Current through March 20, 2024
Authority: IC 14-10-2-4; IC 14-11-2-1; IC 14-22-2-6
Affected: IC 14-22-11-1
Sec. 3.
(a) A person
must not possess a firearm or bow and arrows on a DNR property unless one (1)
of the following conditions apply:
(1) The
firearm or bow and arrows are:
(A) unloaded
and unnocked; and
(B) placed in a
case or locked within a vehicle.
(2) The firearm or bow and arrows are
possessed at, and of a type designated for usage on:
(A) a rifle;
(B) a pistol;
(C) a shotgun; or
(D) an archery; range.
(3) The firearm or bow and arrows are being
used in the lawful pursuit of either of the following:
(A) A wild animal on a DNR property
authorized for that purpose.
(B) A
groundhog as authorized under a license.
(4) The person possesses a handgun on a DNR
property other than a reservoir owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or
Falls of the Ohio State Park.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (a)(1)
or (a)(4), a firearm or bow and arrows may not be possessed on DNR properties
within any of the following:
(1) A nature
preserve or another property administered by the division of nature preserves
unless hunting is authorized under subsection (d).
(2) A property administered by the division
of state museums and historic sites.
(3) A campground.
(4) A picnic area.
(5) A beach.
(6) A service area.
(7) A headquarters building.
(8) A hunter check station.
(9) A developed recreation site.
(c) A person must not discharge a
firearm or bow and arrows on a DNR property except as follows:
(1) As authorized for a law enforcement
officer.
(2) In the lawful defense
of persons or property.
(3) Under a
department permit that authorizes the discharge.
(4) As authorized at a shooting
range.
(5) In the lawful pursuit of
wild animals. The exception provided in this subdivision does not apply within
two hundred (200) feet of any of the following:
(A) A campsite.
(B) A boat dock.
(C) A launching ramp.
(D) A picnic area.
(E) A bridge.
(d) A person may hunt on the following DNR
properties:
(1) A state forest administered by
the division of forestry, including a portion of a state forest that is a
nature preserve.
(2) A reservoir
property administered by the division of state parks and reservoirs.
(3) A wildlife area administered by the
division of fish and wildlife, including a portion of a wildlife area that is a
nature preserve.
(4) A nature
preserve or another property administered by the division of nature preserves,
if approved in a written authorization by:
(A)
the director of the division of nature preserves; and
(B) the owner of the nature preserve, if the
owner is other than the state of Indiana.
(e) A person hunting on any of the areas
described in subsection (d) must do the following:
(1) Comply with all federal and state:
(A) hunting;
(B) trapping; and
(C) firearms; laws.
(2) On a fish and wildlife area and a
reservoir property, obtain a one (1) day hunting permit and record from a
checking station. The person must:
(A) retain
the permit and record card while in the field for the authorized date;
and
(B) as directed, return them to
the department.
(3)
Refrain from hunting on a nature preserve if prohibited by signage posted at
the site.
(f) Unless
otherwise posted or designated on a property map, a person must not place a
trap except as authorized by a license issued for a property by an authorized
representative. This license is in addition to the licensing requirement for
traps set forth in IC 14-22-11-1.
(g) A person must not run dogs, except:
(1) during the lawful pursuit of wild
animals; or
(2) as authorized by a
license for field trials or in a designated training area.
A property administered by the division of fish and wildlife
may be designated for training purposes without requiring a field trial permit.
Only dogs may be used during field trials on a DNR property, except where
authorized by a license on a fish and wildlife property.
(h) A person may construct or
place a tree stand or hunting blind on a DNR property during the hunting season
for the animal being hunted under the following terms:
(1) Except as provided in subdivisions (2)
and (3), a stand or blind may only be left overnight if it is legibly marked
with the:
(A) name, address, and telephone
number of the owner of the stand or blind in the English language; or
(B) owner's customer identification number
issued by the department.
(2) A blind or stand used for deer hunting
must comply with
312 IAC 9-3-3.
(3) A blind used for hunting migratory birds
or waterfowl must:
(A) comply with
312 IAC 9-4-2; and
(B) be legibly marked with the:
(i) name, address, and telephone number of
the owner of the stand or blind in the English language; or
(ii) owner's customer identification number
issued by the department.
(i) The following terms apply to the use of
shooting ranges:
(1) A person must not use a
shooting range unless the person is:
(A) at
least eighteen (18) years of age; or
(B) accompanied by a person who is at least
eighteen (18) years of age.
(2) A person must:
(A) register with the department;
and
(B) pay any applicable fees;
before using a shooting range.
(3) Except as otherwise provided in this
subdivision, a person must shoot only at paper targets placed on target holders
provided by the department. An authorized representative may approve the use of
alternative targets on a supervised shooting range if the department determines
a hazard to public safety would not result.
(4) A person must fire downrange and take
reasonable care to ensure any projectile is stopped by the range
backstop.
(5) Shot not larger than
size 6 must be used on a shotgun range.
(6) A person must not:
(A) discharge a firearm using automatic
fire;
(B) use tracer,
armor-piercing, or incendiary rounds;
(C) play on, climb on, walk on, or shoot into
or from the side berms; or
(D)
shoot at clay pigeons, except on a site designated for shooting clay pigeons.
Glass and other forms of breakable targets must not be used on a shooting
range.
(7) A person must
dispose of the targets used by the person under section 2(a) of this
rule.
(8) Permission must be
obtained from the department in advance for a shooting event that involves any
of the following:
(A) An entry fee.
(B) Competition for any of the following:
(i) Cash.
(ii) Awards.
(iii) Trophies.
(iv) Citations.
(v) Prizes.
(C) The exclusive use of the range or
facilities.
(D) A portion of the
event occurring between sunset and sunrise.
(9) On a field course, signs and markers must
be staked. Trees must not be marked or damaged.
(j) A person must not take a reptile or
amphibian unless the person is issued a scientific purposes license under
312 IAC 9-10-6. Exempted from
this subsection are:
(1) eastern snapping
turtles;
(2) smooth softshell
turtles;
(3) spiny softshell
turtles;
(4) bullfrogs;
and
(5) green frogs; taken under
312 IAC 9-5-6 from a DNR property
where hunting or fishing is authorized.
(k) A person must not possess lead shot while
hunting mourning doves on a DNR property.
(l) A person may place a trail or game camera
as follows:
(1) The trail or game camera must
be legibly marked with the:
(A) name, address,
and telephone number of the owner of the camera in the English language;
or
(B) individual's customer
identification number issued by the department.
(2) A trail or game camera may only be placed
on the following DNR properties:
(A) A
property administered by the division of fish and wildlife, including a portion
of that property that is a nature preserve.
(B) A state forest or recreation area
administered by the department, including a portion of that property that is a
nature preserve.
(3)
Placement of a trail or game camera must not damage a tree.
(m) A person must not place bait
on a DNR property, except as follows:
(1) Bait
or food placed for management as authorized by the department.
(2) The result of authorized agricultural
operations on the property.
(3) A
bird feeder placed by a department employee.
(n) As used in this section, "bait" includes:
(1) a food that is transported to and placed
for consumption, including, but not limited to, piles of corn and apples placed
on the property;
(2) a prepared
solid or liquid that is manufactured and intended for consumption by livestock,
wild deer, or birds, including, but not limited to, commercial baits and food
supplements;
(3) salt; or
(4) mineral supplements.
Emergency Rule, LSA Document #22-227(E), temporarily
supplements this section, effective July 1, 2022. See LSA Document 22-227(E)
posted at 20220706-IR-312220227ERA. LSA Document #22-227(E) expires July 1,
2023.
