DNR Proposal for .243 and up rifle for deer season?

[M4Madness]

Guys, you'd be surprised how many people are already hunting deer with high-powered rifles. I'd hate to think how many within a mile of my home. It seems like all the time that someone who lives on my road is getting ticketed for packing a rifle into the deer woods. I can think of three guys right off the top of my head that got busted in the last couple of years alone, and they weren't hunting together. The state may as well level the playing field and legalize the darned things and be done with it.

 

[roadrunner681]

so under the new rules that purposed would 7.62x39 be legal? i have a 5 round mag and some really nice softpoints from hordnay i would like to use.

 

[spaniel]

Guys, you'd be surprised how many people are already hunting deer with high-powered rifles. I'd hate to think how many within a mile of my home. It seems like all the time that someone who lives on my road is getting ticketed for packing a rifle into the deer woods. I can think of three guys right off the top of my head that got busted in the last couple of years alone, and they weren't hunting together. The state may as well level the playing field and legalize the darned things and be done with it.

Great logic. I know 3 people in the area whose houses have been broken into. Might as well legalize that so we can all get rich selling other peoples' stuff.

 

[BStarkey 46947]

As an Independent, I blame the entire fiasco on politicians. The firearms regulations at this time are "dumb". Please keep it real. If you under stand what a 30-06 will do at 150 yards to quarter inch plate steel or an animal, please express you opinion in the public comment session. I have hunted deer for 30 years and truly believe this will bring more people into the sport. The evolution of equipment in that period has been exceptional, there is no dispute. You can't weed out folks/hunters/poachers who do not understand shooting background, one-shot-one-kill, or what is right. I am all for the changes and will be in on the public comment session.

 

[spaniel]

As an Independent, I blame the entire fiasco on politicians. The firearms regulations at this time are "dumb". Please keep it real. If you under stand what a 30-06 will do at 150 yards to quarter inch plate steel or an animal, please express you opinion in the public comment session. I have hunted deer for 30 years and truly believe this will bring more people into the sport. The evolution of equipment in that period has been exceptional, there is no dispute. You can't weed out folks/hunters/poachers who do not understand shooting background, one-shot-one-kill, or what is right. I am all for the changes and will be in on the public comment session.

The average hunter is not capable of much more than a 100 yard shot. What difference does a .30-06 or a 44Mag make under typical ranges of deer harvest in the state? How does the current law prevent new entrants to the sport from taking deer at the ranges such people would normally take deer?

Outside of Indiana I've taken game at ranges in excess of 600 yards with regularity. I practice for that and build my own rifles for those capabilities. In most forums such activities are viewed as freakish and often unethical. Yet somehow now I hear arguments that the rounds needed for such shots are somehow needed for the typical 100 yard-ish shots in Indiana, and now apparently needed to bring new people (ie those not accomplished in long-range marksmanship) into the sport? It's kind of head-shaking.

 

[Leggdpms]

I honestly don't see them legalizing it as much as I'd hate to say it.

 

[Willie]

I honestly don't see them legalizing it as much as I'd hate to say it.

Usually what the DNR wants the NRC approves UNLESS there is a huge opposition. Such was the case a few years back when the DNR proposed shortening and moving the gun and muzzleloader seasons. That one blew up in their faces.. with about 80+% opposed.. For the first time ever the NRC asked/told the DNR to withdraw that proposal and go back to the drawing board..

They are serious...and we all will get a chance to give input - pro and con..

 

[avboiler11]

Outside of Indiana I've taken game at ranges in excess of 600 yards with regularity. I practice for that and build my own rifles for those capabilities. In most forums such activities are viewed as freakish and often unethical.

It *is* unethical, if you fire a quarter box of Core-Lokts at a paper plate each October and say "Good to go!" like many hunters on interweb forums do.

Not remotely unethical if you fire hundreds of rounds a year in various field positions and can maintain MOA (or often much better) accuracy, including UKD ranging and/or use of a rangefinder for first-round hits.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

The population density of Indiana is 183 people per square mile. Wyoming? SIX. To compare the two is utter nonsense.

Well then just look up Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Wisconsin,...etc.

The point was the difference in rifle friendly cultures. I'd have given you a story about a trip to Pennsylvania...but I didn't go to Pennsylvania.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

The average hunter is not capable of much more than a 100 yard shot. What difference does a .30-06 or a 44Mag make under typical ranges of deer harvest in the state? How does the current law prevent new entrants to the sport from taking deer at the ranges such people would normally take deer?

Outside of Indiana I've taken game at ranges in excess of 600 yards with regularity. I practice for that and build my own rifles for those capabilities. In most forums such activities are viewed as freakish and often unethical. Yet somehow now I hear arguments that the rounds needed for such shots are somehow needed for the typical 100 yard-ish shots in Indiana, and now apparently needed to bring new people (ie those not accomplished in long-range marksmanship) into the sport? It's kind of head-shaking.

I have friends in Northern Indiana that hunt vast tracts of agriculture that regularly have shots well over 500 yards. That was another point I had in my post about Wyoming - East/West Wyoming similar to North/South Indiana. I hunt places right here in Lawrence County that - if I so chose - could make 500 yard shots that are wide open crop land with good clear area beyond the shot. I choose not, but then I'm a pro choice kind of guy.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

In case you're interested population densities (which mean nothing since none of us hunt downtown or would ever hunt with a rifle in a housing addition - unless of course you're on the Bloomington town council and approve out of state snipers to reduce your deer population for you with the mighty .223 and go for "head shots")...

Indiana Census Data: Population & Housing Density

Pennsylvanias population density is nearly twice that of indiana, but then - as I said - most rifle hunters hunt where there are few to no people.

 

[MRP2003]

Going to hunt public land in PA can be pretty dense the opening day of gun. Unless you hunt the Allegheny Forest and go in deep, you are likely to see at least a dozen blaze orange coats by noon. I typically see closer to 20.

Also the two most populated counties that Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are located in are shotgun or muzzleloader, not rifle.

There is typically 350-450K deer taken each year in PA and not everyone gets a doe tag as it is a lottery and in most areas there is an antler restriction. We take approx. 125K. with little to no restrictions.


All this information really does not matter too much but I can tell you this, while I like going back to PA to hunt with one of my rifles, I love hunting IN as I can continue hunting a longer season. In PA, I could be one and done on the first day. While I love the meat, I love being out hunting even more. We also have a lot of special reserve hunts for more deer, bucks and does.

What ever happens what change my opinion of hunting in Indiana. I cannot see ever having a complaint about our regulations

 

[Expatriated]

..none of us hunt downtown or would ever hunt with a rifle in a housing addition

Clearly you haven't been around 30th and College lately in Indy

You DEFINITELY need a rifle there!

 

[M4Madness]

Great logic. I know 3 people in the area whose houses have been broken into. Might as well legalize that so we can all get rich selling other peoples' stuff.

My point is that you guys act like there are few people out there with high-powered rifles, while in fact there are many law breakers out there. Heck, we were discussing this very proposal at work this morning, and two guys said that they already deer hunt with rifles.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Not remotely unethical if you fire hundreds of rounds a year in various field positions and can maintain MOA (or often much better) accuracy, including UKD ranging and/or use of a rangefinder for first-round hits.

My question then is why not create a Rifle Tag for those that wish to hunt deer with centerfire rifle? Maybe a class and a shooting test?

It would create additional revenue and mitigate the concerns of fellow hunters.

 

[MRP2003]

Why not limit the center fire rifles to the lower half of the state similar to what Michigan does? You could use I70 as the cut off
Or just start in a few counties the first year as a test.

 

[Willie]

My question then is why not create a Rifle Tag for those that wish to hunt deer with centerfire rifle? Maybe a class and a shooting test?

It would create additional revenue and mitigate the concerns of fellow hunters.

Yeah... more government stuff....

 

[Hookeye]

People take deer with high powered rifles all the time, pre deer season in special nuisance situations.
We have a few idiots who use them during the sporting season, some from the road.
I expect more of it, should reg rifle pass.

BTW, some time back I mentioned the "rifle tag" deal. Where the state could charge a premium for using HP rifles.
If we pay 25 bucks for a reg firearms tag, maybe 100 for a HP rifle tag (resident).

 

[Hookeye]

My buddy's place is wide open with ditches along the edges, 3 small chunks of remnant woods on points. It's probably 400 yards wide by 700 yards long.
I could sit on one point with a 7 mag and cover the whole place.
With prev gear regs we could put 3 guys out there.
Yeah the "average" hunter may see 100 yards as some sort of threshold..............but some of us grew up reloading, using HP rifles on varmints..................that'd be like comparing C students to honor grads
Growing up we rabbit hunted by Ege, there were huge fields............definirely HP rifle could be put to proper use there.
Not so in my more southern spots, where every 20 to 50 acres belongs to somebody else.

For the guys with big sections of private land, HP rifles might be fun. For those stuck in more patchwork quilt types of landownership...........it could make for a bit of a mess.

"Win, win".............my arse. For a "win" somebody has to "lose".
Just what the cost is............?????

Time will tell.

I see more competition for larger areas, more confrontation on smaller, and lease prices making a jump. Possibly if it takes hold..................a resultant shorter gun season, less doe tags.

And I bet bowhunting pressure takes a jump, everybody trying to buck out before the boomers hit.
Now about those X bows.......................

 

[bwframe]

...I mentioned the "rifle tag" deal. Where the state could charge a premium for using HP rifles.
If we pay 25 bucks for a reg firearms tag, maybe 100 for a HP rifle tag (resident).

If some of the motivation for this is revenue based, that is a whole other discussion. IMHO, the DNR priced the average hunter out of the deer market years ago.