Youth hunters can apply for a reservation to hunt one of 21 DNR properties during the special youth wild turkey hunting season, April 18 and 19.
The hunters must be younger than 18 on the day of the hunt.
The reserved hunts are at the following fish & wildlife areas (FWAs): Atterbury, Chinook, Crosley, Deer Creek, Fairbanks Landing, Glendale, Hillenbrand, Hovey Lake, Jasper-Pulaski, Kankakee, Kingsbury, LaSalle, Minnehaha, Pigeon River, Roush Lake, Sugar Ridge, Tri-County, Winamac and Willow Slough; as well as at Salamonie and Mississinewa lakes.
The number of hunters allowed on each property will be limited. Interested hunters or an adult representing them must register in person or by phone with the property they wish to hunt. Hunters should register during normal office hours, March 16-27. Hunters can register for only one property.
Those wanting to sign up for Chinook hunts may do so at Deer Creek FWA. Those wanting to sign up for Fairbanks Landing, Hillenbrand or Minnehaha hunts may do so at Goose Pond FWA.
At properties where the number of registered hunters exceeds the spots available, a drawing will be held on March 30. A youth hunter may be drawn for either one or both hunt days, depending on the number of applicants. All applicants will be notified of drawing results by mail.
Applicants must possess a 2015 Youth Consolidated Hunting & Trapping License, a 2015 Non-Resident Youth Spring Turkey License with a game bird habitat stamp privilege, or Lifetime Comprehensive Hunting License. Apprentice hunting licenses of the types named above also may be used.
When registering a youth for one of the hunts, make sure to have the following information:
— Hunter's name
— Type of license and license number
— Date(s) in which applying
— Mailing address
— Phone number
— Parent or guardian's name, address and phone number.
Hunts will run one-half hour before sunrise until noon at properties in the Central time zone, and one-half hour before sunrise until 1 p. m. on properties in the Eastern time zone.
Youth hunters selected for the hunt may check in at any time each day until the end of legal hunting hours for that property. Properties will not have a daily "no-show" drawing. Hunters interested in possible unfilled quotas at a property should call that property for more information before showing up.
During youth wild turkey season, hunters younger than 18 on the day of the hunt can take a bearded or male wild turkey. The youth must be accompanied by someone 18 or older.
The youth hunter may use any legal shotgun, bow and arrow, or crossbow. The adult accompanying the youth hunter must not possess a firearm, bow and arrow, or crossbow while in the field. The adult does not need to possess a turkey hunting license unless the youth is using an apprentice license, or unless the adult is calling turkeys.
Phone numbers for information or to register at a specific property:
Atterbury (812) 526-2051
Crosley (812) 346-5596
Deer Creek (765) 653-0453
Glendale (812) 644-7711
Goose Pond (812) 659-9901
Hovey Lake (812) 838-2927
Jasper-Pulaski (219) 843-4841
Kankakee (574) 896-3522
Kingsbury (219) 393-3612
LaSalle (219) 992-3019
Pigeon River (260) 367-2164
Roush Lake (260) 468-2165
Sugar Ridge (812) 789-2724
Tri-County (574) 834-4461
Winamac (574) 946-4422
Willow Slough (219) 285-2704
Mississinewa Lake (765) 473-6528
Salamonie Lake (260) 468-2125
To purchase a Youth Consolidated or Turkey license go to IndianaOutdoor.IN.gov.
For wild turkey hunting regulations go to dnr.IN.gov/fishwild/huntguide1/hunting1.htm.
For turkey hunting safety tips go to dnr.IN.gov/fishwild/hunt/turkey/turkeysafe.html.
To view all DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.
Media contact: Tom Despot, DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife, (574) 896-3522.
