Tri-State Outdoor News

Experience one of the major turning points of World War II as Fort Harrison State Park hosts a Battle for Stalingrad reenactment and exhibit, March 6–8.

A re-enactment of the February 1943 battle will take place on Saturday, March 7, at 2 p.m. The event features a living history encampment including both German and Soviet field camps. Visitors to the event will see how each camp was set up during WWII and can meet both groups of re-enactors.

A Stalingrad exhibit will be open March 7-8 at the Nature History Center. The re-enactment will be held outside, so visitors should wear appropriate attire. The wearing of ear protection is recommended because there will be simulated gunfire and heavy artillery fire during the battle.

This event is free to the public, but the standard park admission of $5 per in-state vehicle and $7 per  out-of-state vehicle applies. For more information, call (317) 591-0122, Wednesday– Sunday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Area residents can learn how to legally and effectively control local Canada goose populations at a seminar March 12, at the Wesselman Woods Visitor Center in Evansville.

The free program, which runs from 9 a.m. to noon CDT, is the second of six being presented at different locations around the state in March and April by the Department of Natural Resources’ Urban Wildlife Project. Interested landowners, managers of corporate campuses, golf courses or park employees, as well as anyone in the general public with an interest are invited.

The first part of the program will cover various aspects of Canada goose management, including relevant laws, basic biology, and methods to control damage caused by geese. A demonstration on the proper techniques for egg and nest destruction will follow. Simply breaking eggs or removing them from nest is not effective because the females will just lay another clutch of eggs, so following proper techniques is vital. More »

Indiana deer hunters registered a state record by bagging more than 129,000 deer during the 2008 hunting season.

The 129,748 total surpassed the previous high mark of 125,526 set in 2005 and represented a 4 percent increase over the 2007 season.

“That’s a remarkable increase that reflects the skills possessed by Hoosier hunters,” DNR director Robert E. Carter Jr. said. “It’s good to see them continue to help manage deer populations while putting food on the table.”

The taking of antlerless deer—does and fawns of either sex—played a key role in the sharp increase. The 78,903 antlerless deer that were reported were a single-season record and 5 percent higher than 2007. Antlerless totals exceeded 1,000 deer in 29 counties compared to 25 counties in 2007, and antlerless
deer constituted half the total harvest in 88 of 92 counties. More »

Interested Hoosiers can share their views on the operation, funding and staffing of Indiana’s state forests during the DNR Division of Forestry’s series of open houses in March and April.

Meetings at each property will include displays about recreational activities, budget issues, staffing, major projects, the 2008-2013 Division of Forestry Strategic Plan, invasive species control and forest resource management. Attendees can talk directly with DNR personnel or, if they prefer, submit written comments concerning forest and recreation management policies and programs. Light refreshments will be served.

“These open houses provide Hoosiers with a chance to receive first-hand information about how the state forests are working to provide diverse wildlife habitat, forest products and recreational opportunities,” said State Forester John Seifert.  “They also allow us to receive valuable feedback from our neighbors and users about state forest management issues. I encourage everyone who has an interest in the state forests to
participate in this year’s open houses.” More »

This is chili season and there is nothing better than good venison chili. You can whip up a big pot and let it simmer all day. Not only does it fill you belly at mealtime, it also fills the whole house with great scents during the day.

If you really want to get your kids involved with every aspect of the hunt, have them help you cook. There’s no better way to spend time together than mixing and stirring ingredients into a big, old pot of chili.

So grab your ingredients and grandma’s old mixing spoon and get to work on one of these great venison chili recipes. And remember, these are just guidelines. Feel free to add or substitute ingredients if there is something you think you would like better. Cooking is all about experimentation, so get after it and have some fun. More »

Phil and Eva Rambo fish 15-20 crappie tournaments a year. The Bloomington couple starts the tournament trail in Florida and work their way north, utilizing their motorhome for lodging.

“We like to sleep in our own bed,” said Eva, a former science and chemistry teacher at Bloomington South. Phil was the principal at Edgewood Middle School before retiring in 1996.

The pair started fishing the tournament trail together in 1998, and have qualified for a number of crappie national classics. “He wanted to fish tournaments, and I wasn’t going to stay home,” explained Eva.

The first year on the trail, the Rambos pulled their crappie boat with a van, which also served as their traveling home. However, it proved too small. It also was minus a kitchen and bath. More »

I am grateful for living most of my life in a rural area with nature all around me – although a short time was spent living in the city. I immediately missed my connection with nature. I needed to walk on something other than concrete – to be in the woods and to see wildlife – I needed habitat.

Fortunately Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve was nearby with 200 acres of bottomland hardwood forest. There are majestic trees on the preserve that are over 400 years old, abundant wildlife and a part of the Wabash and Erie Canal all right in the middle of a city. Founded in 1973 Wesselman Nature Society has continued to preserve this important habitat that gives everyone an opportunity to develop an appreciation for nature. The preserve was a refuge for me while in the city and really is the heart of Evansville to me. More »

It was a sunny, but still very cold, Sunday afternoon, while sitting in a Chinese restaurant in Mt. Carmel, Illinois, that this thought came over me. “Do you realize the significance of this meal?” I asked my birding companions.

“We were hungry,” one of them answered with a laugh.

“No, I mean what brought us to this restaurant?”

Again, with a quirky response, “Your truck?”

Just as I realized that they were missing the point, one of them said, “Cane Ridge.”

“Sort of,” I said. “But what about this meal?” More »