Family-Outdoors

The Indiana State House (Photo credit: netmonkey ) The DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife wants to hear your ideas on fishing, hunting and trapping regulations in Indiana, and it doesn’t require attending a meeting to give your input. Call it a “virtual” open house. From May 15 to June 1, the public will be able to use a convenient online form to contribute ideas and suggestions as well as provide input on issues the DNR has identified for consideration. To find the online form, go to wildlife.IN.gov and click on the “Got INput?” box near the middle of the page. The form will be available for use beginning May 15. “This is an opportunity for people to let us know what changes they would like us to consider,” said Gregg McCollam, assistant director of the Division of Fish & Wildlife. “This process also allows us to get much needed feedback on issues that the division is in interested in moving forward.” The online form allows people to comment quickly and enable...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia ) An experiment started more than 20 years ago to reintroduce peregrine falcons to Indiana is paying off with impressive numbers this spring. Sixteen nesting attempts have been observed and seven of those sites so far have hatched chicks, including two from Indiana’s most prolific peregrine—Kinney. The 16 attempts are three more than in any previous year and an increase of four from last year. Kinney, a 19-year-old male first released in Kentucky, continues to set up nesting operations at Market Tower in Indianapolis, has produced 59 chicks in his lifetime and is now raising two more. “Only one other Midwestern peregrine has bred at 19 years of age, and the longevity record for a peregrine is 19 years, 6 months,” said John Castrale, nongame bird biologist for the DNR Fish & Wildlife division. Kinney has partnered the last 11 years with KathyQ, a wild-produced peregrine from Wisconsin, and their brood could expand with one more egg s...