What are my deer hunting bag limits now, since four new counties have been designated as deer reduction counties?
All bonus antlerless licenses went into effect October 1, with the beginning of early archery season (instead of the beginning of firearms season, as before).
In addition to the usual county quota of four bonus antlerless deer (find your county on the above map), you may take an additional four bonus antlerless deer in each of the following 13 counties: Clark, Clay, Dearborn, Floyd, Franklin, Harrison, Jefferson, Ohio, Parke, Scott, Switzerland, Vanderburgh and Washington.
These counties have been identified by the DNR as being overpopulated with deer and have been designated “deer reduction counties.”
The 2005-2006 Indiana Hunting and Trapping Guide states, “The four additional antlerless deer taken in each of these counties do not count against either the bag limit for antlerless deer of any county or the statewide bag limit for bonus antlerless deer.
“Thus, you may take up to four bonus antlerless deer in a deer reduction county that count toward your regular bonus bag limits plus four bonus antlerless deer that do not count toward these limits.”
Of course, you must have a valid license for each deer.
For a current copy of the Indiana Hunting and Trapping Guide, call the DNR Customer Service Center at 317-232-4200.
What kinds of handguns are legal for deer hunting?
Any handgun, other than muzzleloading, that has a barrel at least four inches long and that fires a bullet of .243-inch diameter or larger.
The handgun cartridge case, without the bullet, must measure at least 1.16 inches long, and full metal-jacketed bullets are not permitted.
You may not conceal the handgun or carry one in any military area.
Some types of handgun cartridges legal for deer hunting include: 357 Magnum, 41 Magnum, 44 Magnum, 44 Special, 45 Colt, 45 Long Colt, 45 Winchester Magnum, 35 Remington and 357 Herrett.
Examples of illegal handgun cartridges for deer hunting include: 38 Special, 38 Smith and Wesson, 38 Colt New Police, 38/200, 38 Long Colt, 38 Super, 38 ACP, 38 Colt Auto, 45 ACP, 45 Automatic and 45 Auto Rim. All 25/20, 32/20 and 30 carbine ammunition is prohibited.
My neighbor says I am trespassing when I walk along the shoreline of the public freshwater lake that sits partially on his property. I’ve heard that the DNR owns the land around all of the lakes, and that there is a 10-foot easement for the public to use. Is this true?
There is no public easement on a public freshwater lake. You must secure permission from the property owner in order to walk on his or her land.
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.
