We are ready to hear from you hunters and anglers. 

South Bend Tribune sports is beginning a new Outdoors feature, focused primarily on hunting and fishing stories/news and photos.

We want to hear about your fishing and hunting adventures and see photos of those big or unusual catches and harvests.

Share those stories and photos at sports@sbtinfo.com or gbell@sbtinfo.com.

Indiana seeks input on deer hunting rule changes. Plus hike, clean up and parade into May.

Trout season begins in Indiana’s stocked streams. And large white trilliums in full bloom.

When is free fishing day in Indiana? 

Indiana’s first free fishing day is coming up on Sunday, May 12. 

Indiana residents do not need a fishing license or a trout/salmon stamp to fish in the state’s public waters. It’s a perfect day to bring your family and friends to join in fishing fun. All others rules such as seasons, bag limits and size limits apply. Find a location to fish near you, using the Indiana DNR Where to Fish Map at https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/fishing/where-to-fish-interactive-map/ 

Indiana Trout season is open 

Trout season for inland streams in Indiana opened on April 27^th and runs through the end of December. The Indiana DNR had planned to stock nearly 63,000 rainbow and brown trout across 35 bodies of water. Anglers should be sure to get their trout stamp. There is no closed season for taking trout from inland lakes. All licences/stamps can be purchased through the Indiana DNR.

Wild turkey season in Indiana has another week 

The Indiana spring wild turkey hunting season continues until May 12. The bag limit during the spring is one bearded or male turkey.  

Wild turkeys may be hunted from one half hour before sunrise to sunset.  

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,

Licences can be purchased through the Indiana DNR.

Michigan elk and bear license applications on sale 

Michigan Elk and bear license applications are on sale now through June 1. Hunters can increase their odds by picking up Pure Michigan Hunt applications while applying for bear and elk. 

The Pure Michigan Hunt offers a chance at licenses for hunting elk, bear, spring and fall turkey and anterless deer and first pick at a managed waterfowl hunt area.  

For more information about the Pure Michigan Hunt, or to apply, visit Michigan.gov/PMH. For more information or to apply for bear or elk licenses, visit Michigan.gov/Bear or Michigan.gov/Elk. You also can apply for all three anywhere hunting licenses are sold, or online at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses or on the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app. 

Indiana Learn to Shoot event

The Indiana DNR will host a Learn to Shoot event on June 18 at Atterbury Fish & Wildlife area from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (ET). Shooters of all skill levels are welcome, but the course will be tailored towards those that are new to shooting and firearms.

Indiana Learn to Fish series

The DNR is also hosting a series of Learn to Fish events through May and June at various lakes throughout the state. Events include at Mother’s Day workshop, women’s intro to fishing, beginner catfishing and intro to fishing

LAPORTE, Ind. (WISH) — A pilot received a minor injury in a monoplane crash Saturday evening in northern Indiana, the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office says.

Capt. Derek Allen of the sheriff’s office says the 1952 single-engine Mooney M18C crashed about 6:20 p.m. Saturday in a harvested farm field along County Road 850 East north of County Road 150 North.

That’s about 7 miles south of the St. Joseph County town of New Carlisle, and a half-hour drive west of South Bend in northern Indiana.

No additional information was immediately available about the crash.

Saturday’s crash of a small plane was at least the third in Indiana since Thursday.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana filed a lawsuit Friday against Indiana University, alleging that the school violated the First Amendment rights of people who are banned from campus after participating in pro-Palestine protests.

According to the ACLU, the three individuals arrested have been banned by Indiana University police and are prohibited from setting foot on campus for one year.

“Today’s filing contends that these bans are an unlawful prior restraint on the free speech rights of the plaintiffs, each of whom wants to rejoin the ongoing protests on campus,” the ACLU wrote.

The lawsuit is requesting that the one-year bans be dismissed to allow the plaintiffs to rejoin current and future protests on the campus.

The arrestees are Jasper Wirtshafter, a Bloomington resident, Dr. Benjamin Robinson, a tenured professor, and Madeleine Meldrum, a current graduate student.

There have been more than 50 arrests on the university’s campus since pro-Palestinian protests began. More than 2,000 protests have happened nationwide since community members began asking universities to divest from Israeli companies and companies that supply weapons to Israel.

The Indiana University arrests happened in Dunn Meadow, the campus’ designated free speech area.

“Since 1969, Dunn Meadow has been a public forum, a place for persons to engage in First Amendment expression. Indiana University cannot preemptively ban persons from engaging in this protected expression by prohibiting them from entering Dunn Meadow for a year or more,” ACLU of Indiana Legal Director Ken Falk said in a statement.

In remarks this week, President Biden emphasized that peaceful protest is protected under the First Amendment in the United States but “violent protest is not protected.”

The protests on college campuses have largely been peaceful but came to a head this week after police moved onto many campuses to disperse demonstrators. Pro-Palestine protesters have also been met with a growing number of counter protesters.

The Hill has reached out to Indiana University for comment on the lawsuit.