Congratulations to the Senator Upper Division Youth Football team on their 26-0 Patoka Lake Youth Championship win against Paoli. The Senator Nation is proud of such a great ending to the season.

Wild turkey hunting

Indiana spring wild turkey season starts April 24 and goes through May 12, 2024. Youth turkey season is April 20 and 21, 2024. Youth age 17 or younger on the date of the hunt can participate in the youth season but must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 18 years of age and licensed to hunt wild turkey (unless exempt from license requirements under state law). The youth hunter must comply with all other turkey hunting regulations. The youth’s adult partner may not take a turkey during the youth season and must not possess a firearm, bow and arrow, or crossbow while in the field, except for a handgun carried lawfully.

The bag limit during the spring season is one bearded or male turkey. The youth hunter may take only one bearded or male wild turkey in the spring, which includes both the youth and regular spring turkey seasons.

Spring turkey hunting is allowed statewide. Wild turkeys may be hunted only from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. All DNR properties managed by the Division of Fish & Wildlife have spring turkey season hunting hours one-half hour before sunrise until noon for properties on Central Time and until 1 p.m. for properties on Eastern Time.

To hunt wild turkey during the spring season, a valid spring turkey hunting license and Game Bird Habitat stamp privilege are required. Those who have a lifetime comprehensive hunting, lifetime comprehensive hunting and fishing, or resident youth hunt/trap license can hunt wild turkey and do not need to purchase the Game Bird Habitat stamp privilege.

Fall season

Indiana fall wild turkey season runs Oct. 1–27, 2024, and Dec. 7, 2024–Jan. 5, 2025. Fall firearms season is from Oct. 16–27, 2024, in select counties. These counties are selected based on a combination of criteria, including amount of forest cover, spring turkey harvest metrics, availability of harvest opportunities, and what’s happening with turkeys and habitat at a regional level within Indiana.

There is no designated youth turkey hunting season in the fall. Youth hunters are welcome to hunt fall turkey and must comply with all turkey hunting regulations.

Bag and possession limit for the fall season is one bird of either sex, regardless of hunting equipment used or portion of the season hunted in. The wearing of hunter orange is required when the season overlaps with deer muzzleloader season, Dec. 7–22, 2024. Turkeys must still be checked in using the CheckIN Game system within 48 hours of kill and follow temporary transportation tagging requirements.

Turkeys can be hunted only with:

• A 410 caliber and 10-, 12-, 16-, 20-, or 28-gauge shotgun loaded with pellets of size No. 4, 5, 6, 7, 7½, and Tungsten Super Shot 9 and 10. Non-toxic shot is required while hunting turkey on some DNR properties. Call the property you are interested in hunting on for additional information.
• A muzzleloading shotgun not smaller than 20-gauge and not larger than 10-gauge, loaded with pellets of size 4, 5, 6, 7, 7½, and Tungsten Super Shot 9 and 10. Combination loads using shot sizes other than these are illegal.
• Bow and arrow
• A crossbow

View additional turkey hunting regulations

Fish & Wildlife Areas can have different property-specific requirements around turkey hunting.  Find a property and visit the hunting tab to learn more.

Licensing and regulations

• Purchase a License
• License Fees and Exemptions
• Hunting Regulations and Season Dates
• Turn in a Poacher
• What License Do I Need?

Hunting opportunities

• Getting Permission on Private Land
• Getting Permission on Private Land Form
• Reserved Hunts
• Where to Hunt
• Public properties open to spring turkey hunting

Hunting resources

• Spring Turkey Harvest Data
• Fall Turkey Harvest Data
• Turkey Hunting Safety Tips
• DNR Smartphone App
• Hunter Education Course Registration
• Replace Hunter Education Card
• Shooting Ranges
• Sunrise/Sunset Tables
• Turkey Aging Information
• CheckIN Game
• Check Stations
• Hunting Etiquette
• Turkey Temporary Transportation Tag

Videos

• Processing Wild Turkey
• Mount a Turkey Tail Fan
• Preserve and Mount Turkey Feet, Spurs, and Beards
• White Bean and Turkey Casserole Recipe

• Salem High School
• IHSAA
• Tennis

By Nathaniel Smith, Editor

On Friday October 4, Coach Kevin Albertson and the Salem Lions Boys Tennis team traveled to Floyd Central after defeating the Eastern Musketeers 5-0 in the first round of the IHSAA Tennis Sectional Championship. Unfortunately this time, the Lions experienced the inverse of the Eastern match. Although they fought tooth and nail, it was not quite enough for the Lions to come out on top, and Floyd Central walked away from the courts with the Sectional Championship trophy after wrapping up the day at 5-0. Floyd Central will now travel to Jeffersonville to face off against Silver Creek on October 8 for the Regional Semifinals.

Next up for IHSAA is the Girls Volleyball Tournament Series. All three Washington County schools will be participating in the Sectional Championship on October 17 and 19. Click Here for more IHSAA volleyball information.

Photos by Nathaniel Smith.

• Salem High School
• Pekin Eastern High School
• West Washington High School
• Sports
• IHSAA
• Volleyball

By Dennis Dunn, Writer

The IHSAA unveiled their 2024 volleyball sectional pairings on Sunday night, Oct. 6 and all three county schools found out their fate. Located at 1100 N. Eastern School Rd., New Pekin, the Eastern Musketeers will host Class 2A Sectional 46, while the Salem Lions will play at Eastern. West Washington will travel to 1000 Academy Dr., New Albany to play in the Class A Sectional 63 at Christian Academy of Indiana (CAI).

In Class 2A, Eastern is 19-4 and 5-3 in the Mid-Southern Conference, while Salem is 9-18 and 0-7 in the MSC. Eastern is 5-0 against sectional opponents with wins over Salem (2-0, 3-0) twice, Clarksville, Paoli and Mitchell (all 3-0 scores). Salem is 6-3 against sectional foes with two wins over Mitchell (2-0, 3-0), two wins over Crawford County (3-2, 2-0), and wins over Paoli and Clarksville (both 3-0). They lost to Eastern twice and Crawford County (2-0).

In the first match of the Eastern Sectional, Clarksville will battle Mitchell and Paoli will play Salem. Crawford County drew the bye and will play the winner of the Clarksville-Mitchell match, and Eastern drew the other bye and will play the Paoli-Salem winner.

In Class A Sectional 63 at CAI, Borden will open with the host school in the first match, while South Central will play New Washington in the second match. Henryville will play West Washington in match 3 and Lanesville will battle with Rock Creek Academy in match 4.

The Senators were 8-12 this year and 2-3 in the Patoka Lake Athletic Conference. However, they were 1-4 against sectional opponents this year. Their only win was over Henryville (3-1). They lost to Borden twice (2-0, 3-1), CAI (3-2) and Lanesville (3-0).

Class 2A Sectional 46 at Eastern

M1: Clarksville vs. Mitchell (10/17 - 6 p.m.)

M2: Paoli vs. Salem (10/17 - 7:30 p.m.)

M3: Crawford County vs. Winner of M1 (10/19 - 11 a.m.)

M4: Eastern vs. Winner of M2 (10/19 - 12:30 p.m.)

Championship: Winner of M3 vs. Winner of M4 (10/19 - 6 p.m.)

Class A Sectional 63 at Christian Academy of Indiana

M1: Borden vs. CAI (10/15 - 6 p.m.)

M2: South Central vs. New Washington (10/15 - 7 p.m.)

M3: Henryville vs. West Washington (10/17 - 6 p.m.)

M4: Lanesville vs. Rock Creek (10/17 - 7 p.m.)

M5: Winner of M1 vs. Winner of M2 (10/19 - 10 a.m.)

M6: Winner of M3 vs. Winner of M4 (10/19 - 11 a.m.)

Championship: Winner of M5 vs. Winner of M6 (10/19 - 6 p.m.)