Deer Hunters Take Firearms To The Woods This Weekend
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Firearms season for deer opens Saturday and continues until Dec. 1. Most hunters will take their positions well before first light.
Although the bow hunters' season began Oct. 1, more hunters participate in the firearms season.
Hunting is big business, a $20.6 billion industry in the United States. More than $10 billion is spent on equipment alone.
Indiana's share of the pie is $1.8 billion, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife statistics.
Last year, 23,132 deer were harvested in early archery season, 67,958 in firearms season, 11,098 during the muzzleloader season and 984 in late archery.
"A general estimate puts the deer population at 300,000," said Mike Ellis of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife. "And there are many more people who like to look at deer than hunt them."
Last year's sales for licenses, permits and stamps brought in $623,888, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife figures. The privileges were purchased by 92,000 people, about 1 percent of the population.
Non-hunters participating in wildlife-related activities in the state make up 39 percent of the population, about 1.7 million citizens.
Vehicle-deer accidents are involuntary encounters with wildlife. As guns are fired, startled deer head the other way at a run. There have been more than 160 vehicle-deer incidents so far this year, according to Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine.
Into the fields and woods with the hunters go a variety of weapons. They may carry more than one type of firearm during firearms season, as long as the firearms are legal for hunting deer.
Legal firearms include shotguns, handguns, muzzleloading long guns and muzzleloading handguns during the firearms season. Only muzzleloading firearms are legal during the muzzleloader season.
Shotguns must be 10-, 12-, 16- or 20-gauge or .410 bore loaded with slugs or sabots. Rifled slug barrels are permitted. Combination rifle-shotguns are not allowed.
This year, muzzleloader season is Dec. 7 through Dec. 22.
Muzzleloading firearms must be .44 caliber or larger, loaded with a single, ball-shaped or elongated bullet of at least .44 caliber. Sabots are allowed provided the bullet is .44 caliber or larger. A muzzleloading firearm must be loaded from the muzzle. Multiple-barrel muzzleloading long guns are allowed.
Handguns, other than muzzleloading, must have a barrel at least 4 inches long and must fire a bullet of .243-inch diameter or larger. The handgun cartridge case, without the bullet, must be at least 1.16 inches long. Full metal-jacketed bullets are not permitted. A handgun may not be concealed. Handguns are not permitted on any military areas. 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.
Muzzleloading handguns are allowed. The muzzleloading handgun must be single shot, .50 caliber or larger, loaded with bullets at least .44 caliber, and must have a barrel at least 12 inches long, measured from the base of the breech plug, excluding tangs and other projections, to the end of the barrel, including the muzzle crown.
Legal archery equipment includes long bows, compound bows or recurve bows and arrows. The bow must have a pull of at least 35 pounds. Arrows must be tipped with broadheads that are metal, metal-edged or napped flint, chert or obsidian. Poisoned or exploding arrows are illegal.
Bows drawn, held or released by means other than by hand or hand-held releases may not be used. No portion of the bow's riser or any track, trough, channel, arrow rest or other device that attaches to the bow's riser can guide the arrow from a point back beyond the bow's brace height. The common overdraw is still allowed as long as it does not extend beyond the string when the bow is relaxed.
It is illegal to possess firearms while hunting deer with a bow and arrow. A bow may be possessed in the field before and after legal shooting hours only if the nock of the arrow is not placed on the bow string.
Deer hunters may use crossbows to harvest antlerless deer in the late archery season, Dec. 7 through Jan. 5.
Crossbows must have a minimum 125-pound pull and a mechanical safety. Also, it is illegal to have an arrow placed on the crossbow string outside of legal deer hunting hours while in the field.
Hunters with a handicapped permit may still take antlered deer with a crossbow according to their permit.
On the Net: For 2001 National Survey of Fishing Hunting & Wildlife Associated Recreation: federalaid.fws.gov.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources: www.state.in.us/dnr/ [[In-content Ad]]
Firearms season for deer opens Saturday and continues until Dec. 1. Most hunters will take their positions well before first light.
Although the bow hunters' season began Oct. 1, more hunters participate in the firearms season.
Hunting is big business, a $20.6 billion industry in the United States. More than $10 billion is spent on equipment alone.
Indiana's share of the pie is $1.8 billion, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife statistics.
Last year, 23,132 deer were harvested in early archery season, 67,958 in firearms season, 11,098 during the muzzleloader season and 984 in late archery.
"A general estimate puts the deer population at 300,000," said Mike Ellis of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife. "And there are many more people who like to look at deer than hunt them."
Last year's sales for licenses, permits and stamps brought in $623,888, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife figures. The privileges were purchased by 92,000 people, about 1 percent of the population.
Non-hunters participating in wildlife-related activities in the state make up 39 percent of the population, about 1.7 million citizens.
Vehicle-deer accidents are involuntary encounters with wildlife. As guns are fired, startled deer head the other way at a run. There have been more than 160 vehicle-deer incidents so far this year, according to Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine.
Into the fields and woods with the hunters go a variety of weapons. They may carry more than one type of firearm during firearms season, as long as the firearms are legal for hunting deer.
Legal firearms include shotguns, handguns, muzzleloading long guns and muzzleloading handguns during the firearms season. Only muzzleloading firearms are legal during the muzzleloader season.
Shotguns must be 10-, 12-, 16- or 20-gauge or .410 bore loaded with slugs or sabots. Rifled slug barrels are permitted. Combination rifle-shotguns are not allowed.
This year, muzzleloader season is Dec. 7 through Dec. 22.
Muzzleloading firearms must be .44 caliber or larger, loaded with a single, ball-shaped or elongated bullet of at least .44 caliber. Sabots are allowed provided the bullet is .44 caliber or larger. A muzzleloading firearm must be loaded from the muzzle. Multiple-barrel muzzleloading long guns are allowed.
Handguns, other than muzzleloading, must have a barrel at least 4 inches long and must fire a bullet of .243-inch diameter or larger. The handgun cartridge case, without the bullet, must be at least 1.16 inches long. Full metal-jacketed bullets are not permitted. A handgun may not be concealed. Handguns are not permitted on any military areas. 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.
Muzzleloading handguns are allowed. The muzzleloading handgun must be single shot, .50 caliber or larger, loaded with bullets at least .44 caliber, and must have a barrel at least 12 inches long, measured from the base of the breech plug, excluding tangs and other projections, to the end of the barrel, including the muzzle crown.
Legal archery equipment includes long bows, compound bows or recurve bows and arrows. The bow must have a pull of at least 35 pounds. Arrows must be tipped with broadheads that are metal, metal-edged or napped flint, chert or obsidian. Poisoned or exploding arrows are illegal.
Bows drawn, held or released by means other than by hand or hand-held releases may not be used. No portion of the bow's riser or any track, trough, channel, arrow rest or other device that attaches to the bow's riser can guide the arrow from a point back beyond the bow's brace height. The common overdraw is still allowed as long as it does not extend beyond the string when the bow is relaxed.
It is illegal to possess firearms while hunting deer with a bow and arrow. A bow may be possessed in the field before and after legal shooting hours only if the nock of the arrow is not placed on the bow string.
Deer hunters may use crossbows to harvest antlerless deer in the late archery season, Dec. 7 through Jan. 5.
Crossbows must have a minimum 125-pound pull and a mechanical safety. Also, it is illegal to have an arrow placed on the crossbow string outside of legal deer hunting hours while in the field.
Hunters with a handicapped permit may still take antlered deer with a crossbow according to their permit.
On the Net: For 2001 National Survey of Fishing Hunting & Wildlife Associated Recreation: federalaid.fws.gov.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources: www.state.in.us/dnr/ [[In-content Ad]]