Indiana Outdoor News

FALL CRAPPIESPAGE 12

WORLD RECORDFISHINGPAGE 14

BEHIND THE BADGEPAGE 7

MORE MUSKIESPAGE 2

NOVEMBER OUTDOORCALENDAR - PAGE 13

WHITETAIL HUNTINGPAGES 8-9

WATERFOWLPAGE 6

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DNR LAUNCHES DEER WEB PAGE

COMPLIMENTS OF:

Indiana’s Choice for Outdoor News & Information • Since 1994Indiana’s Choice for Outdoor News & Information • Since 1994

INSIDE:

VOL. 2014 • No. 5 www.IndianaOutdoorNews.net NOVEMBER, 2014

POSTMASTER: Please deliver by November 7

A new DNR Web pagemakes it easy to find everythingyou need to know about white-tailed deer in Indiana.

Deer.dnr.IN.gov, is a one-stop-shop for information ondeer hunting, deer biology, howto respond to nuisance deer, thestate’s deer management strate-gy, scientific reports on topicssuch as harvest trends and dis-ease, and more.

“Whether you’re gettinginto deer hunting, need to keepthem out of your garden, or justfound an ‘abandoned’ fawn, thiswill be your place to go,” saidFalyn Owens, a deer researchbiologist with the DNR Divisionof Fish & Wildlife.

Urban deer hunting seasonand archery deer season arealready underway, and firearmsseason begins Nov. 15.

Hunters can use the Webpage to research licensing

requirements and regulations,download a permission form forhunting on private land, learnhow to donate venison, andwatch videos on tree stand safety,meat preparation and recipes.

The Michigan Department ofNatural Resources (MDNR) andU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(USFWS) are collaborating toassess a recent positive environ-mental DNA (eDNA) result for sil-ver carp – a species of Asian carp -- within the lower KalamazooRiver, Allegan County, Michigan.

Two hundred water sampleswere taken in July 2014 along theKalamazoo, from below theCaulkins Dam in Allegan County to the mouth of the river. Laboratoryresults, which take several months to process, were reviewed by the DNROct. 2. One of the of 200 samples tested positive for silver carp eDNA.The positive sample was taken from just below the Caulkins Dam.

An additional 200 eDNA samples were collected in the same vicini-ty in June and resulted in no positive results. The July sample representsthe first time that Michigan has experienced a positive result for silvercarp eDNA in Michigan’s Great Lakes waters outside of Maumee Bay.

The findings indicate the presence of genetic material of silver carp,such as scales, excrement or mucous. However, there is no evidence thata population of silver carp is established in the Kalamazoo River. In addi-tion to live fish, genetic material can enter water bodies via boats, fishinggear and the droppings of fish-eating birds. The lower Kalamazoo Riveris popular for recreational activities including fishing and boating.Activities such as these may increase the possibility of eDNA entering theriver without the presence of a live silver carp.

“Although not conclusive, this finding heightens our vigilance andsets into motion a specific response,” said MDNR Director Keith Creagh.“We will work with our partner organizations and anglers on next steps toprotect the Great Lakes and its tributaries against this significant threat.”

In response to the finding, the MDNR• Requested last Friday additional assistance from the USFWS to

implement a third eDNA surveillance effort on the lower KalamazooRiver. The collection of an additional 200 samples begins today. Analysisof the samples will be expedited and results should be available within amonth.

• Will increase the presence of MDNR staff along the KalamazooRiver to enlist anglers to report any Asian carp sightings.

Noble CountyMEGA Muskie!

Noble CountyMEGA Muskie!

Continued on Page 4

ASIAN CARP DNA DETECTED INLAKE MICHIGAN TRIBUTARY

Hunters can get the DNR iphoneapp, link to CheckIN Game orwatch videos of deer field dressingand processing on deer.dnr.IN.gov

USFWS Photo

Fall is BIG MUSKIE TIME. Webster Lake Guide Service owner Chae Dolsen caught and released this 51.7-

inch beast with a 24” girth on Noble County’s Loon Lake last month. One of the most popular muskie guides in Indiana,Dolsen has been muskie fishing for over 20 years, putting in hundreds of days on Indiana’s blue ribbon muskie waters eachseason. He has also been actively involved in muskie stocking and other muskie conservation and education programs. “I’vecaught several Indiana fish over 50-inches,” Dolsen told Indiana Outdoor News, “But I’ve never even seen one like thisbefore.” Learn more about Chae and his guide service at www.websterlakeguideservice.com.

Page 2 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2014© November 2014

JOSHLANTZ

57 passionate muskie anglersconverged on the tiny town ofMercer in Wisconsin's north woodsOctober 17 and 18 to compete inthe Third Annual Mercer MuskieMadness Challenge, an openmuskie tournament sponsored bythe Mercer Area Chamber ofCommerce, The Turtle FlambeauFlowage Association and GatewayLodge to benefit WoundedWarriors In Action (WWIA).

I’ve been to the Mercer areamany times, and always seem tofind a reason to return before I’veeven left. So, it was as easy deci-sion for me and my girlfriend --southeast Wisconsin-based outdoorwriter Kristen Monroe -- to enterthe tournament and cover the manystorylines to be found there.

The event challenged 29 two-person teams to catch, photographand release as many muskies aspossible from any of ten Mercer-area lakes over the two-day tourna-ment duration. Scoring was basedon a total point system, with eightpoints awarded for a 36-38” fish,ten points awarded for a 38-40”fish, and 25 points for any muskieover 40” plus one point per inch orportion thereof above the 40”mark. The rules allowed eachangler to fish with two lines - oneartificial bait and one live bait perangler.

Now, I may not be the bestmuskie fisherman in our neck ofthe muskie belt, but I’ve learned afew things over the past 15 years orso fishing with great Indianamuskie guides like Chae Dolsen,

Gary Enos and others. I lovemuskies, and have run quite a fewfly fishing trips for them over my14-year career as a fly fishingguide. During those fly fishingtrips, I always had a live sucker ortwo hanging off the back of myboat. Suckers are the great equal-izer, you see, and many a slow flyfishing day has been rescued whena fish followed the fly to the boatand discovered the vulnerable, softand delicious morsel dangling justa few feet away.

The month of October typical-ly brings some of the best muskiefishing of the year, as rapidlyfalling water temperatures triggerincreased feeding in the big preda-tors. Monroe and I had fished sev-eral Mercer area lakes early lastsummer, but I knew we’d need tochange our game plan and look fora new lake with more dramaticstructure if we were to have anychance of competing with thethrongs of local guides and savvyarea anglers in the tournamentfield.

Once the weather forecastcame in, I knew we'd need to fishas many deep breaks and as muchvertical structure as we could find.I carefully studied the high defini-tion detail of all available lakes onmy LakeMaster GPS Map Card inmy Humminbird GPS unit andended up selecting Spider Lake onthe upper section of Iron County'sTurtle River system. Even thoughwe'd never fished it before, the lakeappeared to have the best combina-tion of deep water breaks and otherstructure that we expected to beappealing to big muskies duringthe fall transition.

The first day of competitionbrought a 15-degree drop in tem-peratures, soaking rains and 20mph northwest winds to the Mercerarea. With water temperatureshovering around 49 degrees, mypartner and I launched from PineForest Resort and headed to thefirst of three key spots on SpiderLake where we planned to fish forthe entire tournament - all of which

had the steepest breaks on the lake,were between points, and also hadboulders or stumps. Our strategywas to cast and deep jig heavy softplastics like Buldawgs andMedusas along the breaks whilesoaking large live suckers on fluo-rocarbon quick strike rigs beneaththe boat.

The action started quickly, asa dark form shadowed myBulldawg to the boat just before9:00 am. Kristen and I began fren-zied figure eights, but the fish dis-appeared immediately. Minuteslater, however, the telltale clickeron one of our sucker rods began toscream. I plucked the rod from itsholder and waited for the fish tostop its initial run. When a muskietakes a sucker, she usually grabs itsideways and moves away with it.When she stops, she'll repositionthe fish to eat it headfirst. A fewseconds after the muskie stoppedmoving, I brought the line tight andset the hook with all the power Icould muster from the 8'-6” St.Croix Mojo Muskie rod. After abrief fight and flawless net work bymy diminutive partner, the bigmuskie found its way into ourFrabill Conservation Series land-ing net.

Measuring over 41” on thetournament-issued bump board, thefish was photographed andreleased just two hours into thetwo-day tournament. After a briefcelebration, we reset our lines andbegan fishing again, confident inour good start, but largely oblivi-ous to the true importance of thefish we had just released.

The remainder of the daybrought mixed results, with twoadditional sucker bites that werenot converted. One fish took thesucker, dropped it, and never cameback. Another took the bait andbroke main line on the hookset.There is nothing a serious fisher-man loathes more than losing afish, and we’d lost two opportuni-ties. We were crestfallen.

Monroe and I continued fish-ing hard throughout the cold, wet

In Indiana or Elsewhere, Big Muskies are Where You Find Them

Volume 2014 • Number 5

Publisher: Brian E. SmithAssistant Publisher: Mark C. Smith

Editor-in-Chief: Joshua D. LantzSportsmen’s Rights Editor: Rick Story

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and windy day one. While we feltgood about the fish we measured,we felt sick about the two we'dlost. But I was proud of Kristen.The conditions were horrible andthere she was: casting, retrievingand figure-eighting continuouslyand without abandon. She hadnever caught a muskie, and herdetermination and concentrationwere like those of a championpointer locked on a bird holdingtight to cover.

Suddenly, there came renewedoptimism, as Monroe's St. CroixPremier doubled over.

She was casting a gold andwhite, walleye-colored Medusaalong a deep weed edge when ithit. The healthy muskie wasplayed to the side of the boat andcradled in the Frabill. Hugs, highfives and photos ensued. The 32”fish was too small to earn addition-al tournament points, but was alandmark fish, nonetheless.Kristen had opportunities on twomuskies earlier this season, whichdidn’t pan out. She actually wrotean article about her previousmuskie fishing trip to Mercer andher plan to come back and actuallyland one in the Mercer Muskie

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Madness Challenge. “Regardlessof how we'd end up in the tourna-ment, I was so happy to havecaught that fish,” she says.

It would be the last fish of theday - and the tournament - for theteam of Lantz and Monroe.

With no tournament rulerequiring day-one reporting bycompetitors, we were unsure of ourstandings going into day two.Rumors about a Facebook post ofour 41+” fish, however -- com-bined with chatter from the fieldabout tough fishing conditions dur-ing dinner at the Gateway Lodgetournament headquarters that night-- gave us more than a glimmer ofhope that we might still be in therunning, especially if we couldproduce on day two.

We returned to Spider Lake onthe second and final day of thetournament, only to be greeted byeven colder temperatures, strongerwinds and snow squalls. Despitefishing tirelessly, we didn't see afish all day. That's muskie fishing.I joked with Kristen that we shouldhave gone grouse or duck huntinginstead. But while we didn't move

Mercer Muskie Madness Challenge benefits Wounded Warriors In Action

The author with the team’s 41+” day-one muskie. Kristen Monroe photo.

Continued on Page 10

November 2014 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® 2014© Page 3


WEST BOGGS RENNOVATION EXPECTED TOINCREASE ANGLER VISITS AND EXPENDITURES

The renovation of West Boggs Lake in Loogootee will not only restore fishing con-ditions, but also is expected to revive the lake’s significant contributions to the localeconomy.

West Boggs Lake was once a premier bluegill and bass fishing lake, drawing anglersfrom 81 Indiana counties, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio. Anglers spent an estimated$1.1 million in the local community in 1999, according to a DNR survey.

The quality of the fishery declined when populations of undesirable fish increased.From 2004 to 2010, the DNR survey found that recreational boating decreased by 11 per-cent and the number of angler visits decreased by 63 percent.

The once million-dollar fishery now contributes about $326,000 annually to theeconomy.

“Anglers buy bait, food, gas, and lodging in the area, bringing economic gain andtourism to the community,” DNR fisheries supervisor Brian Schoenung said. “In a smalltown, the nearly $800,000 dollars lost annually can have a big impact.”

The fisheries renovation at West Boggs began in late September with the removal ofadult bass and catfish that will be returned to the lake later on.

Trained DNR staff are now applying rotenone in the West Boggs watershed to erad-icate all remaining fish in the lake. Rotenone is a naturally occurring substance in sever-al plant seeds and stems, and is an EPA-regulated piscicide. Rotenone quickly detoxifiesin the environment and has virtually no effect on mammals and birds. After the fish erad-ication, the lake will be allowed to refill. It will be stocked with hatchery-raised gamefish and fish salvaged from the lake before the renovation.

A similar renovation in 1994 increased the number of angler visits to the lake annu-ally by 71 percent.

“The fisheries renovation will not only make for better fishing, but also has the abil-ity to revitalize a small community,” Schoenung said. “Small family-run businesses oftendepend on these anglers spending funds in their stores.”

IF YOU SEE A WILDLIFE VIOLATION ...

Less than 1 percent of Indiana’s nearly 400,000 hunters are found to be violating thelaw while hunting.

Finding wildlife violators often requires the input of hunters and other citizens whosee violations taking place.

Now that Hoosier hunting seasons are in full swing, the Indiana ConservationOfficers charged with enforcing the state’s wildlife laws ask hunters to keep two phonenumbers handy and enter them on their cell phones. The 24-hour Central Dispatch num-ber is (812) 837-9536. It documents the caller’s name. The Turn in a Poacher (TIP) hot-line number is 1-800-TIP-IDNR (4367). It allows the caller to remain anonymous.

If you see a suspected violation:

1. Safely gather as much information as you can (vehicle description, plate number,clothing description, number of people, location, direction of travel, etc.) withoutapproaching the subject.

2. Immediately call the appropriate number. 3. Do not communicate with the subject by yelling or informing them that you have

called a Conservation Officer.4. Continue to stay out of the subject’s area — allow the Conservation Officer to

approach the situation.5. Cooperate with the Conservation Officer.

79.8 PERCENT OF CAPTIVE DEER HERD INIOWA TESTS POSITIVE FOR CWD

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announcedlast month that the test results from the depopulation of a quarantined captive deer herd innorth-central Iowa showed that 284 of the 356 deer, or 79.8%, tested positive for ChronicWasting Disease (CWD). The owners of the quarantined herd have entered into a fence main-tenance agreement with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, whichrequires the owners to maintain the 8’ foot perimeter fence around the herd premises for fiveyears after the depopulation was complete and the premises had been cleaned and disinfected

CWD is a progressive, fatal, degenerative neurological disease of farmed and free-rang-ing deer, elk, and moose. There is no known treatment or vaccine for CWD. CWD is nota disease that affects humans.

On July 18, 2012, USDAAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) NationalVeterinary Services Lab in Ames, IA confirmed that a male white tail deer harvested from ahunting preserve in southeast IA was positive for CWD. An investigation revealed that thisanimal had just been introduced into the hunting preserve from the above-referenced captivedeer herd in north-central Iowa. The captive deer herd was immediately quarantined to pre-vent the spread of CWD and was subsequently depopulated by biologists and veterinarians.

Federal indemnity funding became available in 2014. USDA APHIS appraised the cap-tive deer herd of 376 animals at that time, which was before depopulation and testing, at$1,354,250. At that time a herd plan was developed with the owners and officials fromUSDA and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Indemnity of$917,100.00 from the USDA has been or will be paid to the owners as compensation for the356 captive deer depopulated.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship operates a voluntary CWDprogram for farms that sell live animals. Currently 145 Iowa farms participate in the volun-tary program. The above-referenced captive deer facility left the voluntary CWD programprior to the discovery of the disease as they had stopped selling live animals. All deer harvest-ed in a hunting preserve must be tested for CWD.

This month’s puzzle answers

on Page 13

• Will place information in local bait shops to broaden public awareness.

"At the state’s request, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is providing all the resources andtechnical expertise we have available," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Deputy RegionalDirector Charlie Wooley. "The Service is committed to working in a coordinated, landscape-level, approach to prevent the establishment of self-sustaining populations of Asian carp inthe Great Lakes."

The results from this third round of sampling will inform and guide any future assess-ment and response actions for silver carp in the Kalamazoo River. “We appreciate the assis-tance and technical expertise that the USFWS brings to the table in the development andimplementation of a comprehensive eDNA surveillance plan to further evaluate theKalamazoo River,” said Creagh. “We have well-established and practiced protocols foraddressing eDNA results. Our coordinated efforts represent an important and prudentresponse to this detection.”

MDNR has put significant effort toward assessing the fish populations of the KalamazooRiver with specialized gear that is capable of capturing carp. The MDNR has received noreports from anglers in this area that indicate the presence of live Asian carp.

In preparation for response to findings of bighead, silver or black carp in Michigan’swaters of the Great Lakes and tributaries, MDNR has conducted field and tabletop responseexercises to prepare for a possible invasion of Asian carp species such as silver carp. Fieldexercises, funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, were conducted in the St.Joseph River in 2013 and the Western Basin of Lake Erie in September 2014. In addition tothese exercises, nearly 1,800 eDNA water samples have been collected this year from GreatLakes tributaries in southwest and southeast Michigan.

With implementation of the recently signed Council of Great Lakes Governors’ AquaticInvasive Species Mutual Aid Agreement, the response exercises brought together staff fromother Great Lakes state and federal agencies, including Canada and Ontario, to test responsescenarios and various equipment and gear used to capture Asian carp species. Michigan hasa comprehensive Asian Carps Management Plan to guide prevention, early detection andmanagement responses. In addition, the state has recently launched a comprehensive invasivespecies effort to address threats to Michigan’s waters and land.

Asian carp, including bighead and silver carp, pose a significant threat to the GreatLakes ecosystem, the $7 billion fishery, and other economic interests dependent on the GreatLakes and its tributaries. Silver and bighead carp are likely to compete with native and recre-ational fish species and are known to quickly reproduce.

“The Kalamazoo River results further point to the urgency of the Great Lakes states tobe vigilant in seeking all solutions to keep Asian carp and other invasive species out of theGreat Lakes basin,” said Creagh. “Michigan continues to advocate for hydrological separa-tion between the Mississippi River basin and the Great Lakes basin as the best long-termsolution to the threat of Asian carp. By working together as a united front, we can address theimminent threat invasive species pose to our quality of life.”

Anglers and boaters are vital stewards to prevent movement of Asian carp and otherinvasive species that threaten Michigan’s waters. Anglers are urged to become familiar withthe identification of Asian carp, including both adults and juveniles, as the spread of juvenileAsian carp through the use of live bait buckets has been identified as a potential point of entryinto Great Lakes waters. Anglers and boaters are strongly encouraged to drain all water fromtheir boats and to clean boats and gear. Invasive species and eDNA are known to “hitchhike”within live-wells and attach to boat trailers, anchors and fishing gear.

A video demonstrating how to identify bighead and silver carp can be viewed athttp://youtu.be/B49OWrCRs38?source=govdelivery. A video focused on identification ofjuvenile Asian carp species can be viewed at http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153--317128--s,00.html. Identification guides, frequently asked questions, management plans andan online reporting form for Asian carp sightings are available online at michigan.gov/asian-carp. Results of eDNA monitoring from the Midwest region are posted here:http://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/eDNA.html.

Asian Carp DNA -- Continued From Cover



Waterfowlers are a dedicatedbunch. Wet, cold and windyweather are our ideal hunting con-ditions. Such miserable elementsprompt ducks and geese to movemore regularly between roosting,feeding and loafing areas whilealso pushing fresh birds downalong their fall migration routes.Sure, it's nasty outside, but you'dbetter be there if you want a shotat knocking them down.

Our sport is also gear-inten-sive, requiring long hours ofpreparation before we even setfoot in the field or marsh. At leastit should. And once that abundantgear is readied, it needs to betransported to and from the fieldin some of the most difficult andphysically challenging conditionsimaginable.

Yes, waterfowlers are amongthe most dedicated of hunters, butthey also make things harder thanthey need to be, inflicting unnec-essary pain upon themselves andothers in their hunting partiesthrough a lack of organization.

Harrison Township, Michiganwaterfowl pro Joe Balog logs hun-dreds of hours each season on thestoried St. Clair Flats, home tosome of the largest concentrationsof migrating waterfowl in theoften harsh and unforgiving GreatLakes region. Organization is cen-tral to Balog's waterfowl strategy.From decoys to dogs and the myr-iad of other gear he takes to thefield, every critical piece of equip-ment has its proper place inBalog's waterfowl system. “Whenyou hunt daily, as my group oftendoes, anything less than totalorganization makes life miser-able,” he says.

Decoys are among the mostcumbersome and space-intensivehunting essentials imaginable.They are bulky, heavy and requireanchors and lines that can quicklybecome a tangled nightmare whenrigged and transported traditional-ly.

While many hunters employvast decoy spreads, especiallyduring flight days, Balog rarelydoes. “I hunt an area with largenumbers of mallards and incredi-bly high hunting pressure,” saysBalog, who seeks out the tiny,

more remote pockets to hunt,where smaller and more realisticdecoy spreads yield excellentresults. In this case, smaller oftenmeans just 9-24 decoys. Less ismore, and realism is key. “I wantmy spread to look like a couplesmall groups of ducks gathered ina remote sweet spot to escapepressure and loaf,” says Balog,who uses mostly mallards, with acouple of other species like gad-wall or widgeon mixed in. “Latein the season I use more blackducks,” he adds.

Balog forgoes traditionaldecoy rigging and the accompany-

ing potential for temper-flaringtangles in favor of a Texas stylerigging system made by Rig 'EmRight. “Texas rigging their blocksis one of the best things marshhunters can do to eliminateheadaches in the field,” saysBalog, who keeps rigs of six to 12decoys worry free and ready fordeployment inside 108-quartPlano Sportsman's Trunks. “Thesesurprisingly affordable anddurable trunks are like gold in myboat,” says Balog, who also usesthem as movable shooting bench-es and dog platforms in additionto a safe, dry place to stash othergear like PFDs and additional dryclothing.

Balog's penchant for settingup in out-of-the-way pocketsmeans his stash of gear also

includes a variety of tools andequipment to aid in fast and flexi-ble concealment. “I often hunt byconstructing fast, temporaryblinds,” the Realtree prostaffersays. “Most times, my group and Ilike to pick an area that has goodoverhead cover - like a thickbunch of cattails or phragmites,but I always bring real-grass grassmats, too - like the ones fromAvery or Cabela's - and put themon conduit poles to make tempo-rary blinds whenever the naturalcover is insufficient.” The key tosuccessfully setting up and hunt-ing in these small hot spots is con-cealment. “Again, we try to huntin remote areas and have theducks come in right on top of us.”Continues Balog, who wears facepaint 100% of the time. “It'smandatory to hunt in my crew.”He says. “Even the dog gets cam-ouflaged with a custom-builtcover.”

Lake St. Clair is big waterthat commands great respect,along with additional preparationand gear. The lure of the big lakeand all its ducks attracts manyhunters who are unfamiliar withthe lake andhunting bigwater in general.Unfortunately,many huntingparties findt h e m s e l v e sstranded eachyear.

Balog takesno such chances,maintaining adedicated, water-proof boat boxcontaining dis-tress signals, ahandheld VHFradio, sparespark plugs,electrical andduct tape, pene-trating oil, cableties, first aid kit, extra flashlightand batteries, and boat paperwork.He keeps an identical box loadedwith a variety of tools, including asmall, propane torch and strikerfor de-icing duties. “I'm amazedby the number of hunters whodon't keep these essential safetyand maintenance items in theirboats,” Balog says. “They're justasking for trouble, and sooner orlater they'll get it.” While Planoand a few other companies makespecific marine safety boxes forthis purpose, most are orange - nogood on a duck boat. Balogemploys Plano's model 171200Ammo Case instead. “It's adurable, waterproof box that's bigenough for the chore, but not sobig that it takes up too muchspace,” he says. “And it's olivedrab in color.”

Of course, a blind bag is amust-have piece of gear for anywaterfowl hunter, providing spacefor items like shells, calls, gloves,phone and other items. But not allblind bags are created equal.Balog prefers the WF 13 bag by

WATERFOWL

Tenzing, and uses it exclusively.“When something works, I stickwith it,” he says. Whatever bagyou choose, features like adurable waterproof base and fullwaterproof exterior are a must.“Any other features are a bonus,”says Balog, who likes the WF 13

because of its durable zippers andhardware, storm shield cover, pullout hand muff with built-in handheater pockets, clear phone pock-et, and shoulderstrap with built-inbird loops. Whilecontents vary fromhunt-to-hunt, Balogkeeps certain itemsinside his blind bagat all times, includ-ing shells, choketubes and wrench,ear plugs, handwarmers, gloves,hats, face paint, calllanyard, dog whis-tle, ratcheting brushcutters, more cableties, multi-tool, andextra bottles ofwater.

Waterfowlersspend thousands ofdollars on gear, so it

Joe Balog's appreciation for organization has been garnered from thousandsof trips on the water as a hunting and fishing guide and touring FLW pro.Photo courtesy of Joe Balog.

Durable, waterproof Sportsman's Trunks, like these made by Plano, are stepsahead of the cheap ones you'll need to replace each season, and serve dou-ble duty as movable shooting benches. Photo courtesy of Joe Balog.

Texas rigged decoys iare ideal formost marsh hunting situations andnearly eliminate tangles. Photocourtesy of www.rigemright.com.

Duck Hunting is Hard Enough By Josh Lantz, with Joe Balog

makes sense to spend a few extrabucks on the specialized productsthat help keep it safe, dry, organ-ized, and in good working order.While many hunters do, most fallshort of Balog's standards. “Mysystem is extremely organized,”says Balog, who learned the

importance ofp r e p a r a t i o nand efficiencythrough yearsof fishing pro-fessionally onthe FLW Tourand guidingfishermen andhunters alike.“Organize orfail,” he says.“Sooner orlater we allrealize this.”

W a t e r f o w lhunting is chal-l e n g i n ge n o u g h .Develop andimplement a

storage system with the right,quality products, and you'llbecome a happier and more suc-cessful duck hunter.

Better organization and stealth yield minimal misery and maximum success

You don't have to learn the hard way. Anyone who hunts from a boat shouldkeep a dedicated, waterproof box containing emergency and maintenancetools and supplies. Photo courtesy of Joe Balog.

A blind bag is considered standard-issue equipment for the waterfowler, butnot all blind bags are standard. Choose a fully waterproof model with addi-tional features that provide maximum utility. Photo courtesy of Joe Balog.


At any sportsmen’s event that showcasesIndiana’s Conservation Officers, they almostalways feature a K-9 unit. The team of man anddog is highly popular and amazing to watch inaction. Not only is the dog loveable and friendlyenough to put a frightened youngster at ease, their training and natural skills make trackinga criminal child’s play.

In many cases a K-9 ICO, the four-legged kind, can find evidence in a matter of secondsthat would have been impossible for their human counterparts to ever locate.

ICO Gary Pennington was assigned to a case that involved two young hunters that mis-takenly shot at another hunter in the twilight. While thehunter wasn’t seriously hurt, it fell upon Pennington and hisdog, Apollo, to find the empty shotgun casing used in thecrime. The odds of finding an empty shotgun casing in ahuge, freshly harvested corn field seem long at best.

“I took Apollo off the leash,” Gary told me. “Heimmediately raised his nose, took a sharp left, and wentright to the shotgun hull.”

Gary gives Apollo all the credit in every case. “I haveto brag on my dog,” Gary laughed. “We (humans) couldhave gone out there all day picking through the cornfieldlooking for a little yellow hull, and may never have foundit. Apollo found it as soon as he was turned loose!”

IDNR K-9 Officers can also help in poaching, trespass-ing, and theft cases.

Several years ago a private land owner reported thatsomeone had poached a deer on his property and stolen atree stand, using an ATV to carry the stolen property andpoached deer from the scene. Since the big tires of theATV left little in the way of sign, the trail was lost.Once on the scene, Apollo followed the scent track through the woods to a barn almost a mileaway. In the barn was everything the ICOs needed to solve the case and prosecute the crim-inals.

Apollo isn’t the only amazing K-9 Officer. ICO Lance LaBonte has a four-legged part-ner named “Major” that helped conclude an investigation into a child’s tragic homicide.

A four-year old boy and his father from Bluffton were fishing from a pier on a privatepond near Ossian one evening in 2011. According to friends, Jacob Michuda loved fishingand frequently visited the pond with his father.

Fate can be a cruel master. The boy asked to go fishing at the pier for a little while

before bedtime. Few fathers would deny such anopportunity to enjoy life’s brief moments such asthat.

As father and son fished on the pier on a warmJuly night, distant sounds of gunfire echoed

across the water. Jacob suddenly collapsed with a bullet wound to his temple. Despite thebest attempts of family, police, paramedics, and hospital personnel, the boy died.*

Immediately afterwards, police started searching for the shooter. Their search led to ahouse some 150-200 yards from the pond, where a party of sorts was still going on.

During initial interviews the men denied knowing anything about the shooting or evenhearing any shots. Law enforcement personnel were notconvinced because of ammunition that could be seen lyingaround. However, a search of the area failed to produce afirearm that matched the boy’s wound.

In desperation, the state police brought in a dog tosearch for the weapon but nothing was found. At five in themorning, ICO LaBonte was called to see if he and Majorcould assist. Eight hours after the shooting, the team ofICO and K-9 arrived at the location.

LaBonte released Major to do a search of the barn lotand garden area of the suspect’s property. “I put Major onan area search, which allowed him to run around searchingfor a scent he is trained to identify, such as burnt gun pow-der or firearm cleaning solvents,” LaBonte said.Major quickly had a hit on a scent. “It wasn’t more thantwo minutes,” LaBonte told me. “Major was running pastthe garden at full speed when he put on the brakes.” Majordisappeared into the lush growth of the garden. WhenMajor didn’t reappear, LaBonte went to investigate. “WhenI walked up, he was standing there in the corn, looking at

me. In the dirt at his feet was a .22 caliber rifle.”Faced with the evidence, one of the men confessed to shooting at a light at the pond the nightbefore, which was a flashlight Jacob was playing with as they fished. When asked why, theman claimed that in his drunken state, the light annoyed him.

Thanks to the help of Major and other law enforcement personnel, the man was convict-ed of reckless homicide and sent to prison for 43 years.

* For more information on the case go to:foxnews.com/us/2011/07/24/sheriff-4-year-old-shot-in-head-while-fishing-with-dad/

K-9 Conservation Officers Find Key Evidence in Shooting Cases

ALANGARBERS


The buck stood at the edge of a picked cornfieldabout 250 yards away. Even at that distance I could seehe was a definite “shooter.” Rather than skirting the fieldand coming by my stand just off of the corner, he cutstraight across the middle. What to do? I picked up myrattle-bag and cracked it as hard as I could. He stoppedand turned his head in my direction. I hit the rattle-bag asecond time and he came on a steady trot in my direc-tion. Once he reached 100 yards he slowed to a fast walkand started to swing downwind. Long story short - hestood 80 yards downwind of me, hardly moving a mus-cle for almost five minutes. His only movements werehis ears searching for “the two bucks he had just heard”and his nose waving in the breeze scanning for othersupporting evidence. He turned and slowly disappearedover the ridge.

What makes a state of affairs seem real to you? Ifyou can see it, hear it, smell it, touch it - the more sens-es we satisfy, the more that scenario seems real. This isalso true for whitetails? By using different techniques ahunter can appeal to a variety of the whitetails’ senses atonce. On that day I sure wish I would have had somescent set-up or a decoy placed out to draw his attentionand coax him in the final 80 yards.

Does, fawns and young bucks will often ramblestraight into a well placed decoy, scent placed out prop-erly or a vocalization that sounds authentic, but a maturebuck almost always needs confirmation from more thanone source before they enter into the unknown. They dotrust their sense of smell entirely, but if they see or hearsomething and aren’t sure they’ll almost always wait forconfirmation before proceeding further.

Decoying can appeal to their sight, calling candeceive their hearing, and scent, or the lack of it, can contheir sense of smell. Why not do something to appeal tomore than one of their senses at a time. After having suc-cess with scent and with calling, I've been experimentingmore with decoys. Obviously decoys are not somethingthat most people use every time they venture afield, butit is an exciting tactic that can work amazingly wellwhen used in the right place and at the right time.I find that when using decoys, adding scent, calling, or acombo of both will almost always help, but you must payattention to a few details. I believe that decoy posture

and movement are particularly significant niceties. Somedecoys are in an alert posture. This typically brings otherdeer in alert and edgy. Sometimes I may want an alert,intimidating posture when presenting certain scenariosto mature bucks, but for most deer throughout most ofthe season you’ll be better off with other postures.

When is it natural for a standing deer to be totallymotionless? - When it’s alert, when something is wrongor out of place, or just before it’s about to bolt? I’ve trieda number of different things to add motion to decoys -from tying a string to a chicken feather or white hankyand taping the string to the backside or ear of the decoyand letting the wind move it, to tacking a real whitetail-tail to the backside of the decoy and operating it withmonofilament line. Granted, in a fifteen MPH wind thechicken feather starts fluttering so fast it looks like thedecoy will soon take flight, but I believe that extrememotion is better than no motion at all. There are kits onthe market to help convert standard decoys into motiondecoys and decoys that come with moving parts sohunters have options, but motion and posture are definitekeys.

Sometimes times I want instance, if I’m competition carworked great fornario ready to gobucks or any detors. The biggesgive “that deer”

What time oor will any deer Best advice herewants at that parson to close the dI feel a decoy in best.

When usingeliminating foreiin Scent Killer Sgloves or clean hin a place whereon to it. If you hgarbage bag or odors.

When chooswhat the specifictime of the seasoplain buck or doto the scenario.sometimes I'll uTarsal Plus. Onethe other is a terthe illusion my territory. Think interact with yousible and give th

When dispeon a Pro-Wick oputting the smelweek later your way I don’t havKeep the decoy

Make Whitetails Do a Double-Take: Keys to Bringing Bu

By Vandy StubbsThe Gamekeepers of Mossy Oak


an alert posture will work. In fact, some-a prepared, aggressive posture. Forafter a mature buck then “playing the

rd” and using aggressive tactics hasr me. I wish I would have had this sce-

o for that Iowa buck! When after youngerer, success depends on many other fac-

st detail to keep in mind is – you musta reason to interact with your set-up.of year is it? Are you after a buck, doe,do? What age-class buck are you after?

e, think about what that “specific deer”rticular time of year and give them a rea-distance. For any deer, any time of year,a feeding, greeting or bedded posture is

g scent with your decoy you must start byign smells. After your decoy is cleaned

Soap, only touch it while wearing rubberhunting gloves and make sure it's storede foreign odors are not going to transferave to transport your decoy, place it in asomething that will seal out foreign

sing lures and scents, again, think aboutc deer you’re after wants at that specificon. For instance, early season I might useoe urine…just something to add realism Closer to the rut with a buck decoyse a combo of Active Scrape and Mega

e gives a full spectrum scrape aroma andrritorial intrusion scent. Trying to createfake buck is moving into his breedingabout "how" and "why" a buck might

ur set-up. Make it seem as natural as pos-hem a reason to close the distance.ersing the scent, I prefer to put the scentr a Key-Wick near the decoy rather thanll right on the decoy. Simply because adecoy smells like last week’s pee. This

ve to constantly scrub down my decoy.clean.

Calling is another weapon in your arsenal. Onceagain, every situation is unique. It might be adding somesoft social grunts during early season while using a buckdecoy, but one of my favorite tactics during the rut is toplace out a bedded doe decoy with a small buck decoystanding over her about 10 yards away. I’ll place outsome Special Golden Estrus and maybe add an estrusbleat to seal the deal.

Some hunters believe by trying to appeal to moresenses you’re leaving yourself open to making moremistakes. Details are important whenever you huntwhitetails, but if you use common sense, keep humanscent out of the picture and present things as natural aspossible results will follow. Answer the questions of“why" a specific deer would interact with your set up,and when he does, “how” he might interact with the sce-nario you've presented? Maybe to be social or maybe it'sfor competition. The more realistic you can make it seemthe better it will work for you.

Would you like to learn more about improving yourhunting and get discounts on the products you need?Learn from the experts by joining the new Mossy OakGameKeepers Club at www.gamekeepersclub.com. Orcall 844-256-4645.

ucks to Decoys


Muskie Madness -- Continued From Page 2

a fish, we still had agreat day in a beau-tiful place. The suncame out and thewind died downduring the after-noon and we saweagles, deer, loonsand otters. Even ifthe muskies aren'tbiting, a day out-doors in Mercer’snorth woods beatsjust about anythingI can think of.

Tournament com-petitors gathered atGateway Lodgethat evening for anawards ceremonyand program, cele-

bration dinner, and a silent auction of donated muskie gear and other outdoors items to ben-efit the Wounded Warriors In Action (WWIA) Foundation, a non-profit organization with themission of serving our nation's combat wounded, Purple Heart recipients by providing world-class outdoor sporting activities.

After an informative program delivered by Wisconsin Fisheries Biologist, ZachLawson, Mercer Area Chamber of Commerce Director and MMM Challenge TournamentDirector, Tina Brunell, introduced wounded warriors Tony Pemble of Mercer and DougAlderton of Rhinelander, Wisconsin -- both Purple Heart recipients who served multipletours of duty in Afghanistan. Alderton gave a stirring speech, enlightening the crowd on thearray of challenges our soldiers face when returning home from service. “When our wound-ed warriors come home from such traumatic circumstances, they long for a return to 'normal',but struggle to find it,” says Alderton. “Our organization and the important help you sports-men give us shortens and softens that journey,” he continues.

As Alderton’s words sunk in, we had nearly forgotten about the awards ceremony tocome, and the unlikely possibility that we could have won anything. We were enjoyingeverything about where we were at and the people we were with.

Overall, a total of 12 scorable fish were caught and recorded over the tournament's two-day duration. An additional eight muskies under the 36” minimum size were also reported.When the awards began, we were genuinely shocked to learn that our lead had held out.With the torment of the two lost fish finally behind us, the team of two visiting outdoor writ-ers had earned 27 points for our big, day-one muskie -- good enough to take first place over-all and big fish honors for the tournament. Mercer area angler William Litke caught threescorable muskies fishing without a partner totaling 26 points and earning second place. AvidNorthern Wisconsin muskie anglers Mike Wichmann and Tom McDonough took third placewith two fish scoring a total of 18 points.

“Catches were down a bit this year due to the weather,” says Brunell, “but we certainlyhad a fun time raising money for Wounded Warriors In Action and made a bunch of newfriends.” Kristen and I could not have agreed more.

Of course, given Tina’s position with the Mercer Area Chamber of Commerce, we knew

she was also hopingthis year’s eventwould help spreadthe word about thegreat muskie fish-ing and other out-door recreationalactivities availablein the Mercer area.I suppose the factthat a couple of out-door writers wonprobably can’t hurt.

ABOUTMERCERWISCONSINFrom the back-woods waters of theTurtle FlambeauFlowage or one of214 lakes, you aresure to find a topnotch fishing adventure in Mercer, Wisconsin. Mercer also has plenty of other outdoor activ-ities such as snowmobiling, ATV/UTVing, hiking, biking, skiing, hunting, bird and wildlifewatching all within our 377,000 acres of public forestland. Visitors will find a variety oflodging and camping options, fantastic dining and north woods watering holes, plenty ofplaces to shop for amenities and gifts, and a range of services for your convenience. Planyour north woods adventure at www.mercercc.com.

ABOUT WOUNDED WARRIORS IN ACTIONEstablished in 2007, the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation (WWIA) is a national501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Apollo Beach Florida. The WWIA servesour nation's combat wounded Purple Heart recipients by providing world-class outdoorsporting activities as a means torecognize and honor their sacri-fice, encourage independence andconnections with communities,and promote healing and wellnessthrough camaraderie and a sharedpassion for the outdoors. Learnmore at www.woundedwarriorsi-naction.org.

Kristen Monroe with her first evermuskie, caught on a Medusa.Photo by author.

Mercer Chamber and Tournament Director, Tina Brunell gives a hug ofappreciation to Purple Heart recipients Doug Alderton of Rhinelander, WI(L) and Tony Pemble of Mercer, WI (R)

The author and his partner -- fellowoutdoor writer Kristen Monroe --found fun, friendship, memoriesand more on their recent trip toMercer, Wisconsin.

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Frabill’s new Panfish Popper Pro Series is the latestiteration of Frabill’s best-selling ice rod combos – a six-year evolution resulting in an unmatched combination ofvalue and performance, engineered and built to take care ofbusiness on the ice. Equipped complete with an ultra sensi-tive micro spring bobber and a smooth, infinite-anti-reversereel, the series is engineered to maximize performance,strike detection and hookset in any situation.

Frabill’s new Panfish Popper Pro series consists of a24” Ultra Light Spinning Combo, 26” Light SpinningCombo, 30” Deadstick Spinning Combo and a 36” HoleHopper Spinning Combo. Each unique setup features thesame fishing-friendly blanks and actions as the previousPanfish Popper Plus, but with upgraded aesthetics and newcustom reel seats with cork handle components.

MSRP is $29.99. Learn more at www.frabill.com.

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With a stabilizing rotational spin rate 10 times fasterthan conventional vanes and being almost unaffected bycrosswind, the new micro-diameter, six-vane Helios fletch-ing and nock system from Nockturnal has redefined arrowflight. Utilizing aerodynamic lift properties on six smallfletches instead of velocity-robbing parasitic drag of threelarger conventional fletches, the Helios delivers extremelyquiet flight, unmatched accuracy and deeper penetration atthe target.

Spinning at 2,500 RPMs at just 240 feet-per-secondforward arrow speed, the Helios has proven itself to be vir-

tually unaffected by 25 MPH crosswind in wind tunnel andrange testing. Whereas conventionally fletched arrows“yaw” or fly at the target at an angle in a crosswind, lead-ing to a direction change upon impact, the Helios fliesthrough the wind in a linear direction to deliver more ener-gy deeper into target.

The Helios incorporates a proprietary translucent ure-thane in the rear of the fletching that transmits light fromthe illuminated nock toward the archer in a spinning 1 1/8-inch diameter glow. The translucent urethane is permanent-ly bonded to an opaque white urethane in the front of thevane system that blocks the glow from the target. Thedurable Helios fletching is molded in one piece, so no jigsare required for installation, and there’s no possibility ofmisaligned fletching or vanes that come loose in flight.Each Helios vane and nock system weighs 54 grains.

The Helios is available in either the standard illuminat-ed version with an instant-on, string-activated nock or as anon-illuminated Helios Eclipse version for practice and forstates that don’t allow illuminated nocks. Five sizes areavailable in each version—S, G, H, GT and X. Suggestedretail of the Helios illuminated nock and vanes is $34.99 fora three pack of either red or green, and the Helios Eclipseis available as a six-pack for $34.99.

To watch the wind-tunnel comparison of the Helios toconventional vanes, visithttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zNRTHrk4Qw. Learnmore at www.nockturnal.com.

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Chevrolet unveiled its all new midsize pickup truck-- the 2015 Colorado -- earlier this fall. Members of theoutdoor media got a chance to see the new truck up closeat the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers(AGLOW) Conference at Kentucky Lake late lastSeptember.

The truck is a brand new design inside and out,replacing the first generation Colorado, made between2004 and 2012.

Available in Extended Cab and Crew Cab models,the new Colorado has two initial engine options, a stan-dard 2.5L inline 4, or a 3.6L V6. Chevy says a smalldiesel option will be available in 2016. Sportsmen look-ing at the 2015 will want the 3.6, which produces awhopping 305 HP and 269 ft-lbs of torque while achiev-ing an EPA-estimated best-in-class 26 MPG hwy.Matched with a 6-speed automatic transmission andequipped with the available trailering package, the 3.6LV6 equipped Colorado will tow up to 7,000 lbs. That’san incredible amount of capability in an economicalmid-sized truck.

We love the all new styling inside and out -- espe-cially with the Z71 Crew Cab model. It’s just what welike in a truck -- aggressive and capable on the outside,and refined, quiet, comfortable and high-tech on theinside. With sporty leather trimmed seats, rearview cam-era and 8” Chevrolet MyLink touch screen with avail-able navigation, we didn’t want to get out of this truck.You won’t either.

The all new Chevrolet Colorado starts at just$20,120, but we recommend cutting to the chase. Aloaded up Colorado Z71 Crew Cab comes in at around$32,000. Learn more at www.chevrolet.com.



Jigging spoons like the classic 3/8oz. CC Spoon from Cotton Cordelare deadly deepwater weaponswhen fished vertically in brush andtrees. Expect to catch bonus bass,too. Photos by Josh Lantz.

BABEWINKELMAN

Finding and Catching Fall Crappies

With the arrival of fall manyfolks are packing their rods andreels away until next spring. Chillyweather and falling leaves pushmany of you into the woods tochase your favorite wild gameleaving most lakes a barren placeby early November. This isdepressing, as fall can be a veryproductive time to chase crappiesand give you the upper hand oncewinter sets in, which hopefully isn'tany time soon. Here are a few tipsthat will help you find and connect

with these November slabs.

LocationLike many of you, as soon as

the spring spawn is over I am chas-ing other species of fish leaving meto start over when finding crappiesin the fall. I must admit, as watertemperatures drop and lakes beginturning over, finding fall crappiescan be frustrating. Do not let thisdiscourage you or keep you fromchasing after fall crappies. Whenlocating these slab crappies I tendto return to areas that where pro-ductive for me in the later springmonths, as many crappies tend toreappear here. This is becausethey are moving from their summerlocations to fall locations in prepa-ration for the long winter monthsbeneath the ice. While dialing inthese transitional locations, searchout side of weed lines or brushwhere deep water is nearby.

Targeting thenorth side of thelake or a northernbay of the lakecan increase yourchance of locat-ing crappies, asthe winds tend toblow the coolerwater to theopposite end ofthe lake leavingyou with warmerwater tempera-tures in theselocations. Also,

using electronics is critical in help-ing locate these slabs.

TechniqueWhen it comes to choosing my

favorite technique, I could not justchoose one. A technique I like touse is fan casting small jigs or hairjigs tipped with a soft plastic orminnows around target structurelike deep brush piles and stumps.After my cast I let the jig fall slow-ly, then proceed to start my retrievevery slowly in hopes of connectingwith a fish.

Another technique I use is aslip bobber paired with a small jigand plastic combo. This is a greatway to toss your bait on a particu-lar structure and hold it there untila fish can't resist any longer. Makesure you set the depth of your baita foot or two above the crappies, asthey like to strike upwards. This isimportant to keep in mind if youare not receiving any strikes, as itcould mean your bait is too deep oractually below the fish.

Vertical jigging in trees andbrush with jigging spoons can alsobe a great fall pattern. It’s surpris-ing how such a relatively large andheavy piece of metal can be soattractive to fall crappies. Positionyour boat directly over the coverand slowly lower your spoon downto the target depth. Begin shakingthe spoon with your rod tip, thensnap the jig a foot or so upwards.Let it fall again on a tight line, thenbegin shaking it again to repeat the

process.When it comes to setting the

hook on some fall slabs, I like topair myself up with a 6' St. CroixPanfish Series spinning rod. Thisrod gives me the sensitivity neededto detect light strikes along with astrong backbone to land crappies ofany size. Any of the St. CroixPanfish Series rods are an absolutejoy to fish with.

There is plenty of fishing leftthis season, so don't be too quick to

put your rods and boats away justyet. Less pressure on the lakes andcooling water temperatures com-bine to create a near perfect recipefor catching large numbers of qual-ity fall crappies.

Do not miss out on this greatopportunity.

Small jigs tipped with soft plastics fished with or withouta float are proven fall producers. Photo by Josh Lantz.


ACROSS

1 Type area where whitetails are found5 A species of dove9 Name for turkeys that keep calling11 Classed as a rodent14 A recognition honor15 Stream fishermen may do this18 Term refers to 30. caliber19 A good catfish bait21 Term for tales about size of catch22 Letters denote a model shotgun23 A breed of retriever26 Term in competitive shoot, _____ fire27 Fish are said to have this sense30 Small fish eaten by larger fish32 A name for the catfish34 A care procedure on bows and guns35 Good item to take on hunting trips36 The maker of bows

DOWN

1 A wildfowl migration path2 To ready for another shot3 Consider this when reeling a lunker4 Wild packs of these kill many deer5 Good item to have in strange areas6 Albino animals are very _____7 Pack the day's catch in this8 A nuisance fish tangles trotlines12 A deer food source13 Deer will ____ to avoid danger16 Also called a bowfin17 A large wading bird18 Hunter's name for a small tree dweller19 A stream fisherman's wear20 A species of deer24 Good dog breed for pheasant hunt25 Common result of shooting game on run28 Name for the Hawaiian goose29 Name for the three-bladed arrow31 Used for bait at timrs32 He usually has a harem33 A large group of animals34 Young bears

A.M. A.M P. M. P.M.Minor Major Minor Major Sunrise Sunset Fishing Quality / Notes

01 Sat 1:08 7:51 2:35 8:26 8:13 6:42 Fair02 Sun 2:17 8:44 3:12 8:44 8:14 6:41 Poor03 Mon 2:26 8:37 2:48 9:11 7:16 5:40 Poor / Set Clocks Back04 Tue 3:34 9:29 3:25 10:04 7:17 5:39 Fair05 Wed 4:43 10:23 4:03 10:57 7:18 5:38 Fair06 Thu 5:51 11:17 4:44 ----- 7:19 5:37 Poor07 Fri 6:56 ----- 5:28 12:12 7:21 5:36 Fair / Full Moon08 Sat 7:57 12:42 6:16 1:06 7:22 5:35 Fair09 Sun 8:54 1:35 7:07 2:00 7:23 5:34 Fair10 Mon 9:45 2:26 8:00 2:52 7:24 5:33 Fair11 Tue 10:31 3:15 8:55 3:43 7:25 5:32 Fair12 Wed 11:10 4:02 9:50 4:30 7:26 5:31 Poor13 Thu 11:47 4:48 10:46 5:16 7:27 5:30 Poor14 Fri ----- 5:40 12:20 6:00 7:29 5:30 Fair / Waning Half Moon15 Sat ----- 6:15 12:50 6:43 7:30 5:29 Fair16 Sun 12:37 6:58 1:20 7:26 7:31 5:28 Fair17 Mon 1:33 7:41 1:49 8:10 7:32 5:27 Fair18 Tue 2:31 8:25 2:20 8:54 7:33 5:27 Fair19 Wed 3:29 9:11 2:53 9:41 7:34 5:26 Fair20 Thu 4:30 9:59 3:28 10:29 7:35 5:25 Fair21 Fri 5:31 10:49 4:08 ----- 7:37 5:25 Good22 Sat 6:33 11:43 4:54 ----- 7:38 5:24 Good/ New Moon23 Sun 7:34 12:14 5:46 12:40 7:39 5:24 Good24 Mon 8:32 1:09 6:44 1:38 7:40 5:23 Good25 Tue 9:25 2:04 7:47 2:37 7:41 5:23 Fair26 Wed 10:14 3:00 8:53 3:33 7:42 5:22 Fair27 Thu 10:58 3:55 10:01 4:29 7:43 5:22 Fair28 Fri 11:37 4:49 ----- 5:22 7:44 5:21 Poor29 Sat ----- 5:41 12:14 6:15 7:45 5:21 Poor / Waxing Half Moon30 Sun 12:16 6:32 12:49 7:06 7:46 5:21 Fair

November’s Best Hunting & Fishing Times...

Indiana Outdoor CalendarNovember, 2014

Snipe Hunting Season (Statewide) Open All MonthNorth Zone Duck Hunting Season Open All MonthCentral Zone Duck and Canada Goose Hunting Seasons Open All MonthFox and Coyote Hunting and Trapping Seasons Open All MonthUrban Zone Deer Hunting Season Open All MonthDeer Archery Hunting Season Open All MonthPheasant Hunting Season Open All MonthQuail Hunting Season Open All Month (Statewide)**Rabbit Hunting Season Open All MonthGray and Fox Squirrel Hunting Season Open All MonthPrivate Land Ruffed Grouse Hunting Season Open All Month*Green Frog and Bullfrog Hunting Season Open All Month

Nov. 1-9: Middle Split Dove Hunting Season Nov. 1-9: South Zone Early Split Duck Hunting SeasonNov. 1-10: South Zone Early Split Canada Goose Hunting Season OpensNov. 8: Raccoon and Opossum Hunting and Trapping Seasons Open

(No Dog Running)Nov. 9: Last Day of North Zone Early Split Canada Goose Hunting SeasonNov. 9: Last Day of Sora Rail Hunting Season Nov. 14: Last Day of Ruffed Grouse Hunting Season on Public Lands*Nov. 15-30: Deer Firearms Hunting SeasonNov. 15: Beaver, Mink, Muskrat and Long-Tailed Weasel Trapping Seasons OpenNov. 27: North Zone Middle Split Season Canada Goose Hunting Season OpensNov. 28: Last Day of Woodcock Hunting SeasonNov. 29: South Zone Late Split Duck and Canada Goose Hunting Seasons Open

* Ruffed Grouse Hunting in Select Counties Only. See Indiana Hunting and TrappingGuide

** Quail Hunting Season Dates Vary on Some DNR Properties. See Indiana Huntingand Trapping Guide

• A variety of Hunter Education courses are offered around the state this month. Fordetails, visit www.in.gov/dnr/lawenfor/4812.htm.

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Answers on Page 4


Since the first hunters sataround campfires and the firstsport fishermen sat around fishinglodges at the end of the day, thetalk would always revert to whocaught the largest fish or shot thebiggest buck as bragging rights.It’s still that way.

Longest pheasant tail feathercontests, biggest goose, big fish,most fish, it hasn’t changed. Manysportsmen are competitive.

Even those who propose theyare non-competitors will check outnews that some lucky or veryskilled hunter or angler has landedor harvested a specimen of recordproportions. Maybe they don’tplay the game, but they pay atten-tion.

Actually, I’m not a gameplayer at heart. I like bagging orboxing exceptional specimens ofwhat I hunt, fish or trap, but Idon’t venture forth on any givenday with the goal of setting arecord or winning a prize. Exceptonce.

It was early, early season on

World Record Fishing

Lake Michigan. It may have beenmy first outing of the year. It waspre-1995 because I remember wewere on the boat I owned between‘’87 and ‘’94. Another outdoorwriter and I were going to fish thehot water discharges down at thesouthern end of the lake (pre-9/11/2001, most of these wereopen to fishing) Winter-chilledsalmon and trout were abundant inthe warmed water oasis areas.

Both Tom and myself hadrecently received a news releasefrom the National Fresh WaterFishing Hall of Fame (NFWFHF)announcing their new “catch andrelease” category for world recordcatches. Under the “old” rules, itwas possible to catch a worldrecord fish, weigh it, photographit, get it weighed on a certifiedscale and identified by a profes-sional fisheries biologist withoutkilling it. Possible, but not proba-ble. By the time the fish was putthrough the process, withoutextraordinary planning or luck, thefish was a goner.

One could say the death of therecord fish, say a 70-pound musky,was worth the price. But what ifthe “hopefully” 70-pound recordfish was a few pounds short anddidn’t tip the scales to become therecord? A potential world record(if it had lived another coupleyears) was just so much fish-fryfodder. At the time, the C&R pro-

ponents were lobbying hard toexpand the practice. Catching toeat was one thing. Catching to geta certificate suitable for framingand a couple of jacket patches wasanother.

So the NFWFHF came upwith a new set of rules, a new entryblank and a blank set of worldrecords for anglers who sought theglory of catching a record sizedfish without the stigma of beingcharacterized as a “fish-killer.” Itwas the blank slate aspect thatintrigued Tom and myself thatmorning.

Since we had been the recipi-ent of the news release about thenew program only a few days ear-lier, chances are the news hadn’tbeen passed on to other, non-pressfishermen and that gave us a headstart. It was likely if we caught acoho, even a miniature spring 17-incher, it would be a world recordsince it would be the first to beentered. If we caught a 20–inch, 3-pound (guessed weight) browntrout or a skinny immature steel-head, it would be champion, atleast for a while.

So that was our goal for theday. Set some world records. Nottry for a single world record, nothope we’d come close to a worldrecord, but to set multiple worldrecords, all in the same day. Wedid it!

The fishing was terrific that

The Last ThoughtMIKESCHOONVELD

day. We caught and releaseddozens of trout and salmon. Wetook the time to comply with thenew rules that would establish newworld records on four of them. Wehad to measure the fish, nose totail, photograph the fish close upenough that you could detail theexact species, then quickly releaseit before it died from handling orfrom being out of the water. Iclaimed two of the initial titles. A

20-inch brown trout and a 22-inchchinook were my claims to fame,in the 10-pound line class. A 19-inch coho and an equally sizedsteelhead earned Tom certificates,suitable for framing.

It was a fun outing with awhipped cream topping. Three ofthe four records we establishedwere quickly shattered. My 22-inch chinook in the 10-pound lineclass endured for three years!

In the beginning, almost any caught and released fish had "world record"potential. Photo provided.


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Indiana Outdoor News