The state-owned lands in Crawford County receive less hunting pressure than in Harrison County because the parcels of land are small and scattered. Check-in isn't required. The Harrison-Crawford SF is located in Harrison and Crawford counties near Corydon.

Call District 13 at (812) 849-4586, the state forest office at (812) 738-8145 or the Wyandotte Woods SRA at (812) 738-8232 for more information.

DISTRICT 14
According to biologist Nathan Yazel, his neck of the woods offers up great turkey hunting in the Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge. He doesn't hear too many complaints about the gobblers and scores of them are taken out of Big Oaks.

"The property has a lot of birds," Yazel said. "I don't know of any secret methods when it comes to hunting them. Just don't give up and to be sure to listen to the weatherman. Stay in the field as long as you can, because you won't shoot a tom unless you're out there with the birds."

According to Yazel, spring in southern Indiana typically has rain in the forecast and ticks to deal with in the woods. Rain gear and bug spray are nearly as indispensable as your gun.

Hunters wanting to hunt Big Oaks will find a highly structured regimen that needs to be followed. Three ways to gain access to Big Oaks is by means of the state-drawn hunts with applications available through the DFW, local lottery hunts held on occasion at the Big Oaks office and an every-day no-show drawing to fill slots that drawn hunters fail to show up for.

The no-show hunt fills the 210-hunter limit at 7 a.m. every hunt day. Hunters can hunt once when drawn or multiple times as a partner when someone else is drawn. The buddy system is a requirement. Showing up at Gate 1 by 5:30 a.m. will allow hunters to view the required safety video and sign off on a liability form. After that, hunters will be directed to where they'll be hunting. Watching the video and signing the form ahead of time will streamline the process.

The Big Oaks entrance is five miles north of Madison on U.S. Highway 421. The federal lands cover 50,000 acres in Jefferson, Jennings and Ripley counties.

Call District 14 at (812) 346-6888 or the Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge at (812) 273-0783 for more information. The Big Oaks Web site at www.midwest.fws.gov/bigoaks is very helpful.

For more information on spring turkey hunting, contact the Indiana DFW at the Mitchell office at (812) 849-4586.

Find more about Indiana fishing and hunting at: IndianaGameandFish.com