Got INput for Division of Fish & Wildlife

The Indiana DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife received hundreds of comments on ideas related to potential changes to fishing, hunting, trapping, and other fish and wildlife-related regulations in Indiana in August and early September.

Input was received on the list of topics below, and additional input was received suggesting changes to many other rules.

DNR staff are continuing to evaluate all comments and determine which ideas to advance for further consideration. Comments and responses by the DNR will be available online later this year.

DNR topics

Fisheries

• Remove language that defines "sport fish" from 312 IAC 9-6-1-93. "Sport fish" is not referenced anywhere else in IAC.
• Remove 312 IAC 9-7-6 Black Bass Section 6d. This would remove 14 lakes from a no minimum size limit category and subject them to the statewide 14-inch minimum size limit regulation. The lakes are:
  1. Brownstown Pit in Jackson County.
  2. Burdette Park Lakes in Vanderburgh County.
  3. Chandler Town Lake in Warrick County.
  4. Cypress Lake in Jackson County.
  5. Deming Park Lakes in Vigo County.
  6. Garvin Park Lake in Vanderburgh County.
  7. Glen Miller Pond in Wayne County.
  8. Hayswood Lake in Harrison County.
  9. Henry County Memorial Park Lake in Henry County.
  10. Hovey Lake in Posey County.
  11. Krannert Lake in Marion County.
  12. Lake Sullivan in Marion County.
  13. Ruster Lake in Marion County.
  14. Schnebelt Pond in Dearborn County.
• Eliminate the commercial harvest of roe-bearing species (Shovelnose Sturgeon and Bowfin) in waters of the Wabash, Patoka, and White rivers, 312 IAC 9-8-2. Revise 312 IAC 9-8-7 to remove language that allows 15 roe harvester licenses to be sold for inland waters of the state.
• Change restricted area for collecting minnows below a dam in 312 IAC 9-7-15 from 500 yards to 200 yards below a dam, and maintain the current 500-yard restriction below Patoka Lake dam downstream of the Patoka River.
• Eliminate seine tags and change "net tag" to "gear tag" in 312 IAC 9-8-1 and 312 IAC 9-8-2. Add definition of "gear tag" to include seines.
• Add definitions of spear gun, bowfishing equipment, fish spear, and fish gig in 312 IAC 9-6-1, 312 IAC 9-7-2, and 312 IAC 9-7-16. Define “Bowfishing equipment” as: the gear used to shoot fish from above the water with an arrow or shaft with a barbed or retractable style point. A line must be attached from the arrow or shaft to the shooting device or person for retrieval. Define "Fish Spear" as: Hand-held rigid device consisting of a shaft with an attached sharp, barbed point or points. This device is also commonly referred to as a fish gig. Define "Spear Gun" as: mechanical device used underwater, held in the hand, which uses an elastic band, spring, or non-ignited compressed air to propel a barbed pointed shaft to take fish. The spear projectile must be attached by a line to the gun or person.
• Add Koteewi Park Lake in Hamilton County and W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park Lake in Hendricks County to the list of special regulation waters in 312 IAC 9-7-3, 312 IAC 9-7-6, and 312 IAC 9-7-14. These lakes would have a Channel Catfish bag limit of 5 per day, a Sunfish species (Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, and Crappie) bag limit of 15 per day in any combination, and a minimum size limit for Largemouth Bass of 18 inches with a reduced bag limit of 2 per day.
• Remove Sullivan Lake in Marion County from the list of waters where Largemouth Bass of any length can be taken or possessed, 312 IAC 9-7-6.
• Add Koteewi Park Lake in Hamilton County to the list of lakes where Saugeye are managed under a minimum size limit of 14 inches, 312 IAC 9-7-12
• Add the New Zealand mudsnail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum), marmorkreb (Procambarus virginalis), yabby (Cherex destructor), killer shrimp (Dikerogammarus villosus), and giant African land snail (Achatina fulica) to the list of exotic species that cannot be possessed or sold in 312 IAC 9-9.

Wildlife

• Combine the crossbow license for deer hunting with the archery license to allow hunting with long bows, recurve bows, compound bows, and crossbows under one license type. 312 IAC 9-3-3
• Add a statewide antlerless bag limit of six deer and remove the "bonus" designation from all rules regarding antlerless deer. 312 IAC 9-3-2
• For deer hunting, change the harvest reporting time from 48 hours to 24 hours. 312 IAC 9-3-2
• Change the deer archery license and muzzleloader license to allow a buck only. A new antlerless license will be legal for taking an antlerless deer during any open season, except the deer reduction zone.  Rename the “bonus antlerless license” to “antlerless license” and remove “bonus” designation from all language referring to antlerless deer.  312 IAC 9-3-4
• Change deer license bundle privilege to 1 Antlered and 2 Antlerless deer only. 312 IAC 9-3-2
• Amend the definition of a muzzleloading long gun and handgun in 312 IAC 9-3-3 to remove the minimum caliber and bullet diameter requirements for both equipment types, leaving only the requirement that both types of muzzleloading firearms must have the propellant and projectile loaded from the muzzle.
• For turkey hunting, change the harvest reporting time from 48 hours to 24 hours. 312 IAC 9-4-11
• Update common and scientific names of amphibians and reptiles found in 312 IAC 9-5-4, 312 IAC 9-5-6, and 312 IAC 9-5-7.
• Allow non-lead projectiles to be used for taking game frogs in 312 IAC 9-5-6.
• Change the scientific name for the Eastern Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum) so that the two Central American subspecies (Lampropeltis triangulum nelsoni and Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli) are exempted from this rule. 312 IAC 9-5-7
• Allow river otter carcass collection to be set annually by the DNR director through emergency rule. 312 IAC 9-3-18.2
• Require snares set on land to use a relaxing lock. Snares without a relaxing lock must be set at least half covered by water. 312 IAC 9-3-18 and 312 IAC 9-10-11.
• Remove Kirtland's warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii) from the state's endangered species list in 312 IAC 9-4-14
• Update the following bird taxonomic names for endangered species of birds in 312 IAC 9-4-14:  Northern harrier (Circus cyaneus) to Northern harrier (Circus hudsonius); Cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea) to Cerulean warbler (Setophaga cerulea); and Henslow's sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) to Henslow's sparrow (Centronyx henslowii).
• Add regulations for the release of black bears from rehabilitation, scientific research, or nuisance wild animal control assistance to 312 IAC 9-3-18.8. Specify a person must not release a black bear into the wild except as authorized under one (1) of the following:
  1. A scientific purposes license issued under 312 IAC 9-10-6.
  2. A wild animal rehabilitation permit issued under 312 IAC 9-10-9.
  3. A nuisance wild animal control permit issued under 312 IAC 9-10-11.
• Create a new rule for Nine-banded armadillos in 312 IAC 9-3-18.9 outlining:

A person must not take a nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcintus) without one of the following: scientific purposes license or a nuisance wild animal control permit. A person must not possess a nine-banded armadillo without one of the following: wild animal possession permit, wild animal rehabilitation permit, scientific purposes license,nuisance wild animal control permit, a registered or licensed educational or scientificinstitution within the U.S. A person must not sell a live nine-banded armadillo.

• Remove armadillo (Dasypodiadae) from the families of exotic mammals in 312 IAC 9-3-18.5.
• Change the scientific name of Franklin's ground squirrel from Spermophilus franklinii to Poliocitellus franklinii. 312 IAC 9-3-19
• Add Ohio Pigtoe (Pleurobema cordatum) and Salamander Mussel (Simpsonaias ambigua) to the endangered species list of invertebrates in 312 IAC 9-9-4.
• Update scientific names of mussels in 312 IAC 9-9-4 under the endangered species of invertebrates: Rabbitsfoot (Theliderma cylindrica), White catspaw (Epioblasma perobliqua), and Northern riffleshell (Epioblasma rangiana).
• Create rule in 312 IAC 9 prohibiting the movement of cervid (i.e. deer, elk) carcasses into the state unless the person is traveling through the state without stopping/unloading carcass, or the carcass is delivered to a licensed deer processor or taxidermist within 72 hours of entry. Carcasses that do not include the head/spine/small intestine may be brought into the state as well as antlers, cleaned skull caps, hides, ivories, and finished taxidermy. This rule would mirror the carcass movement rule established by the Indiana Board of Animal Health (BOAH) in 345 IAC 1-3-31.
• Create a rule in 312 IAC 9 that allows the DNR director to implement specific actions in response to a fish or wildlife health threat or disease. The rule should allow the director to establish disease management zones and establish restrictions within zones related to the movements of wild animals, carcasses, or carcass parts; wildlife rehabilitation and release; wildlife feeding; and modifications to hunting seasons, bag limits, legal hunting licenses, and take permits.

Permits

• Amend 312 IAC 9-10-5 “Taxidermist licenses” to require taxidermists to properly dispose of wild animal carcass parts per the restrictions established in IC 32-30-6-6.
• Change the Fish Hauler & Supplier Permit to a Fish Transportation Permit and have one (1) permit for raising and selling fish in Indiana, which would be the aquaculture permit. 312 IAC 9-10-17 and 312 IAC 9-10-14.
• Allow the limited take permit to be issued for state endangered species that are not federally listed in 312 IAC 9-10-18.
• Allow the deer control permit to be issued for more than 90 days outside the season and provide language for DNR to do an inspection. Add language to specify that the DNR may require deterrents before allowing the shooting of deer under a deer control permit in certain situations under 312 IAC 9-10-25.
• Amend the wild animal rehabilitation permit to allow for additional types of experience, as well as clarify requirements for assistants and keeping non-releasable animals in 312 IAC 9-10-9.
• Remove the requirement for wild animal possession permits that an animal be examined by a veterinarian within 45 days of issuance of the initial permit in 312 IAC 9-11-2 and clarify that Class II animals can be kept inside a house in 312 IAC 9-11-10.
• Allow for permits issued by DNR to be denied or revoked due to fish and wildlife health concerns. 312 IAC 9.