in-20240417-IR-312240049SNA: DEER HUNTING LICENSE AMENDMENTS

Notice of Second Public Comment Period LSA Document #24-49 Sec. 17. "Youth" means an individual less than eighteen (18) years of age on the date of a hunt. Sec. 15. An occupied individual may not occupy a ground blind must have unless the blind has at least one hundred forty-four (144) square inches of hunter orange that is visible on each side of the blind from one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise to one-half (1/2) hour after sunset when the hunter is required to wear hunter orange in accordance with under IC 14-22-38-7 or 312 IAC 9-3-2(t). 312 IAC 9-3-2. Sec. 2. (a) This section and sections 3, 4, 8, 9, and 10 of this rule govern: the: (b) Species of deer other than white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are exempted from the following: (b) "Deer license bundle" means a deer hunting license that replaces a valid deer hunting license and allows an individual to take one (1) antlered deer and two (2) antlerless deer, under this section and sections 3 and 4 of this rule, during the following seasons combined during one (1) license year: (c) "Multiple season antlerless deer license" means a deer hunting license that allows an individual to take one (1) antlerless deer using the equipment authorized for that season under section 3 of this rule. (d) An individual who claims the exemption provided under this subsection must a deer taken is not a white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) shall prove the deer is other than not a white-tailed deer. (c) The licenses identified in this section are nonexclusive. (e) An individual may apply for one (1) or more of these multiple licenses to hunt deer under this section. (d) (f) Except as provided under IC 14-22-11-1 and IC 14-22-11-11, an individual must may not hunt a deer: (e) (g) A youth hunter may take a deer during the youth deer season established in under section 4(b) 4 of this rule only if the youth hunter: (f) (h) An individual may take a deer with a long bow, a recurve bow, or a compound bow, or crossbow during the archery season established in under section 4(c) 4 of this rule only if the individual: (g) An individual may take a deer with a crossbow during the archery season established in section 4(c) of this rule only if: (h) (i) Except as provided in subsection (v), an individual may take a deer with a firearm during the firearms season established in under section 4(e) 4 of this rule only if the individual: (i) (j) An individual may take a deer with a muzzleloader during the muzzleloader season established in under section 4(f) 4 of this rule only if the individual: (j) (k) An individual may take a deer during the deer reduction season established in under section 4(d) 4 of this rule only if the individual: (k) (l) An individual may take a an antlerless deer during the special antlerless a deer hunting season established in under section 4(h) 4 of this rule only if the individual: (l) (m) An individual may take an antlerless deer in a designated county, by authority of with an extra deer bonus multiple season antlerless license only as during the special youth, archery, firearm, and muzzleloader seasons as authorized under by section 4(g) and 4(h) 4 of this rule. (n) An individual may take one (1) antlerless deer using equipment authorized for a season under section 3 of this rule with an extra deer multiple season antlerless deer license. (m) An individual must, (o) Immediately upon after taking a deer, an individual shall record on a piece of paper the following on a piece of paper: (n) (p) An individual who takes a deer must cause delivery of shall ensure the deer carcass is delivered to an official checking station for registration in the name of the individual who took to register the deer, or cause the reporting of report the take by providing and provide true and accurate information required on by the department's electronic harvest reporting system on the occurrence of the earlier of the following: (o) (q) The head of a deer must remain attached to the deer carcass until the deer is registered either at an official checking station or through the department's electronic harvest reporting system. (p) (r) When a deer is registered: (q) The department's electronic harvest confirmation number must be maintained with a deer (s) An individual who takes deer shall maintain the confirmation number provided under subsection (r) with the deer until processing of the deer processing begins. (r) (t) An individual must not may hunt a deer except from beginning one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise to and ending one-half (1/2) hour after sunset. (s) (u) An individual must shall wear hunter orange: (t) (v) An individual must may not take more than one (1) antlered deer and six (6) antlerless deer statewide during the special youth, archery, firearm, and muzzleloader seasons authorized in collectively under section 4 of this rule from beginning the first day of the special youth deer season of one (1) calendar year through and ending the last day of the archery season in the following calendar year. An individual may not take more than the number of antlerless deer permitted by each county under section 4(g) of this rule during the special youth, archery, firearm, and muzzleloader seasons collectively. (w) An individual may not take an antlerless deer with a firearm during the firearm season on the following properties operated by the department: (u) (x) An individual must may not hunt take a deer with the use or aid of: (v) (y) An area is considered baited for ten (10) days after the removal of the bait and the baited soil Hunting are removed. An individual may hunt an area such as an orchard, which that may be attractive to deer as the result of normal agricultural activity. is not prohibited. (w) (z) Notwithstanding subsection (u), (x), an individual may use dogs only while a dog on a leash to track or trail a wounded deer. (x) (aa) Notwithstanding subsection (u), (x), an individual may use a: (y) (bb) An individual may possess a handgun in accordance with under IC 35-47 while hunting a deer. (z) "Deer license bundle" means a multiple privilege deer license that replaces a valid deer hunting license and allows an individual to take one (1) antlered deer and two (2) antlerless deer or three (3) antlerless deer in accordance with this section and sections 3 and 4 of this rule in the following seasons combined in one (1) year: (cc) An individual who takes a deer believed to be unfit for human consumption by an authorized department biologist, a property manager, or an Indiana conservation officer may be issued an authorization to take an antlerless deer that will not count toward the statewide antlerless deer bag limit under subsection (v), or the county bag limit under section 4 of this rule. Sec. 3. (a) During the youth special deer season established in by section 4(b) 4 of this rule, a youth hunter must may hunt deer only with the following equipment: (b) During the archery season established in under section 4(c) 4 of this rule, an individual must may hunt deer only with the following equipment: as follows: (c) During the firearms season established in under section 4(e) 4 of this rule, and the special antlerless season established in section 4(h) of this rule, an individual must hunt may take deer only with any of the following equipment: (d) As used in section 2 sections 2, 4, and 8 of this rule and this section, and sections 4 and 8 of this rule, a firearm must meet the following specifications: (e) During the muzzleloader season established in under section 4(f) 4 of this rule, an individual must hunt may take deer only with a: (f) During the deer reduction season established in section 4(d) 4 of this rule, an individual may hunt take deer with a: (g) An individual must may not erect, place, or hunt from a permanent tree or ground blind on state land owned lands. A or leased by the state. An individual may erect, place, or hunt from a temporary tree or ground blind that may be left overnight and placed on a: (h) An individual must may not use an infrared sensors sensor to locate or take aid in taking a deer. An individual must not hunt or retrieve deer with the aid of an infrared detector. (i) An individual must may not possess or use an electronic deer call while hunting deer. Sec. 4. (a) Except as provided in section 2 of this rule, an individual must not may take not more than one (1) deer with each deer a license to hunt a deer. (b) The special youth deer season is two (2) consecutive days beginning on the Saturday immediately before October 1, or as approved annually by the director as follows: (c) The archery deer season is from begins October 1 through and ends the first Sunday in January. An individual must may take not more than two (2) deer of which only one (1) may be antlered the number of deer permitted under section 2 of this rule under this subsection. (d) The deer reduction season is as follows: (e) The firearms deer season is from begins the first Saturday after November 11 and continues for ends after an additional fifteen (15) days. An individual must may take not more than one (1) antlered deer under this subsection with a firearms license. (f) The deer hunting season for only using to use a muzzleloading long gun or muzzleloading handgun is from begins the first Saturday after the closing day of the firearms season as established in under subsection (e) and continues for ends after an additional fifteen (15) days. An individual must not may take not more than one (1) deer of either sex the number of deer authorized by section 2 of this rule under this subsection. (g) The season and bag limit for hunting by county to take an antlerless deer in a designated county, by authority of an extra deer bonus antlerless license shall be established on an annual basis by a temporary rule authorized by the director is as follows: (h) The special antlerless deer season is from December 26 through the first Sunday in January of the following year in counties with an antlerless quota of four (4) or more deer. An individual may take only antlerless deer under this subsection and may take only the number established under subsection (g) for the county being hunted. Sec. 11. (a) Except as provided in subsection (c), an individual may hunt wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in the spring from beginning the first Wednesday after April 20 and continuing for ending after an additional eighteen (18) consecutive days. On property managed by the division of fish and wildlife, an individual may hunt wild turkeys under this subsection only until noon (central time) or 1:00 p.m. (Eastern time). (b) An individual may hunt wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) during the fall as follows: (c) The spring and fall seasons for hunting and possessing wild turkeys on Camp Atterbury shall be determined by the director on an annual basis to prevent interference with military training exercises. (d) An individual may take one (1): (e) An individual must not do the following: (f) The special youth season for hunting wild turkeys under this subsection is two (2) consecutive days beginning on the Saturday immediately before the start beginning of the spring turkey season established in subsection (a). As used in this subsection, "youth" means an individual who is less than eighteen (18) years of age on the date of the hunt. A youth who hunts a wild turkey under this section must be accompanied by an adult who is at least eighteen (18) years of age. An adult accompanying a youth hunter must not possess a firearm, bow and arrow, or crossbow while in the field. The seasonal limit for hunting wild turkeys under this subsection is one (1) bearded or male wild turkey. A youth hunter who takes a wild turkey under this subsection must not take another wild turkey during the spring turkey season in the same year. (g) An individual must not use or possess: (h) An individual may possess a handgun while hunting wild turkeys in accordance with under IC 35-47. (i) Except as provided under IC 14-22-11-1 and IC 14-22-11-11, an individual must not hunt: (j) An individual may take a wild turkey during the spring season established under subsection (a) only if: (k) An individual may take a wild turkey during the fall season established under subsection (b) only if: (l) Immediately after taking a wild turkey, an individual must attach a piece of paper to a leg of the turkey directly above the spur stating the following: (m) An individual who takes a wild turkey must do one (1) of the following: (n) The department's electronic harvest confirmation number must be maintained with a wild turkey that is gifted to another individual until processing of the wild turkey begins. (o) The official wild turkey checking station operator shall accurately report the taking of the a wild turkey on the department's electronic harvest reporting system and give the individual the confirmation number. (p) The feathers and beard of a wild turkey must remain attached while the wild turkey is in transit from the site where taken. (q) As used in this section, "bait" means to: