The Times is doing a series of articles highlighting commonly broken laws, explaining common misconceptions about the laws and detailing what types of actions will get a person arrested. Today we examine the hunting laws. To suggest a law for The Times to highlight, contact the writer.
With firearms season about to begin for deer hunters, conservation officers are reminding hunters of the most commonly violated laws and they are alerting the public that they can report dangerous or illegal hunting.
Deer firearms season -- which runs from Nov. 15 to Nov. 30 -- is the most popular of the hunting seasons. It's also the one that leads to the most violations of the law, Indiana Conservation Officer Gene Davis said.
Davis said the most common violations are:
- Hunting without a license. Licenses can be purchased online at in.gov/dnr or at some sporting goods stores.
- Illegal taking violations like shooting animals out of season or hunting with illegal weapons.
- Hunting without consent. To charge someone with hunting without consent, conservation officers simply need to find someone who can't prove he or she has consent to hunt on the land. The property owner does not have to post "no trespassing signs" and doesn't have to have previously warned the hunter.
- Baiting. It isn't illegal to feed deer or put out a salt block for them, but it is illegal to do that and then, once the deer are in the habit of coming around, to hunt them.
- Hunting from the roadway, hunting from a vehicle and using a spotlight. All are illegal because of the danger of hitting a person or some property.
Davis said most of the violations are misdemeanors, and officers usually issue the violator a summons to appear in court. The above violations provide a sampling of some of the most common violations. For more complete information, visit the DNR Web site and click on the 2008-2009 Indiana Hunting & Trapping Guide or obtain a guide from stores that sell hunting equipment. People also can call the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to ask a specific question.
Davis said most hunters follow the laws, and that helps promote public safety and protect the wildlife. He said compliance should continue to increase because Indiana began requiring anyone born after Dec. 31, 1986, to take a hunter education course before getting a hunting license.
Still, there are always some who violate the laws, Davis said. Violators may be reported by calling county police. A dispatcher can dispatch a conservation officer to respond to the complaint. In addition, people can turn in a violator by calling the Indiana Department of Natural Resources tip line at (800) TIP-IDNR (847-4367).
