CHAPTER 6. REGULATION OF BIRDS AND MAMMALS
IC 14-22-6
Chapter 6. Regulation of Birds and Mammals
IC 14-22-6-1
Taking of wild animals governed by laws and rules
Sec. 1. A person may not take, chase, or possess a wild animal,except as provided by:
(1) a statute; or
(2) a rule adopted under IC 4-22-2 to implement this article.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15.
IC 14-22-6-2
Migratory birds; taking governed by article
Sec. 2. A person may not:
(1) take, possess, sell, offer for sale, purchase, or offer topurchase;
(2) ship, transport, or carry; or
(3) deliver or receive for shipment, transportation, or carriagein any manner outside Indiana;
a migratory bird designated in this article or a part, nest, or egg of amigratory bird, except as otherwise permitted by this article.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15.
IC 14-22-6-3
Migratory birds; permit or license requirement
Sec. 3. A person may not take or possess for any purpose, duringthe closed season, a migratory bird or the nest, eggs, or increase ofa migratory bird without having a permit or license issued by thedirector under this article.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15. Amended by P.L.69-2009, SEC.7.
IC 14-22-6-4
Trapping; tending traps
Sec. 4. A person may not do the following:
(1) Tend or visit a trap or remove a furbearing animal from atrap that is not the person's property without the permission ofthe owner.
(2) Fail to tend or visit or have tended or visited a trap andremove a furbearing animal from a trap that is the person'sproperty within a period not exceeding twenty-four (24) hours.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15.
IC 14-22-6-5
Trapping; underwater box traps
Sec. 5. A person may trap furbearing animals with an underwaterbox trap during trapping season.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15.
IC 14-22-6-6
Trapping; snares Sec. 6. (a) A person may not use a snare for the trapping ofanimals, except upon land owned by the user or with the writtenpermission of the owner.
(b) A snare that permits a circumference of more than fifteen (15)inches may not be used for the trapping of animals unless:
(1) at least fifty percent (50%) of the loop of the snare iscovered by water; or
(2) the snare employs a relaxing snare lock.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15. Amended by P.L.183-1995, SEC.1.
IC 14-22-6-7
Jacklighting prohibited
Sec. 7. (a) This section does not apply to an employee of thedepartment or an employee of a federal wildlife management agencywho:
(1) is acting in the performance of the employee's duties; and
(2) has received the express written consent of the director forthe employee's action.
(b) A person may not knowingly throw or cast the rays of anyspotlight or other artificial light:
(1) not required by law on a motor vehicle; and
(2) in search of or upon any wild bird or wild animal;
from a vehicle while the person possesses a firearm, bow, orcrossbow, if by throwing or casting the rays a wild bird or wildanimal could be killed. This subsection applies even though theanimal is not killed, injured, shot at, or otherwise pursued.
(c) A person may not take any wildlife, except furbearingmammals, with the aid of illumination of any spotlight, searchlight,or other artificial light.
(d) A person may not shine a spotlight, searchlight, or otherartificial light for the purpose of taking, attempting to take, orassisting another person to take a deer.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15. Amended by P.L.13-2007, SEC.1.
IC 14-22-6-8
Sale of wild birds or mammals governed by article
Sec. 8. (a) As used in this section, "sell" includes serving as a partof a meal by a restaurant, a hotel, a boardinghouse, or an eatinghouse keeper.
(b) A person may not sell, offer to buy, trade, or offer to trade awild bird or mammal, or meat from a wild bird or mammal, that:
(1) is live or dead; and
(2) is taken in:
(A) Indiana; or
(B) another state and brought into Indiana;
except as otherwise provided in this article.
(c) Proof that a bird or mammal was served constitutes primafacie evidence that the bird or mammal was served in violation ofthis article. However, a restaurant, a hotel, a boardinghouse, or aneating house keeper may prepare and serve during open season to: (1) a guest, patron, or boarder; and
(2) the family of the guest, patron, or boarder;
a bird or mammal legally taken by the guest, patron, or boarderduring the open season.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15.
IC 14-22-6-9
Shooting from or across public highways prohibited
Sec. 9. A person may not:
(1) hunt, shoot, shoot at, or kill an animal; or
(2) shoot at an object;
from within, into, upon, or across a public highway in Indiana.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15.
IC 14-22-6-10
Shooting into or across waters of the state
Sec. 10. A person may not shoot into or across:
(1) the waters of the state; or
(2) the boundary waters of the state;
except in the lawful pursuit of wild animals.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15.
IC 14-22-6-11
Silencers prohibited
Sec. 11. (a) This section does not apply to an employee of thedepartment or an employee of a federal wildlife management agencywho:
(1) is acting in the performance of the employee's duties; and
(2) has received the express written consent of the director forthe employee's action.
(b) A person may not:
(1) use or possess an apparatus designed for use with or on afirearm commonly called a silencer; or
(2) use or possess a device used as a silencer;
in Indiana while in the act of hunting.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15. Amended by P.L.13-2007, SEC.2.
IC 14-22-6-12
Taking of coyotes
Sec. 12. A person:
(1) who possesses land; or
(2) designated in writing by a person who possesses land;
may take coyotes on the land at any time.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15.
IC 14-22-6-13
Controlled hunts in state parks
Sec. 13. (a) If the director:
(1) determines that a species of wild animal present within astate park poses an unusual hazard to the health or safety of one
(1) or more individuals;
(2) determines, based upon the opinion of a professionalbiologist, that it is likely that:
(A) a species of wild animal present within a state park willcause obvious and measurable damage to the ecologicalbalance within the state park; and
(B) the ecological balance within the state park will not bemaintained unless action is taken to control the populationof the species within the state park; or
(3) is required under a condition of a lease from the federalgovernment to manage a particular wild animal species;
the director shall establish a controlled hunt for the species withinthe state park.
(b) An order issued by the director under this section must setforth the conditions of the hunt.
As added by P.L.47-1995, SEC.2. Amended by P.L.18-2009, SEC.1.
IC 14-22-6-14
Control of deer population; landowner assistance program
Sec. 14. (a) The:
(1) division of fish and wildlife of the department; and
(2) division of soil conservation established within the Indianastate department of agriculture by IC 15-11-4-1, through the soiland water conservation districts established under IC 14-32;
shall, in cooperation with other conservation education organizationsand one (1) or more organizations of hunters, establish a program tohelp landowners with problems determined by the director to becaused by localized deer population.
(b) The program established under this section must educatelandowners concerning the means by which a landowner can:
(1) control; or
(2) obtain assistance in controlling;
the deer population on the landowner's tract of land.
(c) Under the program established under this section, one (1) ormore hunters or organizations of hunters may, upon request by alandowner, work with the department and the landowner to alleviateproblems caused by localized deer populations.
(d) In each county, the division of fish and wildlife, in cooperationwith the soil and water conservation district established within thecounty under IC 14-32, shall disseminate information about theprogram established under this section.
As added by P.L.47-1995, SEC.3. Amended by P.L.1-2006, SEC.213;P.L.2-2008, SEC.30; P.L.120-2008, SEC.7.