Is Indiana a great bird-hunting state?

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JonBailey
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Is Indiana a great bird-hunting state?

Post by JonBailey » Mon Dec 03, 2018 4:23 am

Hoosier State is loaded with farmland, automobile racetracks and cornfields and is mostly low elevation and flat everywhere.

1. What are the prospects for new residents to have bird hunting opportunities?
2. Are there plenty of bird hunting clubs in Hoosier?
3. How's the dove shooting in Hoosier?
4. Pheasants?
5. Grouse?
6. Ducks?
7. Red fox?
8. Whitetail deer?

I'm considering moving to Indiana, particularly Fort Wayne because of cheap housing and the availability of a VAMC (VA hospital) in that city.

Boise, Idaho has gotten horribly expensive and loaded with traffic. Too much California mentality has migrated here in recent years.
The 3,000-foot altitude doesn't help my asthma situation and the winters can be harsh here.

I would think the central/plains/heartland states are prime for wing-shooting as well as tornados. I don't think Hoosier's twisters are as nearly as bad or as frequent as in Kansas, however.

I was stationed in the army at Fort Sill, Oklahoma for two years and never saw a twister there but cars were covered with red dust in the summer a lot.

I understand that Indiana is on the south shore of Lake Michigan and the Ohio River is heavily polluted with industrial waste but I always buy bottled water anyway.

The water in Boise, ID is acidic when taking a shower.
"Let Hercules himself do what he may, the cat will mew and dog will have his day." - William Shakespeare

rinker
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Re: Is Indiana a great bird-hunting state?

Post by rinker » Mon Dec 03, 2018 10:42 am

I live in Indiana, and I will try to answer your questions.

1. What are the prospects for new residents to have bird hunting opportunities? Not good at all for upland, much better for waterfowl.
2. Are there plenty of bird hunting clubs in Hoosier? There are several clubs and shooting preserves.
3. How's the dove shooting in Hoosier? I'm not a dove hunter, but probably good at times.
4. Pheasants? There are wild pheasants in North-West Indiana, but they are mostly on private land and not easy to access.
5. Grouse? The grouse season in Indiana has been cancelled due to virtually no birds.
6. Ducks? I'm not a duck hunter, but my understanding is that duck hunting is good, especially in South-Western Indiana.
7. Red fox? I'm sure there are plenty of fox and there is a lot of coyotes.
8. Whitetail deer? Whitetail deer hunting is excellent around the state.

You didn't ask about quail, there are pockets of good quail populations, but hard to access.

Steve007
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Re: Is Indiana a great bird-hunting state?

Post by Steve007 » Mon Dec 03, 2018 1:52 pm

JonBailey wrote: 7. Red fox?
This will surprise you, jon, but foxhunting refers to following the hounds on horseback.

Image

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JonBailey
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Re: Is Indiana a great bird-hunting state?

Post by JonBailey » Mon Dec 03, 2018 2:17 pm

rinker wrote:I live in Indiana, and I will try to answer your questions.

1. What are the prospects for new residents to have bird hunting opportunities? Not good at all for upland, much better for waterfowl.
2. Are there plenty of bird hunting clubs in Hoosier? There are several clubs and shooting preserves.
3. How's the dove shooting in Hoosier? I'm not a dove hunter, but probably good at times.
4. Pheasants? There are wild pheasants in North-West Indiana, but they are mostly on private land and not easy to access.
5. Grouse? The grouse season in Indiana has been cancelled due to virtually no birds.
6. Ducks? I'm not a duck hunter, but my understanding is that duck hunting is good, especially in South-Western Indiana.
7. Red fox? I'm sure there are plenty of fox and there is a lot of coyotes.
8. Whitetail deer? Whitetail deer hunting is excellent around the state.

You didn't ask about quail, there are pockets of good quail populations, but hard to access.
Thanks for the answers. I'm sure if I join a local club and pay my money there will be opportunities to hunt something
I find delicious on the table or pay my money for shooting preserves privileges. Hunting is a you-play-you-pay sport.
Hunting opportunities can be bought for a certain price.

I know off the bat that Indiana is 95+% privately-owned. Most of the South and the East is privately owned I gather
as well as the American heartland states: the Land of Lincoln.

It's Landed Gentry Territory east of the Rockies.

75% of Idaho, a western state, is public land. At least the rent is cheaper in Hoosier if I have to get my meat from a supermarket
for lack of hunting opportunities.

I bet many a Hoosier hunter knock on the farmers' doors to ask permission. Birds and deer too.

I don't pay much mind to quail. That's why I never asked about it. The game species hunted
in a certain region or state will most likely be dictated by one's personal opportunities, ways and means
and what's available and accessible.

Browsing the Indiana Fish and Wildlife website I noticed there are some programs that MAY give hunters opportunities:
I don't know a single soul, and certainly nobody in the hunting community, in Indiana but I knew Abe Lincoln lived there as a boy.
Oh, I did know one young man from Indiana in the army during basic training back in '88. He hated it when I called him a "Hoosier".

Hunters Helping Farmers
Access Program Providing Land Enhancement (APPLE)
Learn to Hunt with the Hoosier Outdoor Heritage Program (I'm an American Veteran with some disabling conditions, by the way)
Reserved Hunts
"Let Hercules himself do what he may, the cat will mew and dog will have his day." - William Shakespeare

mask
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Location: Idaho

Re: Is Indiana a great bird-hunting state?

Post by mask » Mon Dec 03, 2018 7:20 pm

Yep head to Indiana or anyplace but Idaho.

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oldbeek
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Re: Is Indiana a great bird-hunting state?

Post by oldbeek » Mon Dec 03, 2018 10:51 pm

Bugs, no seeums, mosquitos. I own property in central IN. The old farm had hedge rows everywhere. Now the young farmers have cleared every fence. I have 12 acres of woods that I allow a kid to use with a tree stand in it. Nice fat corn eating bucks in there. Housing is cheap because it is trash and you can't heat it in winter -20 degree for weeks on end. 100 degree summers with 100% humidity. Farm land sells for $7,000.00 an acre. 12 acre Woods for sale on a paved road. could be subdivided. 20 mature black walnut trees worth $120,000.00 if logged. 30 x 90 barn on it. Sale price $120,000.00. Hard iron laden water and poison ivy is free.

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JonBailey
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Re: Is Indiana a great bird-hunting state?

Post by JonBailey » Mon Dec 03, 2018 11:30 pm

oldbeek wrote:Bugs, no seeums, mosquitos. I own property in central IN. The old farm had hedge rows everywhere. Now the young farmers have cleared every fence. I have 12 acres of woods that I allow a kid to use with a tree stand in it. Nice fat corn eating bucks in there. Housing is cheap because it is trash and you can't heat it in winter -20 degree for weeks on end. 100 degree summers with 100% humidity. Farm land sells for $7,000.00 an acre. 12 acre Woods for sale on a paved road. could be subdivided. 20 mature black walnut trees worth $120,000.00 if logged. 30 x 90 barn on it. Sale price $120,000.00. Hard iron laden water and poison ivy is free.
Are there good filtration systems on the market to tame the nasty hard water? Round-Up weed killer or a big mower might tame the poison ivy.
I have a good portable air conditioner for the summer. Are winter/summer energy bills in IN high?

Here is a climate chart for Fort Wayne:

https://www.google.com/search?q=fort+wa ... e&ie=UTF-8

Pretty mild summers and winter lows are on par with Boise, idaho.
"Let Hercules himself do what he may, the cat will mew and dog will have his day." - William Shakespeare

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