Photo by Bill Lea.

August marks the beginning of the fall through winter hunting season. During this period, which spans over six months, hunters will have the opportunity to bag many different types of game species here in Hoosierland.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) is doing an excellent job in managing the public properties that are in its care to provide a broad spectrum of hunting. From fast-paced wing-shooting, to big-racked deer hunting, Indiana has it. Moving through the calendar, let’s now take a look at where the action is.

AUGUST
Squirrels At Winamac FWA
Leading off the season on Aug. 15 are squirrels. And the Winamac Fish and Wildlife Area (FWA) is loaded with squirrel-hunting opportunities. Located in Pulaski County, Winamac FWA covers 4,750 acres.

“The squirrel hunting has been pretty good the last couple of years. We generally average between 300 to 500 squirrels per year,” property manager Tom Despot said. Last year, 526 squirrels were taken at Winamac. “Ninety-eight percent of these were fox squirrels,” he said. In terms of squirrel hunting, there are two types you can hunt in Indiana: grey and fox. “We do have a few grey squirrels,” Despot added.

As far as where to hunt on Winamac, Despot said that right through the middle of the property is good in areas 1B and 4B. He also noted that areas 7 and 9 are good locations for squirrels.

Winamac’s deciduous forested sections are characterized by second- growth oak. Despot noted that Winamac doesn’t have many hickories, which the squirrels like to feed on in the early season, but that Winamac has plenty of oaks that provide acorns for bushytails.

If you’re a squirrel hunter who prefers a shotgun instead of a small caliber rifle, it should be noted that Winamac does not have a shot restriction on shotgun shells. Of course, what type of gun you use is a matter of choice. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages. This writer prefers a .22 in long rifle with a descent scope. This is because a scope helps in low-light conditions (i.e., in the deeply shaded woods before the leaves come off) for allowing pinpoint shooting.

Squirrel hunting is a great way to introduce people, especially children, to the sport of hunting.

“By and large, the squirrel hunting here at Winamac is underutilized; there’s an awful lot of opportunity for it,” Despot said.

For more information on Winamac FWA, call (574) 946-4422.

SEPTEMBER
Doves At Kankakee FWA
One of the most exciting and challenging forms of wing-shooting that you can do in our state is mourning dove hunting. Mourning doves are the most hunted -- and harvested -- game bird in the United States. You can find these birds on many of the state’s FWAs. And one of the best in Indiana is Kankakee FWA.

Located in Starke and LaPorte counties (near the Kankakee and Yellow rivers), the Kankakee FWA contains 4,096 acres and it offers up some excellent dove shooting.

“The 2006 season was not a bad year. Actually, it was a little above average with 4,750 birds being taken,” property manager Glenn McCormick said. McCormick noted that the fields for dove hunting are the same every year.

“There are three fields at 75 acres each. We make them 1,500 feet long, and each can have 25 hunters,” he said.

Kankakee is a steel-shot-only facility, and two of the dove fields are located near the office building, while the other one is north of the Kankakee River off state Route (SR) 8.

Kankakee is a participant in the Reserved Dove Hunt, which means you have to be picked (by a lottery process) to hunt the property on the first two days of the season (typically Sept. 1 and 2). The Reserved Dove Hunts are an excellent way to get in on some of the best dove hunting in the state, and the Midwest! Please see the Indiana Hunting & Trapping Guide for details.