HB1231 passes in house- (Centerfire rifles for deer hunting)

[7mmRM]

I heard the same thing along with hunter must be elevated 10feet.

 

[phylodog]

I heard the same thing along with hunter must be elevated 10feet.

That'd be kind of obscure. Some of our stands are sitting in the bottom of ravines. We're up 20'+ and would still have shots available that would be horizontal at best.

 

[7mmRM]

Oh I know. It's silly. The little cabin at firing line of my rifle range sits on top of a hill. Roughly 70 feet above the rest of the property. I hunt out of it all the time. Guess. I'll have to put a ladder on the back side of it and climb up to take a shot. Lol!!!

 

[Willie]

THIS is what we get when we have politicians making the game management rules...

Southern part of the state - Hwy 36 from Western Indiana to Marion county, then southern border of Marion, then highway 40 to the eastern side of state is the boundary line.

Yep, 10 foot up. More people are getting hurt and/or killed by falling out of treestands that by guns in this state...and any other state. The politicians say," We want you to be safe, so climb a tree.. and bust your kuester when you fall out.."

 

[Tom Threetoes]

You're right Willy. What's a guy gonna do if he sees the buck of a lifetime on the way to or from his 10 foot high tree stand? Sounds like they're fixing to make violators out of a bunch of people. Looks like I'll still be using my 35 Remington short.

 

[Willie]

The 10' is unenforceable.. as is the shooting the deer on the way to the stand..

Deer leases in Southern Indiana just went up in prices.. if this passes...

 

[d80hunter]

Too bad I hunt off the ground with a firearm 90% of the time. After the state sees the 2016-2017 season hunting accident reports we can encourage them to lift the 10 foot restriction.

 

[gunselman]

Online says: "DO PASS AMEND Yeas: 5; Nays:3 (Voted on 02/22)

We will have to see the official amendments.

 

[Rocdenindy]

Prices of used shotguns are going to drop and rifles are going up. But on a serious note, it passed out of committee, now what? I tried calling the General Assembly number but got put on hold for 10 minutes and hung up.

 

[cedarthicket]

Following are links so that all can read the actual language in the original bill and the currently (02-22-16) amended bill:

Original bill as introduced in House, and passed in House:
House Bill 1231 - Hunting and property management - Indiana General Assembly, 2016 Session


Senate Committee report showing amendments on 02-22-16:
House Bill 1231 - Hunting and property management - Indiana General Assembly, 2016 Session


Senate Committee Vote Sheet on 02-22-16:
House Bill 1231 - Hunting and property management - Indiana General Assembly, 2016 Session


The amended bill is subject to more changes on the full Senate floor (assuming it gets there). And, if it passes the full Senate it is possibly subject to a conference committee to work out House and Senate differences. Perhaps other hurdles and priorities may also exist (my knowledge is very limited in this area) before the bill gets to the Governor for his signature or veto.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking:

Deadline for Senate committee reports on HBs in Senate is February 25.
Deadline for 3rd reading of HBs in Senate is March 2.
Conference committees begin March 3.
Deadline to adjourn 2016 General Assembly Session is March 14.

 

[avboiler11]

The 10' thing is stupid, as is "separate but equal" regulations for hunters depending on their geography.

That being said...if it ends up getting signed into law, there will be an opportunity for hunters to prove that all those bad terrible things people claimed would happen with modern highpower rifles for whitetail in fact did not, allowing DNR to then have cover for liberalizing rifle regulation throughout the northern half of the state.

 

[Expatriated]

10 ft off the ground as measured from where to where? Directly under the stand?

So if there is a tree growing out of a 10 ft deep depression, you can put a stand in it level with the surrounding ground and basically shoot level with the surrounding ground?

Once again, my hat's off to the hunting reg makers of Indiana. Snatching convoluted logic from the jaws of common sense. i think we'd be better off if they just flipped a coin to decide which surrounding state's laws we'd adopt identically.

 

[M4Madness]

At least one state has the 10-foot law, so I'm sure they copied that law from somewhere else. I read that the committee chairwoman refused to hear the bill unless that was added, then still voted against it. Talk about being pompous and above the serfs.

 

[MRP2003]

Ok, so what we have is a restriction to southern Indiana, being elevated by at least 10', and being on private land. Next they will add a restriction of a very short period of time that it can be used in the later part of deer hunting season such as the last Monday of the December until the Friday of that week.


OK, I do not understand why my district Senator did not vote or participate in this v

Why did only 9 Senators vote and not all of them? 3 Republicans voted YES, 3 Republicans voted NO, 2 Democrats voted YES, and 1 Republican did not vote.

 

[d80hunter]

It looks like we're going to take baby steps on this matter. I've hunted deer in Indiana for 25 years and seen the subtle changes in hunting regs. This is a step in the right direction we just need to stay patient. If passed eventually it will phase out some of the restrictions for two reasons.

1. Accident reports from using HPR in elevated positions will show no added danger.
2. As more hunters begin to use HPR our voice will be greater.

Also I bet DNR isn't going to enjoy trying to regulate that every hunter with a HPR is elevated 10 foot. They are already busy enough and would eventually support lifting the restriction because it will be a waste of time and resources.

 

[Expatriated]

So, you can use your rifle in the stand, but you'll need a shotgun for when you are walking to and from your stand and see a deer?

 

[gunselman]

MRP2003 it says nothing about having to be on "Private Land" it does say it must be outside of Marion County though.

Ok, so what we have is a restriction to southern Indiana, being elevated by at least 10', and being on private land. Next they will add a restriction of a very short period of time that it can be used in the later part of deer hunting season such as the last Monday of the December until the Friday of that week.


OK, I do not understand why my district Senator did not vote or participate in this v

Why did only 9 Senators vote and not all of them? 3 Republicans voted YES, 3 Republicans voted NO, 2 Democrats voted YES, and 1 Republican did not vote.

 

[Willie]

Gents,

This is what happens when you get politicians involved in game laws. The current DNR and NRC Administrative Rules Process is not perfect by a long shot but it is MUCH better that a gaggle of politicians doing it.

To make rifles safer they say we have to climb a tree. Guess what? Every year scores of deer hunters are injured, maimed for life and even killed falling out of trees. They are trading a non-existent problem for a known safety problem. If you want to let your kid use a .243 he /she has to climb a tree. If you wound a deer and are trailing it what do you do when you find it and it is still alive? Climb the nearest tree to finish it off?

Walking in or out and we see a nice buck we want to shoot and we just stand there and let him go? Ain't gonna happen with most people.

We can still use our wildcats and extended range muzzleloaders anywhere in the state and on the ground too..

Totally unenforceable rule..

Hunting ground in the southern part of the state will now lease for a higher price than even before.

It would not surprise me that the DNR and NRC puts in a three day "rifle" season at the end of the firearm season.

 

[Willie]

MRP2003 it says nothing about having to be on "Private Land" it does say it must be outside of Marion County though.

Ye s it did. It has been in the original bill since day one...

 

[MRP2003]

Willie, your dead on with everything.


Who is going to make the first over under. 30-06 over and a 12 gauge under? Indiana Legal? lol