The Natural Resources Commission gave preliminary adoption to the proposed changes to the deer hunting rules on July 20. These proposed changes are a result of an extensive review by DNR fish and wildlife and law enforcement staff, in addition to review and input from a group of stakeholders that included representatives from the following: DNR divisions of Fish and Wildlife, and Law Enforcement, Bloomington City Council, Indiana Bow Hunters Association, Indiana Deer Hunter’s Association, Indiana Farm Bureau, Quality Deer Management Association, Indiana Sportsman’s Roundtable, Indiana Wildlife Federation, Indiana Woodland Owner’s Association, The Nature Conservancy, and a sporting goods retailer. Some of the changes also include those requested by the Natural Resources Commission and Natural Resources Advisory Council through the Comprehensive Fish and Wildlife Rules Enhancement Project.

The DNR believes that these changes will help balance ecological, recreational and economic needs of the citizens of Indiana.

You can give your comments regarding these proposed changes to the Natural Resources Commission by going to the Natural Resources Commission website and click on “Comment on Proposed Rule” next to the deer (white-tailed) rule amendments. Comments can also be mailed to the following address:
Natural Resources Commission
Indiana Government Center North
100 North Senate Ave., Room N501
Indianapolis, IN 46204

All comments sent to the Natural Resources Commission regarding these rule changes will be provided to Commission members and Department of Natural Resources staff and will be publicly disclosed and searchable on the internet and in a paper docket as part of the final report.

Public hearings on these rule changes will take place later this year or early next year, but they have not yet been scheduled.

Please note that these proposed changes will not be in effect this year, and the Natural Resources Commission will have an opportunity to review all of the public comments before making a final decision at a future meeting.

If you sign up for Wild Bulletin, a free e-mail service from DNR, or check our website periodically, you will find updates as we move through the rule process. Below is a summary of the proposed changes.

Summary of Proposed Deer Rule Changes

Definitions

• Moves the definition of crossbow to the definitions section, instead of defining it in 312 IAC 9-3-3
• Adds a definition of ground blind

General Requirements and Licenses

• Adds the new nonresident youth deer license types
• Adds license requirements for the new special antlerless seasons
• Requires hunter orange for youth hunters during the youth special deer season and during the new antlerless only seasons (in the locations where the antlerless only season is open); hunter orange is already required for all deer hunters during the firearms and muzzleloader seasons
• Requires at least 144 square inches of hunter orange material on a ground blind that is visible from all directions while the ground blind is occupied and used at a time and location when a hunter is already required to wear hunter orange
• Requires the owner’s name and address on ground blinds used on department properties

Hunting Equipment

• Allows a crossbow to be used by hunters who are at least 64 years old during the early archery season
• Allows a crossbow to be used during the deer firearms and muzzleloader seasons by hunters of any age
• Allows a hunter of any age to use a crossbow in an urban deer zone during the urban deer season.
• Allows a rifle cartridge to have a maximum case length of 1.8 inches instead of 1.625 inches

Seasons and Bag Limits

• Allows youth hunters to take the number of antlerless deer allowed in each county during the special youth deer season (in addition to one antlered deer)
• Extends the urban deer season through January 31 of the following year
• Requires hunters to take at least one antlerless deer prior to taking an antlered deer in the urban deer season
• Expands the urban deer zones in Lake and Porter counties to all of those counties
• Changes the deer firearms season to start on the first Saturday before Thanksgiving and continue for only 8 additional days
• Shortens the deer muzzleloader season to only 9 days
• Adds an antlerless deer only firearms season in October (2 days only) in counties with an antlerless quota of 4 or more. The hunter may take the number of antlerless deer in each county allowed under the bonus county quota.
• Adds another antlerless deer-only firearms season from December 25 through January 1 of the following year. The hunter may take the number of antlerless deer in each county allowed under the bonus county quota.

Military Reserves and National Wildlife Refuges

• Opens the firearms season on designated military reserves and national wildlife refuges on October 1 instead of November 1
• Adds the new nonresident youth deer hunting license types