The Indiana DNR will be closing several state park properties this month for “controlled hunts” in order to reduce deer populations.
Indiana DNR Chief of Natural Resources says the hunts are necessary in order to keep deer populations at a healthy level, so that they don’t destroy too much of the vegetation that grows in the parks.
“We browse the impacts of White Tail Deer in out state parks,” Sipes explains. “We’ll have a total of two hunts over the course of four days at 18 state parks, and we do this to mitigate browse impacts and lower the population of deer to an acceptable level.”
The Hunts will be held November 13th-14th and November 27th-28th at the state parks listed below:
– Chain O’Lakes
– Charlestown
– Clifty Falls
– Fort Harrison
– Harmonie, Lincoln
– McCormick’s Creek
– Ouabache
– Pokagon and Trine State Recreation Area
– Potato Creek
– Shades
– Shakamak
– Spring Mill and Cave River Valley Natural Area
– Tippecanoe River
– Versailles
– Whitewater Memorial.
Sipes says that these hunts are done with the “hunting public” and that any Indiana licensed hunters can apply online at the DNR website to participate in these controlled hunts.
“We do an electronic random drawing and select hunters based on the quota we have for each property,” Sipes added. “Provided the meet all the criteria and are selected in the drawing, they are available for the hunt.”
The hunters have already been selected for this year’s reduction effort but those wishing to participate in next years controlled hunts can apply for the drawing online at www.in.gov.
Outside the designated hunting days, all state parks listed will be open to the public as normal.
