whats up with the new regs?

[natahka72]

The questions is WHY do we need all these new regulations, are deer out of control? Guess it depends on who you ask... Crossbows, rifles, 8 does permits... I foresee snares and bait in our future. Sportsman think they're winning when the writing is on the wall... The state wants the deer herd as small as possible.  Nothing like getting close (30yards) to mature animal because you out smarted them. I'm a bow guy, I'll admit it... And it's for one reason, that most gun only hunters usually never get to experience, and that's a woods that is close to "natural", which means all animals act normally and you get to see so much of God's amazing creations in their natural state. Then just like every year the second day of gun season puts 90% of the animals  nocturnal and the woods get boring, and I switch to fishing and get the pure enjoyment of quite water. I see myself moving from this state in the next 10 years, and never looking back... And that's unfortunate.

I bow hunt and gun hunt.  That is so true High Tide!!  You put that in words quite well.  Thank you!

[bigr]

Let me try to clarify/simplify what I'm saying. 1.There will be far more 300 to 500 yard shots.2. There will be far more multiple shoots.3.There will be far more complaints to law offices.4.There will be far more wounded and untracked deer than ever before.5.A lower population of deer.6. The idiots /people in woods carrying the longer distance equipment that don't practice PROPERLY will increase. I am sure that all the new possible equipment will do the job but with the mindset of the avg weekend PERMIT holder I still say keep your head down when shots come your way.   

[crappiecrusher34]

Sorry boys,  the big guns with 32 days of some sort of guns to shoot deer. Is way to much. If they want big fire power so be it. But we don't need 16 days of firearms and another 16 days of muzzleloader. If you expect to kill big deer with these big guns you better do it this year because the big deer are going to be gone in years to come. In my opinion we need to get this cut down to just a few weekends of firearms and muzzleloader. High Tide said it best after the 15 of Nov. Season is trash. I bow hunt and gun hunt. But after one day of gun am bored and usually have filled my tags.During bow season what happens  in the woods is beautiful. Let me tell you boys come November 15th the fish will be biting so d**n good and you don't need no gun just a 16-foot B&M with a jig will do all my harvesting.

[bigr]

Well said crappiecrusher. By 15th the fishing is normally at it's best about anywhere you go. Fresh fillets fried over an open fire with tators with an ak leaning against a tree just in case a deer steps out anywhere on the 100 acres.

[indianahooker]

now thats livin!  i can smell it already. 

[taxid]

Back when I was mounting deer vs. specializing in fish, which I do now, I can tell you there was definitely a difference in the quality of deer racks in the 80's vs. when I quit doing the deer in the 90's. The racks got smaller and the deer coming in were mostly 1+ vs. 2+ to 3+ in the 80's.

[wallin]

Doesn't the new regs say that they can't be used on State Propertys?
Private property should be OK, don't have them weekend idiots running around.
Any weapon should be a personal choice. I have 80 acres to hunt, have taken my biggest deer at 10 yds (218lb) 9ptrwith a bow, took my last buck at 15 yds with my crossbow 75 yds from my back door, some years theres a lot, some years theres only a few you see. I welcome the rifle if you have the space for it. As far as idiots they use them rifles poaching already for years, and its been legal to hunt coyotes and anything else that doesn't have the Fed protection on it with a rifle in Indiana but most people don't know it. Its the idiots you need to fear and not the ethical good hunters out there.
Bring on the rifle, I'm all for it.
IMO
Thanks
Tom

[netminder34]

I think we need to remember that this was not brought into affect by the DNR but was passed by the Legislature.  The DNR is going to report back to the legislature on this after a 4 year period.  The new LAW is for Private Property only not public lands.  Remember who has the ear of the politician, big business, so this probably has very little to do with the health of the Indiana deer herd,  There was a similar situation a few years ago in Michigan where the insurance companies helped the DNR loosen up the Doe tag regulations.  OK there is my conspiracy theory for the day.

[wallin]

I don't believe from what I have seen over the years that this will affect more deer taken than any other form of hunting.
Last year I passed and didn't even take any, now my neighbor who signs up for all the DNR Park hunts and hunts the DNR properties takes 10 deer a year because he legally can.
I have a lifetime tag as well but 1 deer a year is more than enough for me and mine.
The one who take all the deer are going to do it with any means possible weather its, bow, gun or what ever means.
Its my opinion but you all know someone like that and its all legal to do.
My opinion and the insurance companies have had input in this for years.

[High Tide]

Indiana's public land is another sore spot for me... It's like 2% of the state... And you have places like Idaho that has 67%. When I do speaking engagements in this state, I can't tell you how many Dad's say they can't find a good area to hunt or fish that can keep a kid interested. The sad part is, it's really becoming a rich man's sport... $32 to launch a boat on the local water or leasing land, because that's about the only way to get real quality experience (for the most part). I'm REALLY concerned about our youth and the outdoors, and I'm for regs that increase the possibility of a positive experience. Have a gun season that last forever, if just one way to decrease the experience, heading out to the field and not seeing a deer for a week is a nail in the coffin for most kids (of course there is more at fault than Indiana hunting Regs for that matter). I see it like this... I have heard plenty of people take 50 yard shots with crossbows, but I don't hear lot of people making 50 yard bow shots. More shots, the more opportunity to wound animal, encompassed with the fact that you have a lot more potential 50 yard shots than 30 yard. Now with a rifle the same rule will definitely apply. I don't know many that shoot 150 yards with a shotgun, but I know plenty that will with a rifle. It would be crazy to think more shots won't be fired with these new regs. Then, like clockwork, will break a record next year, and people will say "see there is plenty of deer"... Or... Is it just easier to kill them? Guess only time will tell. Hope that makes any kind of sense, although I'm sure many will dispute.

[wallydiven]

Wish Indiana would raise the non resident license fees. It's more than double for us to hunt and or fish in most if not all other states.

[tater140]

I really don't know where I stand on this subject.  I have hunted all my life, and have hunted the past 6-7 years with a custom .358 rifle that met the regs.  With the new rifle i have killed several deer, but haven't taken a shot over 50 yards with it.  It's mainly due to the land I hunt just really doesn't have much longer shot opportunities.  From my experience and seeing others around me that are hunting I feel that there is less driving of deer, trucks running all over the roads, wild shots taken, etc.... then there used to be.  I remember seeing people around us start deer drives at 8 and 9 in the morning and do that all day.  I really can't say that I have seen that in the past 5 years or so.  So from that standpoint I feel that there is a general move towards more ethical hunting.  I also see lots of people passing on smaller bucks and not shooting everything that walks or runs past.  In general I feel that hunting is conducted more responsibly then when I grew up.  With that being said I still find myself enjoying the sport, hoping for one maybe two deer for the freezer, am not really big buck driven, and mostly just enjoy the time spent outdoors.