreation-ists and all Hoosiers on topics related to the man-agement of Indiana’s fish and wildlife resources.

Larry D. Macklin, DirectorDepartment of Natural Resources

Lori F. Kaplan, Deputy DirectorBureau of Water and Resource Regulation

Gary Doxtater, DirectorDivision of Fish and Wildlife

Mark Cottingham, EditorFocus on Fish & Wildlife

Focus on Fish & Wildlife is distributed free ofcharge. To subscribe, send name, completeaddress, city, state and zip code. PLEASE sendaddress changes or subscription requests to thefollowing:

Focus on Fish and Wildlife402 W. Washington St., Room W273

Indianapolis, IN 46204

If you have questions about the Division of Fishand Wildlife, please write to the aboveaddress or call 317/232-4080.

Visit the DNRDivision of Fish & Wildlife

website:www.dnr.state.in.us/fishwild/index.html

DivisionMission

“To manage fishand wildlife forpresent and futuregenerations, balancing ecological,recreational and economic benefits.”

As the summer winds down, sportsmen and women lookto the fall for a new season of hunting. The 1998-’99hunting season begins soon with the opening of squirrel

season, August 15. Hunters will head to Indiana’swoodlands for prime squirrel hunting.

While the Department of Natural Resources providesthousands of acres of public hunting land throughstate Fish and Wildlife areas, state reservoirs and stateforests, millions of acres of habitat are controlled by

private owners. About 97 percent of Indiana isprivately owned, so Hoosier sportsmen andwomen rely on private landowners for hunting,trapping and fishing access.

Recognizing the barrier that liability placesbetween farmers and outdoor enthusiasts, DickMercier, president of the Indiana Sportsmen’sRoundtable, asked Indiana lawmakers tostrengthen the law that is already in place pro-

tecting landowners from liability.A new law passed by the Indiana legislature this year

should help make it easier for responsible hunters to gainaccess from private land owners. The law strengthens li-ability protection for landowners who allow people ontheir land to pursue hunting, fishing or trapping and whodo not charge for that access.

Farmers who might otherwise welcome responsiblehunters on their land are often concerned about liability –so concerned that they simply refuse to allow anyone ontheir land. We have all heard stories of property ownersbeing sued by a hunter who fell out of a tree stand.

Indiana law now states that landowners do not assumeresponsibility or incur liability for injury to people usingtheir land for hunting, fishing or trapping, and that con-servationists using private land do not have assurancesthat the premises are safe for such activities.

Even with this strengthened legal protection, landown-ers who give permission must still alert sportsmen andwomen about any known hazards present on the property.Hunters need to be informed of dangerous situations, suchas open wells, aggressive dogs or livestock, of which thelandowner is aware.

The law, however, does not protect landowners whocharge for access to their land. If a landowner leaseshunting rights to the land, the property owner takes on abusiness relationship with the hunter and as such fallsunder the same responsibility that a business has for itscustomers.

Allowing hunters, anglers and trappers on private landcan be beneficial to landowners as well as sportsmen. Re-sponsible hunters and trappers can help manage wildlifepopulations on the land to minimize crop damage andproperty destruction. Active sportsmen can also watch forsigns of trespassers and alert landowners of poachers.

Fear of liability should no longer stand in the way oflandowners developing strong, beneficial relationshipswith ethical, reliable sportsmen.ò

Director of

Fish & Wildlife

Gary DoxtaterDFW Director

Printed on recycled paper

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FOCUSTHE DIVISION OF FISH AND WILDLIFE PRESENTS

SFA bimonthly publication of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources May/June 1991

OCU

Fishermen were catching many 1-and 2-year-old walleyes that wereonly 8 to 12 inches long.

To provide an opportunity for thefish to grow larger, fisheries biolo-gists proposed the 14-inch minimumsize. Sport fishermen led the call forthe size limit. Almost half of theanglers questioned in a 1994 state-wide angler survey supported orstrongly supported a minimumlength limit for walleye.

The 14-inch minimum length limitapplies to all waters except the St.Joseph River in St. Joseph andElkhart counties, the Ohio River andSullivan Lake.

The St. Joe has a 15-inch mini-mum size limit to duplicateMichigan’s walleye regulations on theriver. Since the St. Joseph Riveroriginates in Michigan on its path toLake Michigan, flows through partsof Indiana then returns to Michigan,Indiana fisheries biologists decidedone size limit throughout the riverprovided uniformity in fishing rulesand is easier for anglers to follow.

Anglers in all Indiana waters may

keep up to six walleye or combina-tion of walleye, sauger or saugeye (ahybrid walleye produced by crossinga female walleye with a male sauger).

The following waterways offersport fishermen with quality walleyeopportunities:

Brookville LakeA 5,260-acre, flood-control reser-

voir, Brookville Lake consistentlyprovides some of Indiana’s best wall-eye fishing. Anglers harvest some6,000 to 7,000 walleye annually fromBrookville. Most are 14-15 incheslong, but creel surveys document 24-29 inch walleye in catches. Best fish-ing is in May and June.

Brookville Lake is located inFranklin and Union counties onHighway 101 approximately 30 milessouth of Richmond and 50 milesnorthwest of Cincinnati. A fee ischarged to launch boats, but the lakehas no restrictions on outboard mo-tor size. The reservoir has beenstocked 24 consecutive years, andannual fry stockings have exceeded10 million the past 10 years.

Monroe LakeMonroe Lake has also developed

into one of the best Indiana walleyefisheries. In 1994, 3,816 walleye wereharvested, and 6,400 more werecaught and released. Average lengthwas 16.6 inches while the largestwalleye harvested measured 28inches long. More than 7,000 poundsof walleye were harvested.

Monroe Lake is the state’s largestreservoir at 10,750 acres and is ac-cessible from State Roads 37, 46 and50. The reservoir is located in Brownand Monroe counties about 50 milessouth of Indianapolis and 10 milessoutheast of Bloomington. A dailypermit fee is charged.

There is no limit on outboard mo-tor size. The lake has been stockedwith fingerlings the past 10 years ata density averaging 49 fish per acre.

Cagle’s Mill LakeA creel survey in 1996 at Cagle’s

Mill indicated that anglers caughtsome 4,300 walleye. The catch-and-release total of 2,563 fish ➢pg 4

Welcome toFocus on Fish & Wildlife.

This expanded newsletter replaces the Division ofFish and Wildlife’s FOCUS newsletter.

The major change for Focus on Fish & Wildlife is thenumber of pages. Originally four pages, the publica-tion has been expanded to 12 pages to provide moreinformation on more topics. The newsletter is still freeand will be published on a quarterly basis.

The newsletter will highlight outdoor sports activi-ties, the people involved, and the management andscience of Indiana’s resources. It will continue to alertsportsmen and women of upcoming reserved huntsand natural resources issues. Focus on Fish & Wildlifewill also offer a friendly forum to answer frequentlyasked questions of the division.

In this issue, division fisheries biologists have

selected some of the best walleye fishing locations inIndiana. Future issues will include fisheries surveyingtechniques, big river fishing and Indiana’s growingtrout-salmon fishing in northern Indiana.

For hunters and trappers, the migratory game birdHarvest Information Program – HIP – is outlined inthis issue. Indiana deer herds, the skill of trapping andhunter education will be upcoming topics in Focus onFish & Wildlife. Everyone should enjoy articles onmushroom hunting, wildlife watching and the life his-tory of various native species.

If you have comments on the new format or havestory ideas, please write to Focus on Fish & Wildlife,Division of Fish and Wildlife, 402 W. Washington St.,Room W273, Indianapolis, IN 46204.ò

Walleye lakes continued

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exceeded the number harvested,which totaled 1,742. The average sizeof walleye harvested was 15.2 inches,while the largest walleye observed inthe catch was 21.8 inches long. Aprilfishing seems to be the best time topursue walleye at Cagle’s Mill Lake.

This 1,400-acre flood-control res-ervoir, located in Putnam andOwen counties off I-70 abouthalfway between Indianapolisand Terre Haute, has beenstocked with more than 4 mil-lion fry each of the past fouryears, from 1994-’97. A smallfee is charged for boat launch-ing, and outboard motors arepermitted.

Kokomo LakeThis 484-acre impoundment

is located three miles east ofKokomo in Howard County.Anglers harvested 821 walleyein 1996 and caught andreleased some 790 additional fish.Average length was 15.3 inches. Boatlaunching is free, and outboardmotors are permitted.

Clear LakeAnglers on Clear Lake consistently

catch fish 12-13 inch long with fishmeasuring 26 inches long caughtoccasionally. The lake has beenstocked for 15 consecutive years from1983 to 1997 with two-inch longfingerlings.

Clear Lake is an 800-acre naturallake located five miles east of Fre-mont off State Road 120 in SteubenCounty. The lake has free publicaccess, and outboard motors are per-mitted.

Maxinkuckee LakeMaxinkuckee, Indiana’s second

largest natural lake at 1,854 acres,has its best walleye fishing in Juneand July with an average size caughtat 15.1 inches. In 1996, Maxinkuckeeanglers harvested 3,198 walleye andreleased an additional 2,848, makingthe 1996 creel survey the highestever documented at the lake. Thesurvey also indicated that more thana third of the lake’s anglers werepursuing walleye.

Maxinkuckee Lake is located atthe town of Culver near State Roads10 and 17 in Marshall County. Publicaccess is free, but parking spaces arelimited. Outboard motors are permit-ted. Maxinkuckee has been stockedwith two-inch fingerlings (100 fishper acre) the last seven years.

Bass LakeThe number of walleye caught per

acre was high at Bass Lake duringthe summer of 1992, but average sizewas only at 12 inches long. In 1996,the catch was 1.2 fish per acre withan average size of 14 inches. Highestharvest occurred in July, and 23 per-cent of the anglers targeted walleye.The largest walleye observed in theanglers’ catches was 21 inches.

The 1,345-acre natural lake is lo-cated about six miles south of Knoxoff U.S. 35 and State Road 10 inStarke County. Bass Lake offers freepublic access, and outboard motorsare permitted.

The lake has been stocked 10 con-secutive years with 2-4 million fryannually.

Sullivan and Pike LakesRelatively large populations of

hybrid walleye have been developedat Sullivan and Pike lakes. Creel sur-veys documented harvests of 1,562hybrid walleye at Sullivan and 1,464at Pike. Harvest per acre was 3.3 fishper hour at Sullivan and 6.4 fish perhour at Pike.

The best months to catch walleyeat Pike Lake are April and May.

Starting in 1995 at Sullivan and in1996 at Pike Lake, walleye have been

stocked instead of hybrids to see ifwalleye can provide the same level offishing as the hybrids.

Sullivan Lake, a 461-acre im-poundment, is located in SullivanCounty east of Sullivan, Ind. A fee ischarged for public access, and out-board motors are permitted.

Pike Lake is a 228-acrenatural lake located withinthe city limits of Warsaw inKosciusko County with freepublic access.

Tailwater FishingOutstanding walleye fish-

ing has developed below thedams at Monroe, Salamonie,Mississinewa and Freemanlakes. Good tailwater fishingis also developing at Cagle’sMill following three consecu-tive high density stockingsin the reservoir basin. Wall-

eye concentrations occur at the tail-waters during March and April. Mostof the fish are 15-20 inches long, butsome up to 29 inches long have beencaught. The tailwaters provide an-glers good opportunities for shorefishing for walleye. Some of the larg-est walleye caught each year in Indi-ana come from the tailwaters.

Fishery biologists believe few po-tential walleye lakes remain in thestate. Most lakes believed capable ofproviding walleye fishing havealready been stocked and evaluated.Biologists believe walleye fishing innatural lakes and impoundments canbe improved through size limits. Inaddition, biologists believe that riv-ers may represent the next opportu-nity to increase walleye fishingsignificantly in the Hoosier state.

Biologists have already stockedElkhart County’s St. Joseph Riverwith 60,000 fingerling walleye eachyear from 1995 to 1997. Annual sam-pling shows high first-summer sur-vival of the stocked fingerlings, andgood fishing is expected.òprepared by Gary Hudson, north region fisherysupervisor and Jed Pearson, district 3 fisherybiologist.

Walleye lakes continued

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PORTER

LA PORTE

NEWTON

LAKE

JASPER

STARKE

PULASKI

MARSHALL

ST. JOSEPH ELKHART

KOSCIUSKO

FULTON

LAGRANGE STEUBEN

DEKALBNOBLE

WHITLEY ALLEN

ADAMSWELLS

HUNTING-TON

WABASHMIAMI

CASS

CARROLL

WHITE

BENTON

WARRENTIPPECANOE

FOUNTAIN MONT-GOMERY

CLINTON

BOONE

HOWARD

TIPTON

HAMILTON

GRANT

MADISON

BLACK-FORD JAY

DELAWARE

RANDOLPH

WAYNE

HENRY

UNIONFAYETTERUSH

HANCOCK

SHELBY

MARION

JOHNSONMORGAN

HENDRICKSPUTNAM

PARKE

CLAYVIGO

VERMILLION

SULLIVANGREENE

OWEN

KNOXDAVIESS MARTIN

MONROE

LAWRENCE

ORANGE

BROWN

JACKSON

WASHINGTON

BARTHOLO-MEW

DECATUR

JENNINGS

RIPLEY

SCOTT

JEFFERSONSWITZERLAND

OHIO

DEARBORN

FRANKLIN

CLARK

FLOYD

HARRISON

CRAWFORD

PERRY

DUBOISPIKE

GIBSON

POSEY VANDER-BURGH

WARRICKSPENCER

1998 proposed quota changes

quota changed after public input

public support for original proposal

(1) A

(1) A

2(2) A (2) 1

(2) A

(2) 1

(2) 1

(2) 1

(2) 1

(2) 1

(2) 1 (2) 1(2) 1

(2) 1(2) A

(2) 1 (2) 1 (2) 1

(2) A

(2) A

(2) 1

(2) 1

(2) 1

(2) 1(2) 1

(3) 1

(2) 1

(4) 3

(3) 2

(3) 2

(3) 2(3) 2

(3) 2

(3) 2

3

(A) 0

A

A

A

A

1

2

(1) A

(1) A

1

(3) 2 (3) 4

(3) 2

(4)3

4

4

(4) 3

4

(1) A

(1) A

(1) A

3

(3) 2

(3) 2

(3) 2

(3) 1

3

3

3

33

1

(2) 1 (2) 1

(3) 2

(3) 2

(3) 2

2

22

(2) 1(2) 1

(2) 1

(2) 1

(2) A (1) A

(2) 1

(2) 1

12

(2) 1(2) 1

(2) 1

(2) 1(3) A

(2) 1

For counties designated as “A”: You may use a bonus county license to take one antlerless deer during the periods of Nov. 26 through Nov. 29 (last four days of firearms season) and Dec. 5 through Jan. 3 (muzzleloader and late archery seasons).

1998 Bonus Anterless Deer County Bag Limits Last years quotas are in ( ).

Department of Natural Resources wildlifemanagers established the county bag limits forantlerless deer for the 1998 deer hunting seasonafter several meetings with deer hunters earlierthis year.

“Each county’s bag limit for bonus antlerlessdeer is based on many different factors,” saidJim Mitchell, deer management biologist for theDNR Division of Fish and Wildlife. “We look atcrop depredation problems in the counties, previ-ous years’ deer harvests and input from the pub-lic interested in deer management.”

DNR district wildlife biologists have noticed amarked drop in the number of deer-related cropdepredation complaints from farm operators dur-ing the past couple of years. Mitchell noted,“Fewer depredation reports and other indicatorsare a clear signal that efforts to lower the state-wide deer population are succeeding.”

As a result, the DNR reduced the bag limit forantlerless deer in 67 Indiana counties over lastyear’s limits and increased the bag limit in onlyone county, Vanderburgh.

Questions on the Deer Program?Call the Deer Hotline

812/334-3795(Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.)

The antlerless deer program this year willoperate similar to last year. Statewide,deer hunters are allowed to take up tofour bonus antlerless deer – does orimmature bucks – beginning with fire-arms deer season and continuingthrough late archery season. Youmust have a bonus deer license foreach antlerless deer harvested andmust follow individual county baglimits and restrictions.

Each county has a designatedantlerless deer bag limit between one to four deer. Forcounties marked “A,” you may take one antlerless deerduring the periods of Nov. 26 through Nov. 29 and Dec. 5through Jan. 3. You may use any equipment that is legalduring the season in which you are hunting.

If you are hunting in a county that has a bag limit ofone antlerless deer, you may harvest up to three addi-tional antlerless deer in other counties provided you donot exceed the antlerless limit for each county in whichyou hunt.

As in the past, the DNR does not allow you to usebonus antlerless licenses on most Fish and Wildlife areasand some state reservoirs. These areas receive sufficient

Deer bag limits reduced in 67 countiesHunters call for fewer deer tags for antlerless deer

hunting pressure to keep deer numbers stabilized. Youshould check with individual public property managersbefore hunting.

Sportsmen and women who own or lease farmland forfarming purposes are not required to buy bonus antlerlessdeer licenses to take antlerless deer on their own prop-erty. However, they must follow the statewide and countybag limits for antlerless deer and other deer regulations.

Additional regulations on deer hunting can be foundin the “1998-99 Indiana Hunting and Trapping Guide”available at sporting goods stores and DNR properties.ò

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HarvestInformationProgram

Hunters pursuing migratory game birds

Call 1-800-WETLAND

Giant Canada GooseBranta canadensis

This large-bodied bird isdistinguished by its longblack neck and head, graybody and white check patchof feathers.

Resident giant Canada geesecan be seen throughoutIndiana in most metropolitanareas. Indiana’s resident flockwas established in the ‘60swhen goose populations wereat an all time low.

Fall hunting focuses onresident and migrant flockstraveling through Indiana.Annually, close to 30,000geese stop in Indiana duringmigration.

Mourning DoveZenaida macroura

Found softly cooing in ruralsettings, the mourning dove isa sleek bird with a small headand long pointed tail. Thedove has grayish-brownfeathers on its back andpurplish-buff on its underside.

Swift in flight, the birdprovides a challenge to dovehunters in Indiana. Huntingbegan in Indiana in the early‘80s after biologistsdetermined that the activitywould have little impact ondove populations.

Wood DuckAix sponsa

Wood ducks have beenspotted in the state atincreasing levels by waterfowlbiologists. For the 1996-’97migration, biologists reportedwinter wood duck numbers at15 percent higher than the 15year average in Indiana.

Wood ducks use Indiana asnesting habitat. During wintermonths, the ducks migrate tothe Gulf and South Atlanticstates.

CootFulica americana

While the coot does nothave webbed feet, the birdmoves through the watersimilar to ducks. Oftenfeeding with ducks, coots eataquatic plants and areexcellent swimmers.

The coot has a plump, slate-grey body and black head.

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tions,” said Melody Hartman,Indiana’s waterfowl biologist.

“Participation in this programwill ultimately benefit the man-agement of migratory bird popu-lations and help ensure thehunting tradition for years tocome.”

Prior to HIP, the FWS con-ducted national waterfowl har-vest surveys. The hunter surveywas sent only to waterfowl hunt-ers and was fairly good at esti-mating annual waterfowl harvest.However, the waterfowl surveywas also used to estimate theharvests of coots, woodcock,snipe, sora rails, gallinules,white-winged doves, band-tailedpigeons and sandhill cranes.

In order to improve the har-vest estimates of these “minor”species, HIP questions were de-signed to identify different typesof hunters. As a result, the FWSwill be able to conduct separatesurveys that target five differenthunter groups including water-fowl, mourning doves,white-winged doves andband-tailed pigeons, coots, gall-inules, rails and snipe, sandhillcranes, and woodcock.

Indiana is among several statesrequiring bird hunters to call atelephone registration system.Other states electronically regis-ter bird hunters when they pur-chase a small game license. A fewstates require an additional per-mit; the permit requests the in-formation from the hunters.

Indiana’s HIP registration is anannual requirement, and you willneed to register again next yearfor the 1999-’00 migratory gamebird hunting season.ò

Bird hunters in Indiana must head for the telephone be-fore heading afield to hunt

migratory birds. All licensedhunters in Indiana pursuingmourning doves, woodcock,snipe, ducks, geese, coots or gall-inules must register with theHarvest Information Program,commonly called HIP. The pro-gram is part of the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service’s national effortsto manage migratory game birds.

To register with HIP, you sim-ply call 1-800-WETLAND(1-800-938-5263) and answer afew questions regarding yourprevious year’s hunting success.Through a computerized system,you are asked for your huntinglicense type and number, name,address and date of birth.

After answering the brief sur-vey, you are given a unique iden-tification number that should bewritten on the back of your hunt-ing license in the space provided.Lifetime license holders andyouth hunters can write thenumber on a piece of paper andcarry it with them when huntingmigratory birds. The certificationis valid throughout 1998-’99hunting season.

Hunters who are not requiredto purchase an Indiana huntinglicense are exempt from register-ing with HIP.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser-vice developed the Harvest Infor-mation Program to provide abetter database of migratory birdharvest. The federal wildlifeagency will use the database tobetter survey sportsmen andwomen who pursue migratorybirds.

“Better surveys will, in turn,help improve management andcontribute to the well-being ofmigratory game bird popula-

New license requirementapplies to migratory bird hunters

8

Richard Kinnett’s love of birdsbegan with a high school biologyclass. “To get an A, I had to identify50 birds,” Kinnett said. “Before thatassignment, a bird was just a bird.After it, I was hooked. I also got myA.”

Richard’s birding continuedthrough 28 years of working forCitizen’s Gas & Coke Utility and twomilitary tours. “While on militaryleave, I was chasing birds, notwomen,” he said smiling. “Much ofmy spare time today is spent addingbirds to my life list and checking outsightings on the Audubon hotline.”

Eventually, Richard’s avian interestled to his involvement with Indiana’speregrine falcon reintroductionproject.

“John Castrale, the wildlife biolo-gist in charge of the peregrine falcon

People in

Fish & Wildlife

Volunteer watches falcons

Richard Kinnettproject, gavea program atan Audubonchapter meet-ing. He asked for peregrinepatrol volunteers, and I decided togive it a try,” Kinnett said.

That try almost ended on the firstday, Kinnett recalled. “I spent fourand a half hours watching a bird thatbarely moved. I thought there wouldbe more action. I was debatingwhether I wanted to come for a sec-ond day when I overheard someonemention that our objective is to bethere for the birds if they need us.

“After hearing that, I realized thatI could help these endangered birds,so I returned the next day.” Sincethat first day in 1991, Richard hasclocked more than 3,000 volunteerhours for the falcons.

Project leader John Castrale notes,“I have never encountered anyonemore dedicated to a single projectthan Richard. His detailed notes giveus excellent information about theparent/chick relationship and otherlife history details. His willingness tocheck out reports of injured falconsand to record data on the chicksfrom hatching to fledging allows DNRbiologists to turn their attentiontoward other activities.”

Now retired, Richard devotes hun-dreds of hours each spring to thefalcons in Indianapolis. His peregrinequest begins each January as hechecks on the adult birds and keepshis eyes open for their nesting site.

This year, as in two previous nest-ing seasons, the peregrines chose anestbox placed on the roof of MarketTower on the Indianapolis downtowncircle. Once the nest site is found,Richard’s work begins in earnest. Aclosed-circuit camera mounted in

Falcon photo byRichard Kinnett

the nest box allowsRichard to observe and

record activities in the nest.Richard’s background in photog-

raphy gives him an understandingof the advantages the camerabrings to his work. “Having thecamera makes my job easier,”he says. “I know exactly whenthe eggs are laid, how manyeggs there are and when they

hatch.”During the 33 days of incubation

and six weeks of chick growth, Rich-ard is at his monitoring stationlocated in Market Tower’s attic area.His recorded observations reflectnumerous facts, such as how oftenthe young are fed, which parentfeeds them and what they are fed.

Years of birding experience aidKinnett in identifying prey species.“One of the adults strips most of thefeathers off the prey before feedingit to the chicks,” he says. “That canmake identification a challenge.”With bits and pieces of information,such as beak shape and tail length,Richard is able to reconstruct most ofthe bird species.

Before the peregrine chicks fledgeor take their first flight, Richard ispresent when Castrale and otherbiologists place leg bands on thebirds and examine the birds.

When the chicks are ready to fly,they follow a regular schedule, accord-ing to the volunteer bird watcher.

“They start by perching on theedge of the nestbox and then moveout to the building ledge.” At thispoint, the chicks do not return tothe box, so Richard moves outside tomonitor their progress.

The chicks spend three to fivedays moving up and down the ledgebefore they attempt their first flight.Fledging can be dangerous for youngbirds. A chick can flutter down tothe ground or to a lower floor’s ledgeon its first flight. Richard and nineassistants keep an almost round-the-clock vigil when fledging nears.

“In the last four years, I have onlyhad to rescue two of the youngchicks. Most of the time, they don’tneed our help. But we are here incase they do.” ➢pg 11

Richard Kinnett monitors nesting peregrinefalcons from Indianapolis’ monument circle.Kinnett has helped the DNR for 7 years.

9

g g

Closed areasAnglers in northern Indi-

ana must be aware of nofishing areas on the LittleCalumet River and the St.Joseph River. The EastBranch of the Little Calu-met River is closed to fish-ing within 100 feet aboveand below the Linde Dam(Prax Air) within PorterCounty.

The East Raceway of theSt. Joseph River in SouthBend is now closed year-round 100 feet from itsentrance and exit. Also,fishing is prohibited 100feet from the entrancesand exits of the fish lad-ders located at the SouthBend dam and the Uniroyaldam. Anglers may not fishfrom a boat within 200feet downstream from theSouth Bend dam or be-tween the Uniroyal damand the St. Rd. 331 bridge.

PaddlefishPaddlefish may only be

taken from the Ohio River,and anglers are restrictedto a two fish daily catchlimit. Sorting of paddlefishcatch is prohibited. Oncean angler catches twopaddlefish, he must stopfishing for paddlefish.

DeerThe division designated

additional metropolitanareas as urban deer zones.The new areas include thefollowing:

•Lafayette-TippecanoeCounty north of St. Rd. 28.

•Gary-Lake County northof U.S.30.

•Crown Point-LakeCounty within the corpo-rate limits of Crown Point.

•Chesterton-PorterCounty north of U.S. 94.

•Michigan City-LaPorteCounty north of U.S. 94.

•Madison-JeffersonCounty bounded on theeast by U.S. 421, on thenorth and west by St. Rd.62 and on the south by St.Rd. 56.

Urban deer zones allowbowhunters to harvest twoextra antlerless deer in thezones during regular deerhunting season. Huntersmust follow local ordi-nances and purchase anextra archery license foreach deer harvested.

MuskieA new muskellunge size

limit has been approved.Anglers may keep muskiesand tiger muskies 36inches or longer.

BassThe new minimum size

limit for all bass takenfrom rivers and streams is12 inches. A 14-inch mini-mum size is in effect for allbass taken from lakesincluding Lake Michigan.

Bag limits for bass havealso changed. The bassdaily bag limit is five fishstatewide and includes anycombination of large-mouth, smallmouth andspotted bass. A three bassdaily limit is now in effecton Lake Michigan.

Specialized bass size andbag limits are also in effectat certain waters. Consultthe Indiana Fishing forspecifics.

Trout/salmonAnglers on Lake Michigan

and its tributaries nowhave a 14-inch size mini-mum for trout and salmon.The daily bag limit remainsat five fish of any combi-nation of trout and salmonwith no more than twolake trout. Lake Michigananglers cannot possessmore than a single day’sbag limit of trout andsalmon while fishing onthe lake.

New regulations go into effect

Fish & wildlife rules updatedBefore launching a bass boat or putting on hunter

orange, Indiana sportsmen and women need to know theupdates to hunting and fishing regulations that becameeffective in June.

The regulation updates reflect an effort by the Divisionof Fish and Wildlife to improve conditions for naturalresources while responding to hunters, anglers and all Hoo-siers. With input from outdoor enthusiasts, the divisioncontinually reviews state regulations on fish and wildlifemanagement.

Listed are the updated regulations affecting most hunt-ers and anglers. For a complete list of updates, contact theDivision of Fish and Wildlife’s Indianapolis office at 317/232-4080.

The 1998-’99 Indiana Hunting & Trapping Guide containsthe new regulations for hunting and trapping in Indiana.The new fishing rules will be in next year’s state fishingguide. Guides are available from sporting goods stores, dis-count stores and most DNR properties.

Opossum and raccoonDog running season for

opossums and raccoons hasbeen shortened by 10 days.The new season is fromnoon, Feb. 15, to noon,Oct. 14 each year.

SquirrelSquirrel season has been

expanded a month insouthern Indiana. The newsquirrel seasons are fromAug. 15 to Dec. 31 north ofU.S. 40 and Aug. 15 to Jan.31 south of U.S. 40. South-ern Indiana squirrel hunt-ers must continue to wearhunter orange during theJanuary squirrel season.

Endangered speciesThe black rail and the

Virginia rail have beenadded to Indiana’s endan-gered species list.ò

10

Novelty or nuisance, curiosity orculprit. No matter what one’s opinionmay be about exotic species, importedspecies continue to challenge thenatural order of the aquatic environ-ment.

Every major aquatic ecosystem inIndiana has exotics of one form oranother. Some species, such as carpand Eurasian watermilfoil, have madea permanent footprint on the ecologyof Indiana lakes. The occasional ap-pearance of a bala shark or piranhain a public lake stimulates conversa-tions about illegal releases intoIndiana’s aquatic scene.

Exotic newcomers, such as zebramussels and Eurasian watermilfoil,are examples where the unforeseeneffects of an accidental introductioncan impact ecosystems beyond therelease point.

Zebra mussels, Eurasian water-milfoil, sea lamprey and round gobyare all now considered to be undes-ired residents of Indiana waters. Thefollowing provides a briefdescription of each exotic species:

Eurasian WatermilfoilThis aquatic weed was accidentally

introduced from Europe and reachedMidwestern states between 1950 and1980. Eurasian watermilfoil spreadsto new waters primarily by boats andwaterbirds. Fragments of this exoticcan cling to boats and trailers.Mechanical clearing for beaches,docks and landing creates thousandsof new stem fragments. Success atspreading and reproducing is aidedby fragmentations and undergroundrunners. Removal of native vegeta-tion creates perfect habitat for theEurasian watermilfoil to invade. How-ever, this exotic has had difficultybecoming established in lakes withwell established populations of na-tive plants. The plant’s floatingcanopy of vegetation can crowd outimportant native water plants in alake.

Zebra MusselsZebra mussels were not present in

Indiana 10 years ago but now can befound in waters of about 25 percentof Indiana’s counties. The small blackand white striped shelled mussel ismost prevalent in the natural lakesof north eastern and north centralIndiana, the Ohio River and LakeMichigan.

Attaching to surfaces using special“byssal threads,” zebra mussels colo-nize on any available hard surfacefrom docks and boat hulls to nativemollusks and trash. As a result, thezebra mussel has required some in-dustrial companies that use surfacewater to spend money removing themussel from water intake structuresand retrofitting control measures.

The zebra mussel feeds by filteringabout one quart of water each daythrough its system. Dense popula-tions in Lake Erie reportedly filterthe entire water contents of thewestern basin once every week.

One female can produce a millioneggs in a spawning season and live tobe 2 or 3 years old. Microscopic freeswimming larvae are called “veligers.”

Sea LampreyThe sea lamprey took nearly 100

years to invade Lake Erie from LakeOntario; but in the following 25years, it spread throughout the GreatLakes, explosively developing largepopulations except in warmer LakeErie. Catastrophic populations devel-oped in Lakes Huron, Michigan andSuperior, which decimated or con-tributed to the decline of lake troutand whitefish in the 1940s and1950s. Reproducing populations ofthe sea lamprey existed in the threeupper Great Lakes by 1947.

With a suction cup mouth, adultsea lamprey attach to deep waterfish, especially lake trout and chubs,for food. This attachment allowsthem to hitchhike to other areas easily.

The largest and most predaceous

of all its relatives, the sea lampreyattains an average length of nearly 3feet, has two large eyes, seven pairsof gill openings with a short headthat ends in a large sucking disc.

The sea lamprey spawns instreams, and migrating adults canmanage rapids easily by alternatelyswimming and attaching to stones.The lamprey is capable of overcomingnearly vertical barriers of 5-6 feet bycreeping the face with its suctorialdisc.

Round GobyNative to the Black and Caspian

seas of Europe, the round goby has alarge head resembling a tadpole. Thefish is an extremely territorial bot-tom dwelling fish, which grows up to10 inches long. Fisheries biologistsfirst discovered the round goby inLake St. Clair in 1990 and deter-mined that the species was intro-duced through ballast water fromtransoceanic ships. The goby thrivesvery well in the southern tip of LakeMichigan and has moved into theMississippi River watershed. Theround goby often takes over primespawning sites traditionally used bynative species.òprepared by Randy Lang, fishery staff specialist

Exotic aquaticsUndesirable foreign species outcompete nativespecies for food and habitat

Zebra mussels cling to a soft drink can.

11

Programs of

Fish & Wildlife

Richard’s enthusiasm for Indiana’speregrine falcons makes him an ef-fective ambassador for wildlife con-servation and the division’s effortswith endangered wildlife. In honor ofKinnett’s efforts, the male peregrinein Indianapolis was named “Kinney.”In addition, in May, Citizen’s Gas &Coke Utility presented him with thecompany’s 1998 Silver C.H.I.P. awardfor his efforts.

Richard Kinnett continued

Kinnett records the progress of peregrine chicksby watching a camera mounted in the nestbox.

“The best part of this job is thesatisfaction I feel knowing that I’mhelping these birds. I plan on moni-toring these falcons as long as I amable.”

For information on endangeredspecies, call the Division of Fish andWildlife at 317/232-4080.òprepared by Kathy Quimbach, informationspecialist for the Endangered Wildlife Program

The Division of Fish andWildlife provides primehunting opportunitiesthrough reserved hunts.DFW offers reserved huntsfor dove, deer and pheas-ant. Application cards arein the “1998-99 IndianaHunting Guide,” availablefrom sporting goods stores,discount stores and manyDNR properties.

Mourning Dove HuntsDeadline: Aug. 4

Seven DNR propertiesoffer reserved dove hunts.The hunts will take placethe first two days ofmourning dove season,typically Sept. 1-2. Seasondates are announced afterapproval from the U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service.

Properties are HardyLake State Recreation Area;Minnehaha, Pigeon Riverand Winamac Fish andWildlife areas; Huntington,Mississinewa and Salamonielakes.

Military/Refuge DeerDeadline: Aug. 21

Six federal propertiesoffer reserved deer hunts.Hunters may apply for fire-arms or archery reserved

hunts. Hunting dates areannounced later.

The properties are Atter-bury Reserved Forces Train-ing Area (Camp Atterbury),Jefferson Proving Ground,Crane Naval Surface WarfareCenter, Indiana Army Am-munition Plant, NewportArmy Ammunition Plant(Newport Chemical Depot)and Muscatatuck NationalWildlife Refuge.

Pheasant HuntsDeadline: Sept. 28

DFW’s game bird habitatareas offer reserved oppor-tunities for pheasant hunt-ing. Tracts in Jasper,Benton, Newton and Whitecounties will be open.

A reserved pheasantyouth hunt is also offeredon Nov. 27. Youth huntersunder the age of 18 mayapply for the youth hunt.

FWA Deer HuntsDeadline: Oct. 9

Three Fish and Wildlifeareas offer reserved deerhunting opportunities.Splinter Ridge, Tri-Countyand Winamac FWA will hostreserved hunts on theopening day of firearmsseason, Nov. 14.ò

Reserved hunt deadlines are here

The DNR presents theBackyard Theater at the Indi-ana State Fair in the wildlifedisplay area behind the DNRBuilding:

Aug. 12: Jim Mahoney, TheFox Show; Hardy Lake Inter-preters, The Reptile Kingdom.

Aug. 13: 4-H ShootingSports, Firearm Safety In TheHome; Indiana BowhuntersAssociation, Bowhunting.

Aug. 14: Darrel Smith, TheMountain Lion Show; PatokaLake Interpreters, The Turtle& Toad Jamboree.

Aug. 15: Wild Game Cook-out, A free taste of Indiana’sbountiful fish & wildlife re-sources. Compliments of Hoo-sier conservation groups.

Aug. 16: Lieber State Rec-reation Area Staff, SmokeyBear Party.

Aug. 17: The Royal RiverCompany, Fly Fishing Demon-

stration; Scott Pet Products,Friends Afield Bird Dog Dem-onstration.

Aug. 18: A Best WildlifeRemoval, Trapping NuisanceWildlife; John Dwiggins, Wild-life Calling.

Aug. 19: DNR Division ofEntomology, Butterfly Garden-ing; Indiana Falconry Associa-tion, The Art Of Falconry.

Aug. 20: GoFishIN, FishCleaning Demonstration; FlyMasters of Indianapolis, Cast-ing and Tying Demonstration.

Aug. 21: Hardy Lake Inter-preters, Hunters In The Night:Evening Owl Program; FortHarrison State Park Natural-ists, Nature At Night CampfireProgram.

Aug. 22: Canda OverleyWorman, Wild Animals AsPets.ò

Indiana State Fair visitors learn about natural resources from DNR natu-ralists. Wildlife presentations are featured at the DNR Backyard Theater.

Wildlife learning at the State Fair

12

BULK RATEU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDINDIANAPOLIS, IN

PERMIT #7429

Division of Fish and WildlifeDepartment of Natural Resources402 W. Washington St., Room W273Indianapolis, IN 46204317/232-4080

1998-99 Hoosier Outdoor CalendarPlease send me ______ calendars. Enclosed is a check/money order for $ ________ ($8 per calendar)

Print clearly

Name________________________________________

Address ______________________________________

City ____________ State ____________ Zip ______

Send to DNR Calendar Sales, 402 W. Washington St., RoomW160, Indianapolis, IN 46204

HoosierOutdoor CalendarFull-color calendar features

• Indiana season dates• Full-color wildlife paintings• Fishing hot spots• Nature facts

. . . and much more!

Calendars are available after Aug. 1 from theDivision of Fish and Wildlife for $8 each. Sendyour name, complete address and check toDNR Calendar Sales, 402 W. Washington St.,Room W160, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Allow 3 to4 weeks for delivery.

Proceeds from the calendar go to Indiana’s Fish and Wild-life Fund, which is used to protect and manage fish andwildlife resources in Indiana.

1998-19991998-19991998-19991998-19991998-1999Hoosier OutdoorHoosier OutdoorHoosier OutdoorHoosier OutdoorHoosier Outdoor

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