I know a guy that works for IDNR that is in charge of acquiring new properties and taking care of the IDNR properties. I don't call him very often but I wish I could ask him about what happened with the AMAX mine property out by Blue grass. Maybe the next time I see him socially I'll bring up that subject. I do know that he's frustrated with the funding situation as he well should be. He and IDNR can only work with the money that the legislature gives to them. They get money from the taxes on hunters and fishing equipment purchases but I wonder if they actually get to use all that money for IDNR purposes.

Also the Northern Part of the State being more populated gets a lot of those funds. The build a new shooting range at Atterbury which is up by INDY. Seems that they get a lot of the money up in that part of the state. There are more people up there that request these funds.

I would love to see IDNR be able to purchase more lands for the general public to hunt and fish on. That would be great. I am thankful that we have blue grass F&W area, Sugar Ridge and Hoveys down here. There is a lot of public land but it's used heavily. I guess the grass always seem greener on the other side of the field.

I was riding around the old Techumse mine area South of Lynville where the security guard talked to me. It was late in the afternoon so if it were a peabody guard it was most likely the one you are talking about. He is heavy set and short! There is a lot of abandoned mine land out there. When I was still in college I was driving around this mine area in four wheel drive jeeps and on my dirt bike scouting this area. We went scuba diving in those pits back in the early 1970's. Now I don't even recognize the place. I remember turning off State Hwy 161 which goese from Boonville to Lynville and driving East on a gravel road. There were active open pit mines on the North Side back then and they were using one of them big Shovels to mine the coal. We drove down that gravel road and then turned left onto a old dirt road to get back to the old stripper pits that were already full of water. There were areas of coal fines in some spots that covered acres of ground. And the there were plenty of pits with water in them. Lots of Warrick County residents (teenagers) were out there swimming in the pits. I am not sure but I think that old gravel road is now a paved road called Dickeyville Road?

Quote Originally Posted by fishNnut View Post
Peabody does not give permits to use their Indiana property. If the state would pony up the money, we could have an additional 27,000 acres to hunt/fish on. But I wouldn't wait on that to happen. It was nice of the state to let Newmaster get first choice on the ground that he wanted before they purchased Bluegrass. Now that ground is selling deer/turkey hunts and we got some good fishing and about 10 deer.

I have hunted and fished on Peabody for the last 15 years in Warrick County. Got checked one time and that was in Tecumseh fox hunting one night. Guard pulled up to my truck and waited for us to get back. He asked what we where doing and we told him and he proceeded to tell us where he had seen a few coyotes. He also told us, at that time, that the only people they had problems with were ATV's and people just out killing time. I guess bored people seem to tear stuff up/steal stuff and mess it up for the rest of us that respect the property.

The guard that ran you off probably worked 2nd shift. I've heard him tell others the same thing that you stated, but NOTHING has ever came of it. I think he just wants to make people think he has some authority.