Spring Mill State Park officials say the two-day deer hunt at the park was a success.

The hunts were held at Spring Mill State Park and Cave River Valley Nature Preserve, the goal was to manage the white-tail deer population from damaging vegetation and keep the herds healthy at the two properties.

Assistant Property Manager Jon Winne says more hunters showed up because of the weather. Many believed the deer would be moving around because of the bad weather on Sunday..

Winn says 48 hunters bagged 13 deer on Monday at Spring Mill, and 27 hunters took 7 deer Tuesday. At Cave River Valley in Campbellsburg, 15 hunters took 13 deer Monday and 17 hunters took 4 deer Tuesday.

Most of the deer killed were juvenile and adult does, but there were a few young bucks taken and all of the deer were healthy.

Another controlled hunt will be held on  Dec. 2-3. Hunters are allowed to come to the parks up to 10 days before the hunt to scout locations and set up non-penetrating deer stands. Spring Mill contains 1,364 acres, with about 1,340 acres available for hunting. Cave River is 316 acres of more rugged terrain, giving hunters 285 acres of available hunting ground.

State Senator Brent Steele says it is a lot easier to sit in a recliner and answer questions on “Family Feud” then it is on stage, in front of judges and waiting for a buzzer to sound.

Steele and his 4 sons –  Aaron from Bloomington, Sean from Heltonville, and Rhett and Gavin from Bedford will appear on the popular TV game show  hosted by comedian and author Steve Harvey on Monday.

The Steeles signed a nondisclosure agreement that prevents them from saying how well they did. But Aaron Steele, a Bloomington realtor, said during the show’s introductions Harvey couldn’t help noticing that the Steele men had nearly as much facial hair as the “Duck Dynasty” cast. Gavin was sporting the longest beard of all, stretching a foot beneath his chin.

Aaron says the boys and their father will be able to tell stories about their experience the rest of their lives.

The family had to audition to get on the show. Last spring, Sean filled out an application after hearing auditions for the show would be held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The family made the cut and at the audition, attended by hundreds of families, the Steeles participated in a mock version of the show.

In July Sean got a second call saying the producers wanted to fly the family to Atlanta, put them up in a Holiday Inn, and possibly include them in an episode of the show.

The Steeles flew to Atlanta in August, but that still didn’t guarantee they’d make the show.

A stretch Escalade picked them up at the hotel at 7:30 a.m. and took them to the studio.  After a 13-hour wait in a holding area, the Steeles were called at 9 p.m. to film a segment for the show.

Brent says  the producers filmed their segment for 90 minutes and then edited it down to an 18-minute segment that will actually air.

The whole family will gather in one of their homes to watch the show Monday.

In an effort to make the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday travel period safer, Southern Indiana Law Enforcement Agencies will be joining hundreds of other law enforcement agencies statewide in participating in the annual “Safe Family Travel Campaign”. The campaign began Friday, November 8th, and will continue through Sunday, December 1st.  Law Enforcement will be conducting high visibility enforcement efforts including sobriety check points and saturation patrols targeting impaired drivers and unrestrained motorists.

In Indiana, more than 50 percent of fatalities in auto crashes are due to passengers who did not buckle up. In November 2012, there were 355 alcohol-related crashes across Indiana resulting in 155 injuries and 5 fatalities.

Please help do your part to make the Thanksgiving Holiday travel period safe by observing the following safety rules:
 – If you are planning to travel make sure you are well rested, a fatigued driver is a dangerous driver.
 – Avoid tailgating; remember the two-second rule.
 – Make sure everyone is buckled up.
 – Put down the electronic devices and drive.
 – Don’t Drink and Drive.
 – Move Over and Slow Down for emergency and highway service vehicles.

The fish that has policymakers and environmentalists fearful of serious damage to the Great Lakes ecosystem is the subject of a public meeting this afternoon in Indianapolis.

For the last decade, the Asian carp has been infiltrating waterways, gobbling up algae and small shellfish that other fish eat.

The carp eat so much that they can crowd out nearly all other species. The Indiana Wildlife Federation is hosting its third meeting with state and federal officials to explain the options for dealing with it.

Executive director Barb Simpson says Chicago has had success keeping the carp out of Lake Michigan with electrified barriers. The Army Corps of Engineers will release a report in the next month or two evaluating the pros and cons of different proposals for dealing with the carp.

Earlier this month, the federation held similar meetings in Portage, near what‘s believed to be the most likely entry point to the Great Lakes, and Fort Wayne. Simpson says the threat in Fort Wayne is the second biggest, because Eagle Marsh south of the city could give the carp access to the Great Lakes watershed.

The Department of Natural Resources is putting up barriers.