HUNTING CALENDAR Download the six-month Indiana hunting calendar by clicking here.

By Mike Graves

There aren't many outdoor opportunities or recreational pursuits a person could choose to get involved with that have the diversity of Indiana's hunting. Starting in August and going through January, the main hunting seasons in Hoosierland offer something for everyone who picks up a rifle, shotgun or bow.

In this article, we're going to take a look at six months worth of hunting, covering six different species to fill your bag or tags on public land. First up, let's start with squirrels in August.

Getting out around the opener can be very rewarding in terms of filling your bag, and for other reasons, too. "In the real early season, there's a good chance there will be fewer hunters in the woods, as a lot of squirrel hunters like to wait until it cools off and the leaves change color somewhat before they get out," Brigham said.

Squirrels can be taken throughout Indiana, and they can be found on many, if not all, of the fish and wildlife areas (FWAs) managed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR). FWAs that have lots of hardwood trees are the kinds of woods squirrels prefer.

The Winamac FWA near the town of Winamac in Pulaski County is blessed with many acres of hardwood trees, and this makes it a good place to hunt squirrels.

Tom Despot is the property manager at Winamac. "The squirrel hunting here at Winamac has been good over the last several years. But last year (2003), we were a little off compared to 2002 and 2001."

Despot said the trend at Winamac was noted throughout the northern part of the state on other FWAs. In fact, the situation was so prevalent that Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) biologists are looking into the negative trend, but at this point, there is no solid explanation for the lower bushytail numbers.

Even with the downward trend, some 400 squirrels were harvested at Winamac last year. Despot said areas 1, 4 and 7 are good bets for squirrels this year.

To help hunters in the early season, Brigham suggests that they use a pair of binoculars. "A good pair of binoculars should be taken with you, because the leaves will still be on the trees, which makes seeing squirrels really tough." Any edge you can take advantage of will help out when hunting these critters, which have eyes like an eagle and ears like a deer.

Bug spray to keep mosquitoes at bay, and a cooler full of ice to keep your squirrels from spoiling during the warm month of August when summer temperatures are still soaring are good ideas. Remember, you are required to wear hunter's safety orange when hunting squirrels during the deer-hunting firearms season.

You can contact the Winamac FWA at (574) 946-4422.

Last season at Jasper-Pulaski, nearly 2,500 doves were harvested. Of course, the main portion of this total was taken in the first week of the season. Property manager Jim Bergens said that during this time period 2,339 doves were harvested.

Jasper-Pulaski, like many of the other popular dove-hunting FWA properties, participates in the DFW's reserved mourning dove hunts. As per the rules of this system, the first two days of the dove season are restricted to hunters who were picked for the reserved hunt at the FWA of their choosing.

If you're not picked in the reserved hunt, Bergens said, "We conduct a no-show drawing on the first two days of the season." This means there is a possibility - albeit a slim one - you can still get picked.

Speaking from personal experience, this writer can tell you it is possible to have good luck, because one year I was picked first in the no-show draw. Additionally, Bergens notes there is a draw on the third day of the season if enough hunters show up to participate, which is almost assured. Whether a draw is held on subsequent days is dependent upon how many hunters show up.

If you don't know it already, you can get all the information you need about the reserved dove hunt (and other reserved-type hunts) in the 2004-2005 Indiana Hunting & Trapping Guide. Basically, you fill out a form, mail it in, and hope to get picked. It's extremely important to fill the form out correctly, and mail it in by the deadline.

Be sure to take nontoxic shot with you if you hunt doves at Jasper-Pulaski. "It depends, but we usually have seven shooting areas, and two or three of these are steel shot only," Bergens said.

A Harvest Information Program (HIP) number is also required to legally hunt doves. You can obtain your HIP number by calling toll-free (800) WETLANDS. For more information about Jasper-Pulaski FWA, call (219) 843-4841.

Photo by John R. Ford

Moreover, the weather is milder during the early season, and this makes the hunting experience more enjoyable, especially on clear, crisp autumn days that warm quickly. Not to mention the kaleidoscope of brilliant fall colors to view.

Kingsbury FWA is in LaPorte County near the town of the same name, and it encompasses 6,068 acres of land. Not insignificantly, part of this FWA is off-limits to hunters, which acts as a deer magnet for herds in the immediate vicinity.

In this off-limits area, defective ammunition was buried many years ago. If you're wondering how this could be, Kingsbury is located on what was an ammunition factory for the United States military. When something would go wrong in the manufacturing process, the defective ammo had to be buried. The area where the ammo is buried makes for a nice hiding place for deer and other animals because it is strictly off-limits to humans.

Kingsbury has a record of posting very good harvest numbers for deer every year, especially in the early archery season. For this reason, it's a good idea to get your tree stand up early.

Beginning on Sept. 1 at 12 p.m., deer hunters can put their tree stands up. Stands can remain on the property until Jan. 10. After this date, they must be removed. Please check this date for accuracy as the season nears because it could change. Tree stands at Kingsbury must have proper identification, and they must be of the portable type.

If you can get to Kingsbury before the season starts, which is usually Oct. 1, you'll be able to do some scouting as well. As all deer hunters know, scouting can really pay off big. Look for deer trails that connect feeding and bedding areas. Setting up your tree stand along one of these trails will improve your chances of tagging a nice buck or doe.

The DFW strongly recommends that hunters utilizing tree stands use fall-restraint devices, and that they be used correctly.

In the 2003 Hunting and Trapping Guide, the DNR states that a majority of hunting-related injuries in our state are the result of falls from tree stands, not gunshot accidents. It also states that according to a hunter survey, one out of every three hunters (i.e., 33.3 percent) will eventually end up falling out of a tree stand.

Therefore, please be sure to check out the integrity of your tree stand, know how to put it up properly, and wear a fall-restraint system that you know how to use correctly.

During the 2003 archery season, I used a full-body fall-restraint system that at first had me puzzled. It took me a while to figure out how to put it on properly, but I finally got the hang of it after trying it out at home. I'm glad I practiced at home, because on several occasions, I was strapping it on by the dome light of my truck in the pre-dawn hours.

To keep their archery skills sharp, many bowhunters participate in 3-D shoots throughout the summer. These shoots are fun, and an excellent way to hone archery-shooting skills.

In a typical year, about 130 deer are killed in the early archery season at Kingsbury FWA. All of the areas that are open for deer hunting at Kingsbury can produce deer. The contact number for Kingsbury is (219) 393-3612.

Jim Whitted of Valparaiso has hunted pheasants at Willow Slough for more than a decade. "Area 13 is a good place, but it's very challenging. To make the most of this area's location, you need a hard-working dog that will bust the brush for ringnecks," he said.

In addition to the Slough's abundant acreage, pheasant hunters can also utilize the Sands property, which is located just across the highway. I hunted this property a couple of seasons ago, and the dogs went nuts on pheasants that ran and ran. Blocking techniques or "pinch" techniques that keep pheasants from running away like track stars should be considered when hunting the Sands.

Willow Slough operates on a "flip-flop" schedule with the Sands. That is to say, on one day the Sands is hunted for pheasants and on the next day areas in Willow Slough are hunted. If you can figure out the birds' daily movements, you can capitalize on some good hunting.

"The No. 1 rule for hunting pheasants is to hunt where you know the pheasants are. Hunting across from the Sands where the birds can fly across the highway into the Slough can pay off," Jim Whitted said.

If the spring of 2004 is favorable for pheasant broods, there's a real good chance there will be a lot of wild ringnecks at Willow Slough. However, even with a wet and cold spring, there will still be plenty of good pheasant hunting at this large FWA. This is because Willow Slough participates in the DFW's put-and-take pheasant-hunting program.

This program begins on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and will generally run for about nine days. If you haven't had much luck on wild birds, the put-and-take program assures you that pheasants will be where you're headed. At a price of $15 for two birds, the program is also a great bargain.

Because of the large turnout of hunters on the opening day of the pheasant season, there is a draw conducted at Willow Slough FWA. For more information about Willow Slough, call (219) 285-2704.

Today, the descendents of the ducks that came here generations ago alight into the marshes that are now part of the Kankakee. These birds light the fire of modern-day duck hunters.

Kankakee FWA is a very popular waterfowl-hunting public property resource, and consequently, a draw is held every day of the waterfowl season. You've got to get up early to get in on this draw, as it begins at 4 a.m. local time. If you get picked, any of the blinds on the property are good spots.

If you're lucky enough to get picked, the statistical data for the property says that on average, you and every hunter in your party will come away with one duck each. Of course, averages are just that - averages, and some hunters will shoot more ducks than others.

Of course, a Harvest Information Program (HIP) number, a Federal Duck Stamp, an Indiana State Duck Stamp and an Indiana hunting license are required to hunt ducks. Nontoxic shot is required as well. Kankakee FWA supplies boats and oars to get to the blinds, but you have to bring your own approved personal flotation device (i.e., life preserver) for each hunter using a boat.

The contact number for Kankakee FWA is (574) 896-3522. Please call for further details.

This FWA is very new. The property was taken over by the state in 1993 and put back to its natural condition with an intensive program that reintroduced plants and trees. Previously, the property was used for strip mining. The habitat at Blue Grass is good for rabbits. Look for orchard grass, brome, timothy and Korean lespedeza, and you'll find rabbits.

Last season, 38 rabbits were harvested at Blue Grass FWA. There is a waterfowl resting area where no hunting is allowed during the waterfowl season. The property is divided in half by Boonville-New Harmony Road, and the waterfowl resting area is south of this road. A hunting information and self-service check-in station is located just north of this road on the west side of the FWA.

Hunters are required to check in, and it is illegal for hunters to enter the field without a daily permit card. For more information about Blue Grass FWA, call (812) 789-2724.