Visit DNR at the Indianapolis Boat, Sport & Travel Show
Come visit the DNR at the Ford Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel Show, Feb. 16-18 and 21-25, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
The DNR's main location is in Tackle Town in the Blue Ribbon Pavilion, and State Park Inns will have an information booth in the Tourism area of the show.
The booth in Tackle Town is a convenient one-stop shopping opportunity for licenses, state park passes, lake-use permits, eclipse glasses, and Outdoor Indiana magazine subscriptions. DNR biologists and conservation officers will be on hand throughout the show to share resources, as well as answer questions.
Winter Special – 2 nights for 1 at State Park Inns
It's not too late to take advantage of this offer, and winter is a great time to visit the beauty of the parks and enjoy savings at the Inns. We have lodge rooms and cabins located in the most beautiful places in Indiana, and we can't wait to see you.
Turkey Run, Abe Martin Lodge (in Brown County State Park), and Potawatomi Inn (in Pokagon State Park) offer cabins as well as lodge rooms.
Stay two nights for the price of one, Sunday-Thursday only, now through Feb. 29.
Call to reserve at 1.877.LODGES1.
2023 color photo winner: St. Michael’s Church in Madison by Melissa Burkhardt.
Historic Preservation Month photo contest starts
Get out your cameras and find your favorite historic destination because the DNR Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology’s annual preservation photo contest has begun.
All structures in photo entries must be at least 50 years old and in Indiana. They do not have to be fully restored. Photos of exclusively natural elements will not be accepted.
For complete rules and guidelines and for the required entry form, see on.IN.gov/preservationmonth. The contest deadline is April 5.
Become an Indiana Conservation Officer
The role of an Indiana Conservation Officer is centered on being service oriented, concentrating on full-time police work focused on community needs within natural resource laws and rules. Those who become officers will experience interesting challenges that vary from day to day.
Meet us at Marsh Madness
Join us at Marsh Madness, a community-based birding festival held in Linton, Feb. 16-17. Come celebrate the migration of sandhill cranes and waterfowl at Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area.
Led by the Friends of Goose Pond, the festival is filled with fun activities, including food trucks, master tracker programs, and nature trail walking tours.
Stay safe; always assume you are on ‘thin ice’
Every winter, thousands of Hoosiers safely enjoy fishing, skating, hiking, or just sliding around on frozen ponds and lakes. And every year, people drown after falling through ice.
Don’t let this happen to you or anyone around you.
Indiana Conservation Officers remind Hoosiers to be careful partaking in activities such as ice fishing, ice skating, and snowmobiling. Remember to put safety first. Take caution when going on frozen lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and retention ponds. And watch for others who may venture out on frozen waterways and find themselves in trouble.
Visit Hovey Lake FWA and Twin Swamps Nature Preserve
Hovey Lake Fish & Wildlife Area contains some of Indiana’s only bald cypress groves. While bald cypress typically grows farther south in the United States and thrives in moist soil along shorelines, at Hovey Lake, it grows in the water.
You can paddle through the groves by bringing your paddle craft and dropping into the water on one of the lakes’ public access ramps. You can view wildlife, fish, hunt, and also stop into Twin Swamps Nature Preserve for a stroll along the boardwalk.
Watch the video above for a virtual tour of the area.
New burbot state record set again
For the third time in the last 13 months, a new state record for burbot has been broken.
Anthony Burke of Cedar Lake was fishing for perch in Lake Michigan on Jan. 6 when he landed a burbot that was 37.25 inches long and weighed 14 pounds, 3.6 ounces. Burke’s catch bested the previous record held by Phillip Duracz by nearly three pounds.
Burbot are native to Lake Michigan. They typically spend most of their time offshore in deep, cold water in Illinois or Michigan’s jurisdictional waters. During late fall and winter, burbot move into shallower Indiana waters to feed and spawn.
Donate to wildlife on your taxes
You can support Indiana’s imperiled wildlife by donating to the Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund. Established in 1982, the dedicated fund supports nongame and endangered species conservation. These wildlife species and their habitats are essential to our quality of life, from improving environmental health to providing opportunities to see beautiful and unique animals across the state.
Donations to the Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund help DNR obtain additional funding through a federal match. Find out how to donate on your Indiana state taxes by watching this video.
Don’t forget to sign up for Nongame Wildlife Fund News to learn more about the fund’s history of successes.
Indiana Tree Project adds 3,000 more trees to Greene-Sullivan State Forest
In November volunteers from Clif Bar gathered alongside staff from the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation and the Division of Forestry once again. There to plant 3,000 trees as part of the Indiana Tree Project, the group was greeted by rolling fog and various waterfowl on the banks of Black Cat Lake in Greene-Sullivan State Forest.
Clif Bar’s dedication to the Indiana Tree Project has made a tremendous impact on Indiana’s public lands. During the last six years, more than 23,000 trees have been planted in three different state forests thanks to the group. With Forestry staff’s prep work and guidance, the group easily stepped off the bus and began their sixth planting day.
Solar Eclipse coming to Indiana on April 8
The zone of totality for the eclipse, in which it will become almost completely dark, runs through a number of DNR properties. The eclipse will first be visible in Indiana in the Mount Vernon area, and through the afternoon it will progress across the state through regions that include Linton, Bloomington, Indianapolis, Shelbyville, Muncie, New Castle, Connersville, and Portland.
Get your official DNR solar eclipse T-shirt and glasses
Gear up with the official Indiana State Park total solar eclipse glasses and T-shirt. This comfy shirt lists all the DNR properties in the zone of totality, so you'll be ready for this extraordinary event happening on April 8.
Rabies detected in skunk from Clark County
The Indiana State Board of Animal Health urges Hoosiers in Clark County to vaccinate their pets and keep their distance from wildlife after the detection of rabies for the first time in 20 years in an Indiana skunk. To avoid rabies while you’re exploring the area, avoid contact with wild animals and secure your trash.
Report your mudpuppy observations to DNR
DNR asks anglers to report sightings of the mudpuppy to help biologists track mudpuppy records across the state.
During winter, mudpuppies move into shallow water and are more frequently caught by anglers. They can be identified by their red, fluffy gills on the back of their head, although the gills tend to lay flat against their body when they are out of the water.
If you catch a mudpuppy while fishing, please photograph it, cut your fishing line, and release the mudpuppy back into the water. Report your observation to the DNR herpetologist at HerpSurveys@dnr.IN.gov and include a clear photograph of the mudpuppy, the date, and the location where it was found.
Seeking input on proposed deer hunting rule changes
The Indiana Natural Resources Commission (NRC) has opened a public comment period for proposed changes to Indiana’s deer hunting rules before they vote on final adoption of the proposed changes. Most proposed changes intend to simplify Indiana’s deer hunting rules to make them easier to understand.
Free Fishing Days
This year's Free Fishing Days are May 12, June 1-2, and Sept. 28. On these days, you can fish the state’s public waters without a fishing license or trout/salmon stamp. All other rules such as seasons, bag, and size limits apply. View our Where to Fish map for all of Indiana’s best fishing holes.
The Foundation celebrates and preserves Indiana’s natural legacy by raising funds to support the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and its programs.
