Among the hot-button items up for public comment to the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) is a proposal to open Indiana deer hunting to include high-powered rifles. Currently, the state limits modern center fire ammunition in repeating and single-shot rifles to selected “pistol” cartridges.

The new proposal is sure to bring controversy even among deer hunters and outdoorsmen. Indiana Administrative Code 312 IAC 9-3-3 makes the following changes governing deer hunting equipment:

•Allows additional rifles to be used by reducing the bullet size required to .243 and eliminating the maximum rifle cartridge case length. This will allow high-powered rifles such as the .30-30 and .45-70 during the deer firearms seasons. Full metal jacketed bullets would be unlawful because they do not expand when fired and, therefore, do not kill as humanely.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) believes the change can be made now for the following reasons:

•There are currently no limits on rifles that are legal to use for species other than migratory birds, deer and wild turkey.

•Muzzleloaders have evolved to the point that with smokeless powder (which is legal to use), they are essentially a high-powered rifle (accurate 500-yard gun).

•They are legal in several nearby states, including Kentucky, Michigan (the northern part of the state) and Pennsylvania. There has been no increase in hunting-related accidents as the result of the use of rifles, neither in Indiana nor in several other states where they are allowed.

•There isn’t a need to limit the equipment that can be used to take deer in order to manage the herd. The deer harvest was a record in 2012, and the DNR is managing the deer herd through other means.

•Rifle cartridges that fire a bullet at least .243 in diameter and have a minimum case length of 1.16 inches long can safely and humanely kill whitetail deer.

Additionally, the proposal addresses legalizing the 28-gauge slug shotgun for deer hunting and includes wording permitting some rifle/handgun conversions:

•Allows the 28-gauge shotgun to be used during the firearms seasons and the special antlerless season. A 28-gauge deer slug ammunition is now available and allowing these firearms will provide deer hunters another choice of firearm with which to hunt deer.

•Clarifies that handguns currently legal to use during the firearms season are legal even if originally designed and registered as a rifle. This would clarify that a rifle that can be changed to be used as a handgun can be used during deer firearms season, as long as it meets requirements for legal handguns.

To increase the take in the old Urban Deer Zones, the proposal includes wording to allow firearms in areas where they may be legally discharged:

•Allows firearms to be used during the deer reduction (formerly urban deer zone) season, where legal to discharge a firearm, from the first Saturday after Nov. 11 through Jan. 31 of the following year. Use of firearms in deer reduction zones would give communities greater flexibility to manage deer-related problems and should improve deer-harvest success rates.

The proposal may see some reaction from archery hunters, as the old urban deer zones were restricted to archery equipment only.

312 IAC 9-3-12 loosens the requirement of “landowner’s written permission” on the taking of coyotes:

•Allows coyotes to be taken year-round without written permission of the landowner. Coyotes can be taken during the hunting and trapping season (Oct. 15-March 15) or year-round on private land with written permission of the landowner.

Removing the requirement for written permission would make it easier for individuals to remove nuisance coyotes at anytime. Permission of the landowner or tenant would still be required, but it would not have to be in writing.

312 IAC 9-3-15: Removing nuisance animals has some restrictions lifted which non-outdoor landowners should welcome. The proposal makes several changes governing the following species of wild animals that are causing damage or causing a health or safety threat, including raccoons, skunks, opossums, beavers, muskrats, red foxes, gray foxes, mink, long-tailed weasels, gray squirrels and fox squirrels:

•Allows resident landowners and tenants to designate another person (such as a relative, friend, neighbor or employee) in writing to take these animals for them outside the season and without a permit, as long as there is no compensation of any kind. This would allow landowners and tenants to have others (i.e., friends, neighbors, relatives) assist in the removal of the animal and not require the person to have a permit when doing so without compensation.

Thousands of wild animals are a nuisance each year. They need to be dealt with as quickly as possible without delays from having to get a permit.

•Allows these animals to be taken without a permit if the animal is causing or threatening to cause damage to property or posing health or safety threat to people or domestic animals. Taking the wild animal while it is damaging property is difficult, and some animals need to be removed for health or safety reasons.

This language is also consistent with the administrative code in 312 IAC 9-10-4 that allows wild animals to be taken under a nuisance wild animal control permit.

•Requires individuals who take a wild animal under this section to use legal methods (including legal foothold traps and snares) when taking these animals.

If approved, the changes would take effect in late summer or fall of 2015. Individuals may submit comments about the proposals to the NRC at www.in.gov/nrc/2377.htm

Click on “comment on this rule” for the FW: Biennial Rule Amendment Package. Currently, there is no deadline for public comments. A final vote by the NRC on the proposed changes is not expected until approximately May 2015. A public hearing has not yet been scheduled. More information will be available at a later date regarding public hearing(s).

The Division of Fish & Wildlife initiated a number of rule ideas/topics for public comment earlier this year to start the biennial rule change process. Thousands of comments were received both online and by regular mail in January and February.

A few ideas submitted by the Division were dropped, and a couple of ideas received by the public were added as a result of some of the comments.

The Commission is an autonomous board addressing issues pertaining to the Indiana DNR. It includes the DNR director, heads of three other state agencies (Environmental Management, Tourism and Transportation), six citizens appointed by the governor on a bipartisan basis, the chair of the Commission’s advisory council and the president of the Indiana Academy of Science.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments may contact Jack Spaulding by email at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.