DEER HUNTING REGULATION SUMMARY 2010
Special Youth Deer Hunting Season - Sept. 25 and 26
Last year’s youth weekend harvest was 1,687, a record that, according to deer biologist Chad Stewart, probably coincided with increasing the age restriction from under 16 to under 18, which happened for the first time last year.
Last year, 85 percent of the youth season harvest was female deer, with the remaining 15 percent being button bucks.
The first youth season was 2006. These seasons have been exclusively for antlerless only until this coming season. Youth season typically accounts for about 1% of the season’s total harvest.
More on the regulations:
– Youth under age 18 on the date of hunt can participate.
– Youth hunters can take either a buck or a doe; if a buck is taken, it is the only buck the youth hunter can take that year, except in an urban deer zone; a doe is in addition to all other antlerless deer that can be taken in the regular seasons.
– Resident youth will need a hunting license (apprentice or regular), such as the resident youth comprehensive hunting & trapping license or a comprehensive lifetime hunting license.
– Non-resident youth will need a non-resident youth deer hunting license—firearm, archery, muzzleloader, or bonus antlerless.
– An adult that is at least 18 years of age must accompany the youth hunter during this special season, be licensed to hunt (unless hunting on his/her own farmland), stay in close proximity to the youth while in the field, and not possess a bow and arrow, crossbow, or firearm, and not accompany more than 2 youth at a time in the field.
– Youth hunters must use legal equipment—archery, crossbow, shotgun, rifle or muzzleloader.
– Youth must follow all other deer hunting regulations.
Archery season starts Oct. 1 and runs through Nov. 28
– New changes allow archery equipment and firearms to be loaded, or capable of being fired, before and after lawful shooting hours.
– New changes allow legal archery equipment and a firearm to be possessed during the firearms season, as long as the person possesses both an archery and a firearms license.
– New changes also allow legal archery equipment and a muzzleloader to be possessed during the muzzleloader season, as long as the person possesses both an archery and a muzzleloader license.
– Crossbows can be used only in the late archery season (Dec. 4, 2010–Jan. 2, 2011), unless the hunter has a special disability permit
Urban Deer Zones
– New changes allow archery, extra archery, or bonus antlerless licenses to be used to hunt deer in an urban deer zone
– The city of Warsaw is now an urban deer zone in Kosciusko County.
– A hunter can take 4 antlerless deer (1 per license) or 3 antlerless deer and 1 antlered deer (1 per license) in an urban deer zone; these limits are in addition to the bonus county quotas and other season bag limits.
More information: Go to: www.hunting.in.gov or call the deer hotline (812-334-3795) or the DNR Customer Service Center (317-232-4200). Media members only: Marty Benson, DNR assistant director of communications, (317) 233-3853, mbenson@dnr.in.gov.
About Fish and Wildlife Management in Indiana
Fish and wildlife management and public access are funded by fishing and hunting license revenue and also through the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Programs administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These programs collect excise taxes on sporting arms and ammunition, archery equipment, fishing equipment, and motor boat fuels. The money is distributed among state fish and wildlife agencies based on land size and the number of licensed anglers and hunters in each state. Find out more information about fish and wildlife management in Indiana at http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild.
