Hunting on a Farm

[Bigswin]

I've done some research on the DNR website and googled some things but can't get a straight answer to my question.

My family owns an active corn/soybean farm and my step-father said that I could hunt deer whenever I wanted to (season or not). I took a deer 2 years ago on the farm and didn't have to have a license due to the fact I was on the family farm.

So before I trot back out into the woods next week with my 12 gauge, just wanted to see if anyone new what the deal was. Thanks.

 

[Eprobertson1]

I would contact your local Conservation Officer so that you get your information first hand. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Greg.B]

This question comes up pretty frequently in the Hunter Education classes I do each year. You can find the information in the current hunting regulation book on page 3:

License Exemptions
The following are exempt from license requirements:​

• Residents or non-residents participating in a field trial licensed by the DNR.​
• Landowners or lessees of farmland who farm that land and are residents of Indiana, their spouses and children living with them, while hunting, fishing or trapping on the land they own or lease. This exemption does not apply to land owned by a business, corporation or partnership unless the shareholders, partners, members or owners are comprised solely of the members of an immediate family and farm that land. Farmland means agricultural land that is devoted or best adaptable for the production of crops, fruits, timber or the raising of livestock, or is assessed as agricultural land for property tax purposes.

If you fall under the above exemption, please note that this only excludes you from purchasing the actual license. You still need to tag and check the game animals according to current regulations, and must comply with all other regulations (season dates, firearms restrictions, etc.)

Also note that the DNR offers special depredation permits to farmers and landowners on a case by case basis that are valid at times other than established seasons and allow other firearms not allowed during the actual seasons. Check with your local CO or DNR wildlife biologist for details.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Also note that the DNR offers special depredation permits to farmers and landowners on a case by case basis that are valid at times other than established seasons and allow other firearms not allowed during the actual seasons. Check with your local CO or DNR wildlife biologist for details.

^^^This^^^

That is the only way you can hunt out of season. And to get depredation permits, I think you have to be able to demonstrate that the deer are doing actual physical damage and costing the farmer a significant amount of money.

 

[Bigswin]

Very interesting, thanks for the info guys.

 

[Uconas]

if im not mistaken the special depredation hunt is after and before the normal hunting season. you also have to a hunting permit

 

[CountryBoy19]

if im not mistaken the special depredation hunt is after and before the normal hunting season. you also have to a hunting permit

Huh? Could you speak English?

You don't have to have a hunting permit. You contact your CO, and he will give you depredation tags. I believe the tags will specify who is allowed to shoot the deer, where they can be shot, etc. There is no special depredation season unless the CO notes otherwise.

 

[singlestacksig]

if im not mistaken the special depredation hunt is after and before the normal hunting season. you also have to a hunting permit

you might be thinking of the special hunts held in state parks.. those are not the same as herd reduction for farmers..

 

[CountryBoy19]

you might be thinking of the special hunts held in state parks.. those are not the same as herd reduction for farmers..

Ah, that explains his post. Yeah, I bet you're right, he is thinking of the population reduction hunts in state parks. That is a totally different thing.

The pop reduction hunts are only in state parks and they're to reduce the population in those parks because they don't normally allow hunting.

Depredation is where your property is over-run with deer, so much so, in fact, that there is no possibly way that you could harvest that many deer during hunting season. If the deer are causing property damage, your CO will issue you special tags so that you can take deer out of season. One perk to this is that there are no restrictions on what caliber you can use. You could probably use a suppressed .22 pistol if you could get close enough to make a good shot.