Outdoors
More Stories
Danger downstream
By Jack Spaulding Everyone enjoys a peaceful canoe or kayak trip in the summertime. Floating and gently paddling downstream is relaxing, and the scenery is always interesting when running a river during the hazy, lazy days of summer. But travelers need to be aware: Often, unseen danger exists on many Indiana rivers. One situation to… Continue reading.
Reviving ‘Elm Street’
By Janna Beckerman Why the emerald ash borer is such a problem today is because the Dutch elm disease forever changed the landscapes of the Midwest and Northeast United States. Dying elm trees were often replaced by green ash, setting the stage for the current epidemic of emerald ash borer. So, if you’re looking at… Continue reading.
Lofty eavesdropping
By Jack Spaulding A show of companionship and survival is available to view live from an Indiana Department of Natural Resources webcam. The camera offers a glimpse into the lives of a barn owl pair raising chicks. Barn owls are a rarity and a state-endangered species. The pair on the webcam has been living in a… Continue reading.
DNR clarifies new rifle law
By Jack Spaulding The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has issued a response to some of the questions rising from House Enrolled Act 1231, a new law that came out of this year’s General Assembly that legalized certain rifles for deer hunting beginning later this year. The DNR has received numerous questions regarding the legislation…. Continue reading.
Talking wild turkey
By Jack Spaulding Over the course of my lifetime, I’ve had the privilege of seeing Indiana trap, trade and transport wild turkeys bringing them into almost every county in the state. The first spring turkey hunt wasn’t much to talk about as only 62 hunters pursued the wild turkey in 1970. As a result, Hoosier… Continue reading.
Blue & Gold gardens
By B. Rosie Lerner To celebrate Indiana’s bicentennial this year, the Garden Club of Indiana and the Indiana Bicentennial Commission are hoping gardeners will join the Blue & Gold garden tribute to Indiana’s state flag. It’s an easy way for all Indiana residents to commemorate the bicentennial. If you don’t have a traditional garden bed,… Continue reading.
Adding to the depth charts
By Jack Spaulding Learning a new lake is always a challenge for anglers. When you are on an unfamiliar lake you may be asking yourself: Where are the drop offs? The humps? The flats? The ridges and breaks? Knowing the water makes it easier to find fish. Fishing aficionados plying Indiana lakes have been given… Continue reading.
A gardener’s glossary
By B. Rosie Lerner Like many other hobbyists, gardening enthusiasts have their own jargon. Some of these terms can be confusing, especially to the gardening newcomer. Here’s a brief list of terms that all gardeners should be familiar with. Annual -— Plant that completes its life cycle from seed germination to seed production in one… Continue reading.
Goodbye to woodcock and grouse
By Jack Spaulding The expansion and reestablishment of many wildlife species in Indiana have been remarkable. Programs of reintroduction and resettlement have brought back eagles, peregrine falcons and osprey to our skies; otters to our rivers and streams; and wild turkey and white-tail deer throughout the entire state. But among the list of successes there… Continue reading.
Pointers for poinsettias
By B. Rosie Lerner The poinsettia, the most popular holiday plant, is best known as the plant with bright red flowers on a green background. But the showiest part of the poinsettia is the group of colorful specialized leaves called floral bracts that surround the small, yellowish-green structures that are the true flowers. Red is… Continue reading.
Women joining the hunt
by Jack Spaulding What do Eva Shockey, Melissa Bachman, Katniss Everdeen, and 1.5 million other women in the United States have in common? They’re hunters. Shockey and Bachman are hosts of TV hunting shows, and Everdeen is the main character in the “Hunger Games” book and movie franchise. They represent a wave of female hunters,… Continue reading.
More than gift wrapping
by B. Rosie Lerner Horrors unfold before me about this time each year. But they are not on a big screen from some Hollywood holiday blockbuster; they are watching well-meaning shoppers steer their carts full of holiday gift plants through gusty winds and miserably cold temperatures and place these frigid plant victims into icy automobiles…. Continue reading.