Free Fishing on National Hunting & Fishing Day
On Sept. 24 celebrate National Hunting & Fishing Day, which honors the sportsmen and women whose recreational activities have positively impacted fish and wildlife conservation.
Want to celebrate the day out by the water? Sept. 24 is also the last Free Fishing Day of 2022. On Free Fishing Days, Indiana residents can fish Indiana’s public waters without a fishing license or trout/salmon stamp. As fall begins in Indiana, invite your friends and family to join you outdoors and spend time together.
Indiana Archaeology Month starts Sept. 1
This year marks the 27th anniversary of a statewide celebration of archaeology in Indiana.
Archaeology Month starts Sept. 1, which Gov. Eric J. Holcomb has declared Indiana Archaeology Month Kickoff Day.
All month long, Hoosier history buffs can meet archaeologists and learn about the state’s fascinating past. Through the past years’ celebrations, thousands of members of the public have been able to experience archaeology in this and many other ways.
New Indiana Hunting & Trapping Guide
The new 2022-23 Indiana Hunting & Trapping Guide is now available online.
Printed copies are available at local hunting license retailers and DNR properties.
Hunt deer and feed hungry Hoosiers
Are you ready to hunt and simultaneously help fight hunger? Indiana hunters are encouraged to donate their harvested deer to the Sportsman’s Benevolence Fund to support hungry Hoosiers during the upcoming seasons.
The Sportsman’s Benevolence Fund provides grants to Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry, Dubois County Sportsmen Club, and Hunters and Farmers Feeding the Hungry to pay for processing fees when hunters donate legally harvested deer to the program.
The steps to participate are simple:
- Enjoy a deer hunting experience.
- Harvest your deer.
- Drop off your field-dressed deer at a local participating processor.
- Processing fees are paid for by the Sportsman's Benevolence Fund.
- The processor will create healthy venison burger to distribute to food banks.
Put/Take Pheasant Hunt Registration
Registration for the 2022 Put/Take Pheasant Hunts opens Sept. 14 at 7 a.m. ET. The hunts are from Nov.19-27, beginning the Saturday before Thanksgiving and continuing through the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Registration costs $30 per slot and is first-come, first-served. Once the daily hunter quota is reached, the area becomes unavailable. Hunters should print their registration confirmation sheet and bring it with them on the day of their hunts. The bag limit is two pheasants per person each day.
The Fish & Wildlife areas participating are Atterbury, Glendale, J.E. Roush Lake, Pigeon River, Tri County, Willow Slough, and Winamac.
To find out more, please contact the property that you are interested in hunting.
Additional reserved hunt opportunities available
If you missed the deadline for earlier reserved hunt opportunities, don't worry – there are more. You can apply for additional reserved hunt opportunities online.
The online method is the only way to apply for the hunts. No late entries will be accepted. Applicants must possess a hunting license that is valid for the hunt for which they apply.
Celebrate National Public Lands Day, Sept. 24-25 with DNR
National Public Lands Day is Saturday, Sept. 24. During that weekend Hoosiers can celebrate by supporting their favorite DNR property by doing volunteer work or simply visiting.
National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort involving public lands. DNR properties will have a variety of programs for visitors to volunteer or see volunteers in action.
On Sunday, Sept. 25, Indiana State Parks, Indiana State Forests, and State Recreation Areas will offer free admission where entrance fees are normally charged.
Events include hikes, pioneer activities, crafts, fishing programs, live bird shows, volunteer activities, and more. For a complete list of programs, see calendar.dnr.IN.gov.
For more information on National Public Lands Day, see https://www.neefusa.org/npld
Pints for Parks: Moontown Brewing's Continued Support of INRF and Indiana State Parks
For nearly the last two years, Moontown Brewing Company has been doing more than just brewing award-winning beers. Through the Pints for Parks series, it has donated more than $5,000 to the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation in support of Indiana State Parks.
Big 4 Trail opens, connects Boone and Clinton counties
The Indiana DNR, Next Level Trails (NLT), and the Town of Colfax opened the recently completed Big 4 Trail extension in Clinton and Boone counties on Aug. 6.
The trail dedication was held as part of the community’s Old Hickory Days Festival. The 4.7-mile asphalt multi-use trail was constructed by the town with help from a $1,661,400 NLT grant. The new trail extends the existing the Big 4 northwest from Thorntown, in Boone County, to the Town of Colfax, in Clinton County.
The extension was built along and named after the old Big Four rail corridor. The project included a trailhead in Colfax and two repaired bridges.
New issue of Outdoor Indiana features nongame wildlife
The new Outdoor Indiana features a cover article on nongame wildlife. Also featured are walking sticks, those trail companions dear to so many hikers, and Octave Chanute, the manned-flight pioneer who did many of his test flights on the Indiana Dunes.
Read excerpts at OutdoorIndiana.org, and subscribe today.
The Foundation celebrates and preserves Indiana’s natural legacy by raising funds to support the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and its programs.
