TEAM UNSTABLE MESSAGE BOARD

[scott]

CORRECTION: The original release sent yesterday included an error about when and where archery and firearms can be used to hunt turkey. Archery equipment can be used from Oct. 1-25 only in certain counties, as listed below. Firearms can be used Oct. 21-25 to hunt turkey in only certain counties, as listed below.

Indiana fall turkey season, Oct. 1–Oct. 25

Indiana’s 2009 fall turkey season begins, Oct. 1, with the opening of the archery-only portion of the season. From Oct. 1 through Oct. 25, fall turkey hunters can use archery equipment in selected counties.

Those counties are: Bartholomew, Benton, Brown, Carroll, Cass, Clark, Clay, Crawford, Daviess, Dearborn, Decatur, DeKalb, Dubois, Elkhart, Fayette, Floyd, Fountain, Franklin, Fulton, Gibson, Grant (west of Interstate 69), Greene, Harrison, Howard, Huntington, Jasper, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Knox, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Lake, LaPorte, Lawrence, Marshall, Martin, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Noble, Ohio, Orange, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Porter, Posey, Pulaski, Putnam, Ripley, St. Joseph, Scott, Spencer, Starke, Steuben, Sullivan, Switzerland, Tippecanoe, Union, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren, Warrick, Washington, Wayne and White.

From Oct. 21 through Oct. 25, hunters may use firearms or archery equipment in only these counties: Brown, Clark, Clay, Crawford, Dearborn, Dubois, Floyd, Fountain, Franklin, Greene, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Ohio, Orange, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Putnam, Ripley, Scott, Spencer, Sullivan, Switzerland, Vermillion, Vigo, Union, Warrick and Washington, as shown on page 20 of the 2009-10 Hunting and Trapping Guide, the second page of the wild turkey hunting regulations.

The bag and possession limit for the fall season is one bird of either sex.

Hunters must possess a fall turkey hunting license, or a lifetime comprehensive hunting, lifetime comprehensive hunting and fishing, youth, or apprentice license to legally pursue turkey. In addition, a valid game bird habitat stamp is needed. Hunter education is required for anyone born after Dec. 31, 1986; however, individuals of any age may buy an apprentice license without having to take hunter education. Individuals are limited to three apprentice hunting licenses in their lifetime. Special apprentice hunting license rules apply.

Legal archery equipment includes long bows, compound bows, recurve bows and crossbows. Legal firearms include 10-, 12-, 16- or 20-gauge shotguns loaded with 4, 5, 6, 7 or 7 ½ shot. Muzzleloading shotguns that meet the above requirement are legal.

According to Steve Backs, Indiana’s turkey biologist, hunters should expect harvest numbers to vary by geographic location.

“The 2009 summer production success appears to have been quite variable throughout the turkey range due to the generally cool, wet weather. Some areas of Indiana experienced flash and bottomland flooding during the critical early brood season in early summer. Other areas were not affected,” Backs said.

Overall, Backs said he anticipates the fall harvest to resemble last year’s season.

“The 2008 fall harvest was 610 birds. I would expect the 2009 fall harvest to be around 600 to 650 birds,” he said.

[Capt Gar]

Thanks for the info. Gonna try to get a Turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.
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Capt. Gar