I have a raccoon living under my deck and eating the food we put out for our pets. Can I kill or trap it? Should I call a conservation officer about this?

If you are putting out more food than your pet can eat at a single sitting, then you are inviting raccoons, as well as skunks, opossums, rats and mice, and a host of other animal and insect pests to hang out under your deck. In effect, you are baiting them into your yard. If you continue to have problems after you reduce your feeding habits to a level where your pet is eating all of the food that you put out in a single sitting and enough time has passed for the raccoons to adjust, you may consider the following. Furbearers, which include raccoons and opossums, that are in the act of causing damage to a person’s property may be killed. The carcass must be disposed of legally. The person who kills the furbearer must contact an Indiana conservation officer within 72 hours to report having taken a nuisance furbearer.

What is the law with respect to the possession of animals I’ve been trapping? How long can I keep the hides of animals that I’ve trapped this season?

The carcass or untanned hide of a furbearer may be retained by a licensed individual until Feb. 20, with the exception of red fox and gray fox, which may be retained until March 20.

I live in northern Indiana and want to go snowmobiling. May I go on state property, and if so, what properties are good for snowmobiling? Are there any rules I need to know about before I go?

Keep in mind that there are no DNR properties that allow riding of snowmobiles on their premises. There are, however, trails open to the public in the northern part of the state.

There are some rules/laws to keep in mind while snowmobiling. Always obtain consent of the landowner before operating a snowmobile on private property. All snowmobiles operated on public property must have a valid registration. Snowmobiles must not be operated on public roadways, except by an operator with a valid driver’s license on county roads and then only when the county commissioners have declared those county roads open.

When do I need to purchase new hunting and fishing licenses? If I don’t already have a license but wish to start hunting or fishing close the expiration date of this year’s license, must I buy this year’s and license and then turn around and buy the following year’s?

In short, yes. All Indiana hunting, fishing and trapping licenses are issued for a definite period running from April 1 to March 21 of the following year. If you purchase a hunting license late in the season, such as a hunting license so that you can rabbit hunt for the weekend in January, the price of the license is the same as if you had purchased it the previous April, but it will expire March 31. The same holds true for fishing. If you decide to fish for the first time in March 2007, then you will need to purchase a 2006 fishing license (it expires March 31, 2007). You will then need a new license beginning in April 2007.

To submit a question to Ask a CO, email OI@dnr.IN.gov or write to Outdoor Indiana, Ask a Conservation Officer, 402 W. Washington Street, Suite W255B, Indianapolis, IN 46204.