Video: ‘Accidental Oversight’ Means No Rifles for Indiana Deer Hunters on Public Land

   10.16.17

Video: ‘Accidental Oversight’ Means No Rifles for Indiana Deer Hunters on Public Land

Deer hunters in Indiana were shocked to read the state’s new hunting regulations for gun season, and it may damper some plans for deer camp this year. . .

“First of all, it was something that nobody caught when the bill was first passed,” said Republican State Rep. Sean Eberhart, who wrote House Bill 1415.

According to Fox 59, a mistake was made when lawmakers attempted to clarify the rules regarding high velocity rounds, but now they’re asking for a mulligan. . .

“The intent of the change was to make it more clear on what high velocity rifle rounds you could use on private property,” said Everhart, “when that change was made, it inadvertently pulled in the pistol rounds in a rifle, but only on private grounds.”

This accidental oversight, as you can imagine, has led to A LOT of unhappy deer hunters in the state of Indiana. . .

Eberhart, feels “very confident” they can address the mistake, however, when and how remain gigantic question marks considering it’s now a written law.

We couldn’t get a statement from the DNR, but they did release the guidelines revolving around these new rules, and you can read them below:

What are the rifle cartridge size requirements for Firearms Season?

The Department of Natural Resources has received numerous questions regarding recent legislation that legalizes certain rifles for deer hunting beginning in November of 2017.

House Enrolled Act 1415 allows some additional rifle cartridges to be used on private land during the deer firearms season, but removed the ability for any rifle to be used on public land for deer hunting. “Public land” includes both state and federal property.

A summary of the rifle requirements for deer hunting on private land are as follows:

  • The rifle must have a barrel length of at least 16 inches
  • The rifle cartridges must have a cartridge case length of least 1.16 inches and have a maximum case length of 3 inches
  • The cartridge must fire a bullet with a diameter that is .243 inches (same as 6mm) or larger
  • A hunter may not possess more than 10 such cartridges for each of these rifles while hunting deer
  • These new rifle cartridges may only be used on private land
  • Full metal jacketed bullets are illegal\
  • These new rifle cartridges may be used during the youth deer season, deer firearms season, special antlerless firearm season (where open), and deer reduction season (in deer reduction zones where local ordinances allow the use of a firearm from the start of the regular firearms season through the end of the following January)

All the rifle cartridges that were legal in recent years are legal now only on private land.

Rifle cartridges that are legal under this new law (HEA 1415) include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • 6mm-06
  • 6mm BR Remington
  • 6mm PPC
  • 6mm Remington
  • .240 Weatherby
  • .243 Winchester
  • .243 Winchester Super Short Magnum
  • .25 Remington
  • .25-06 Remington
  • .270 Winchester
  • .30 Carbine
  • .30 Herrett
  • .30 Remington AR
  • .30-06 Springfield
  • .30-30 Winchester
  • .30-40 Krag
  • .300 AAC Blackout (.300 Whisper)
  • .300 H &H Magnum
  • .300 Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum
  • .300 Savage
  • .300 Weatherby Magnum
  • .300 Winchester Magnum
  • .300 Winchester Short Magnum
  • .300 Remington Ultra Magnum
  • .303 British
  • .307 Winchester
  • .308 Marlin
  • .308 Winchester
  • .32 Winchester SL
  • .35 Remington
  • .38-55 Winchester
  • .40 S&W
  • .444 Marlin
  • .45-70 Government
  • 6.5 Creedmoor
  • 6.8 SPC
  • 7.62x39mm
  • 7.62x54mmR

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