The hunting season is in action and anything from skunk to deer is game. A guidebook is available which lists specific hunting dates for each animal as well as rules and regulations which promote safety within the sport.
The 2001-2002 Indiana Hunting and Trapping Guide also provides information on how to obtain a hunting license and where to go for public hunting areas.
One can apply for a license in person at sporting good stores or by mail, and choose between a regular hunting license and a lifetime hunting license. A lifetime hunting license ranges from $175-$708.75. Youth consolidated hunting licenses and handicapped hunting permits are available as well.
The most common animal which hunters seek is deer. Until Dec. 2, hunters are permitted to use archery and firearms in their search for deer. From Dec. 8-23, hunters are allowed to use Muzzleloaders.
The guidebook also gives hunters random information regarding the sport.
If a deer dies following a collision with a motor vehicle, then a conservation officer, Department of Natural Resources property manager or other law enforcement officers can issue the hunter a permit to possess the deer.
One cannot shoot across roads or water; use a silencer gun, magazine plugs or spotlighting for hunting purposes.
Deer hunting is available a half-hour before sunrise and a half-hour after sunset.
Hunters should monitor for TB in deer. White or red blister-like sores on the internal organs, are indications of the disease.
A benefit in hunting includes an organization called Sportsmen Against Hunger. This organization helps in fighting hunger in Indiana by donating venison (deer meat), which is high in protein and low fat, to food banks. Hoosier deer hunters provide 6 million pounds of venison each year for Indiana and 65 million meals served each year around the U.S.
Out of seventeen Indiana meat processing and collection points, Heyden's Custom Meats of Anderson is one of them. Misty Jones, an employee of Heyden's Custom Meat said, "We ask donators to pay for the cost of processing, which is $80 per deer. The processing includes skinning, gutting, cutting and wrapping the deer." After the donated deer is wrapped and ready, it is picked up by the organization and distributed throughout Indiana.
Sportsmen Against Hunger was developed through the Safari Club International Foundation Humanitarian Projects and Services (SCIF). SCIF are partners with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Federation of the Blind, the National Rifle Association, and the Salvation Army and Red Cross. Through these partnerships, they are able to provide humanitarian services such as feeding the hungry and supporting disaster relief nationwide. For more information contact 1-800-377-5399.
The new guidebook is free and available at sporting goods stores.
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