This has been an outdoor column for 37 years and, God willing, will remain for years to come. I began writing in 1972 when then sports editor Jim Bailey gave me my big chance. I try to write about all aspects of the outdoors. It has been fun. That being said, I have to write about a very special softball team my son Greg and I coached.

Greg was the mastermind in putting our Elks Lodge 209 team together. My daughter Jourdan and I joined the team at North Anderson. We had great pitching, the best catcher I’ve ever coached, solid defense and strong hitting. Taking the extra base and close plays at the plate were the norm. This unit truly worked together as a team. They won the close, one-run games, and at the end of the season found themselves with a sparkling 16-0 record.

Dick Dunn and the fine folks at the Anderson Elks Lodge fed the team after our final game last Saturday. What a fine sponsor to have.

Not since my late father Harold and I coached Greg on an 18-3 Babe Ruth team have I had so much fun.

Six of our players made the senior all-star team and one the junior all-stars. My son Greg, Greg Grinstead and I will coach the senior all-stars. The team holds a lot of promise.

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I was about to purchase Jourdan, 17, a fishing license, but now she won’t need one. A new law went into effect Wednesday that changes the age. Youth under age 18 will no longer need a fishing license to fish in Indiana public waters.

Also new is a non-resident youth hunting and trapping license at a fee of $17. The non-resident youth must purchase additional tags to hunt deer ($24) and turkey ($25). To qualify, the non-resident youth must be under 18 years of age when purchasing the license.

Another change is that the youth consolidated hunting license now includes trapping. Also, seniors who are not required to purchase a fishing license may now purchase a voluntary senior annual fishing license. Indiana gets matching federal funds for each license sold.

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Near-record spring season for turkey in Indiana

The 2009 spring season harvest was Indiana’s second highest since modern-day turkey seasons began 40 years ago, exceeding the 2008 harvest by 789 birds.

Of the approximately 59,000 hunters who pursued wild turkey in the state this spring, 12,993 were successful. Wild turkeys were killed in 88 of the 92 counties open to turkey hunting during the regular season, April 22 to May 10, and the youth season, April 18 and 19.

A total of 978 birds — 7.5 percent of the statewide harvest — were taken during the youth season, which is held before the regular season.

Switzerland County topped the hunter success list with 530 turkeys, followed by Harrison (511), and Jefferson (447).