Deer hunters harvested a total of 1,004 deer during controlled hunts at 18 state parks and one state natural area in November and December of 2014, according to Mike Mycroft, chief of natural resources for the DNR Division of State Parks. Tippecanoe River and Potato Creek State Parks were among the facilities where hunts were conducted to thin the herd. Final totals released by the DNR indicate hunters took 123 deer at TRSP and 136 at Potato Creek.
Park reduction hunts are conducted in an effort to balance ecosystems and allow some of Indiana’s rarest and most unique natural communities to thrive. DNR officials will determine which parks require deer population reductions and post a list in July. More information and applications for those hunts can be found online at http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/5834.htm.
