INDIANA...

[AvgOtdrsmnLf]

Any Indiana people or maybe NR who hunt Indiana, how would you feel about these changes?
Look at the pdf of my ideas and then read through my thoughts on why these could make sense for the IDNR to consider...


1. Get the gun season out of the Rut. This move in itself would move Indiana from an Opportunity state to a Quality state with an immediate impact on our age structure. Following the model of Iowa (because everyone wants what Iowa has) Early December seems to make a lot of sense.

2. Archery..... Crossbows are not equal to Compounds. Compounds are not equal to Traditional (no cams/wheels or sights). Lets stop treating them all as such. Indiana could become a unique destination by allowing Traditional Archers first crack at those patternable (maybe still velvet) September deer. October 1 would welcome Compound Archers. Crossbow hunters will enter the woods November 1 and be able to hunt through the rut. *Crossbows would be allowed during Compound season for those with a medical exemption*

This feels like a great move and compromise for gun hunters, crossbow hunters, compound archers, and traditional archers. Match the difficulty/efficiency of the weapon with the time of year.

3. Variety of weapon seasons will help to disperse the investments of hunters throughout the hunting industry acquiring various equipment. Rather than Crossbow and rifle companies scooping up the money and dictating the direction of the DNR, everybody can have their piece of the pie.

4. Including 3 tags through all seasons in the Deer Permit will help encourage a healthy harvest of antlerless deer (and keep the insurance companies happy).

5. License costs... Decrease the cost for Residents, Increase the revenue from NR by eliminating the option to purchase a single $240 tag in exchange for purchasing a $465 deer "permit" (good for 1 buck 2 does) with anticipation of them seeking unique season opportunities and top Quality chances. Quota of NR tags would soon need to be considered with a point system being put in place.

 

[HoosierHunter07]

I like it.

So is the first sheet current seasons, and the second sheet your proposed seasons?

I've had a lifetime license since I was a teen so I'm not really up to date on license fees.

 

[AvgOtdrsmnLf]

I like it.

So is the first sheet current seasons, and the second sheet your proposed seasons?

I've had a lifetime license since I was a teen so I'm not really up to date on license fees.

Yeah, sorry I should have made that more clear! 1st sheet is current seasons, 2nd sheet is my proposed, and third is my proposed license cost changes. I used 2024 dates for easy comparison.


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[Q_Sertorius]

Yeah, sorry I should have made that more clear! 1st sheet is current seasons, 2nd sheet is my proposed, and third is my proposed license cost changes. I used 2024 dates for easy comparison.


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Not an Indiana hunter, but I loathe special seasons. The only justification for the means people can use on deer should be public safety. It makes sense to limit people to bows/compound bows/crossbows while there is greenery on the trees and visibility is limited, but otherwise it’s just bad imo. The only ones who would really benefit from this are the equipment sellers, who get to sell three different bows, a muzzle loader, and a rifle to each hunter.

If you want to brag about using a regular bow and feel superior to someone using a compound bow or crossbow, then do so, but you don’t need a special season just for that.


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[AvgOtdrsmnLf]

Not an Indiana hunter, but I loathe special seasons. The only justification for the means people can use on deer should be public safety. It makes sense to limit people to bows/compound bows/crossbows while there is greenery on the trees and visibility is limited, but otherwise it’s just bad imo. The only ones who would really benefit from this are the equipment sellers, who get to sell three different bows, a muzzle loader, and a rifle to each hunter.

If you want to brag about using a regular bow and feel superior to someone using a compound bow or crossbow, then do so, but you don’t need a special season just for that.


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Just to clarify, I don’t hunt with a traditional bow and have shot deer with both a compound and a crossbow, so not a bragging thing.

But, I think being forced to learn and become efficient at getting within close range and accurate with traditional equipment in order to hunt September will only be beneficial in growing and developing people’s skills and knowledge of the outdoors (including mine) while taking on a new challenge.


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[satchamo]

I’ve lived in IN my whole life and never deer hunted it. I cross the river into IL where we have land and way more access due to both my mom and dad being from there.

Your gun season length couple with now allowable center fires is more of a hindrance than the season timing IMO. Is it too early? Sure but you have almost a month straight of gun bunting when you include muzzleloader.

In IL we get 7 days with an additional 4 days for muzzleloader and some shoulder antlerless seasons…. And we can only use shotguns/ML and now straightwall

 

[FredH]

Yeah, sorry I should have made that more clear! 1st sheet is current seasons, 2nd sheet is my proposed, and third is my proposed license cost changes. I used 2024 dates for easy comparison.


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I far like the current season setup. I see no reason to have different seasons of crossbow and archery/traditional archery. I also see no reason to increase costs to non residents. To add spreading the costs of different equipment because of different weapons requirements already happens. In fact I see your entire post as immature. As if you don't even hunt.

 

[TK161BOONER]

Does the OP have any idea of what a nonresident tag cost already? $550 for a nonresident deer tag bundle , how much more do you want it to increase for people like me?

 

[Maverick1]

Any Indiana people or maybe NR who hunt Indiana, how would you feel about these changes?
Look at the pdf and then read through my thoughts on why these could make sense for the IDNR to consider...


1. Get the gun season out of the Rut. This move in itself would move Indiana from an Opportunity state to a Quality state with an immediate impact on our age structure. Following the model of Iowa (because everyone wants what Iowa has) Early December seems to make a lot of sense.

2. Archery..... Crossbows are not equal to Compounds. Compounds are not equal to Traditional (no cams/wheels or sights). Lets stop treating them all as such. Indiana could become a unique destination by allowing Traditional Archers first crack at those patternable (maybe still velvet) September deer. October 1 would welcome Compound Archers. Crossbow hunters will enter the woods November 1 and be able to hunt through the rut. *Crossbows would be allowed during Compound season for those with a medical exemption*

This feels like a great move and compromise for gun hunters, crossbow hunters, compound archers, and traditional archers. Match the difficulty/efficiency of the weapon with the time of year.

3. Variety of weapon seasons will help to disperse the investments of hunters throughout the hunting industry acquiring various equipment. Rather than Crossbow and rifle companies scooping up the money and dictating the direction of the DNR, everybody can have their piece of the pie.

4. Including 3 tags through all seasons in the Deer Permit will help encourage a healthy harvest of antlerless deer (and keep the insurance companies happy).

5. License costs... Decrease the cost for Residents, Increase the costs for NR with anticipation of them seeking unique season opportunities and top Quality chances. Quota of NR tags would soon need to be considered with a point system being put in place.

Are these "your" proposed changes? Do you have any sort of input, say, or influence with the IDNR?

Are you an employee of the DNR? Employee with a university located in Indiana? A biologist? A politician? A policy maker?

Let's say for a moment that every user on this forum who reads and then posts on this thread immediately agrees with "your" proposal - - - what are you going to do with it? Forward the entire thread to the IDNR?

Please outline your plan and action steps after starting this thread.

 

[AvgOtdrsmnLf]

I far like the current season setup. I see no reason to have different seasons of crossbow and archery/traditional archery. I also see no reason to increase costs to non residents. To add spreading the costs of different equipment because of different weapons requirements already happens. In fact I see your entire post as immature. As if you don't even hunt.

What part was immature? And what indicates that I don’t hunt?


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[AvgOtdrsmnLf]

Does the OP have any idea of what a nonresident tag cost already? $550 for a nonresident deer tag bundle , how much more do you want it to increase for people like me?

No, I just put all of that information together with no idea of what anything costs... Actually, if you open the pdf you will see my idea for all in cost to deer hunt for a NR is $465. Less than the $550 bundle right now but eliminating the option to only buy individual tags specific to different weapon seasons. The idea is to make it easier for NR to hunt various seasons without having to buy different tags while also helping encourage the harvest of some does since two doe tags would be included in the “permit”.


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[TK161BOONER]

No, I just put all of that information together with no idea of what anything costs... Actually, if you open the pdf you will see my idea for all in cost to deer hunt for a NR is $465. Less than the $550 bundle right now but eliminating the option to only buy individual tags specific to different weapon seasons. The idea is to make it easier for NR to hunt various seasons without having to buy different tags while also helping encourage the harvest of some does since two doe tags would be included in the “permit”.


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$240 for the Archery
$240 for the Rifle
$240 for muzzleloader
= $720 to hunt for 1 buck or $550 for the bundle.

 

[AvgOtdrsmnLf]

Are these "your" proposed changes? Do you have any sort of input, say, or influence with the IDNR?

Are you an employee of the DNR? Employee with a university located in Indiana? A biologist? A politician? A policy maker?

Let's say for a moment that every user on this forum who reads and then posts on this thread immediately agrees with "your" proposal - - - what are you going to do with it? Forward the entire thread to the IDNR?

Please outline your plan and action steps after starting this thread.

Yep, as season is winding down it is just my thoughts about how to help create some better experiences in the Hoosier state. My intention was to see if other people feel the same or different, and just engage in conversation with some like minded people.

My experiences are just anecdotal and I understand that. I hunt northern Indiana ag land with lots of segregated parcels consisting of smaller sized wood blocks.

But, to answer your question, if every person loved it then idk what the next step would be, but at least I would have started other people thinking about ways we could improve, and that would be a step in the right direction. But, maybe everyone hates my thoughts and just loves hammering 2 1/2 yr olds with the most efficient weapon that the state will allow, in which case I will just go crawl back into my hole. I just figured this would be a good place to start figuring that out.


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[TK161BOONER]

Yep, as season is winding down it is just my thoughts about how to help create some better experiences in the Hoosier state. My intention was to see if other people feel the same or different, and just engage in conversation with some like minded people.

My experiences are just anecdotal and I understand that. I hunt northern Indiana ag land with lots of segregated parcels consisting of smaller sized wood blocks.

But, to answer your question, if every person loved it then idk what the next step would be, but at least I would have started other people thinking about ways we could improve, and that would be a step in the right direction. But, maybe everyone hates my thoughts and just loves hammering 2 1/2 yr olds with the most efficient weapon that the state will allow, in which case I will just go crawl back into my hole. I just figured this would be a good place to start figuring that out.


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Im not trying to be harsh, and I apologize for coming across that way, but IN is the most expensive state I hunt and after my PA,OH,IN and MD license im not looking for advice on how to raise tag prices for nonresidents.

 

[AvgOtdrsmnLf]

$240 for the Archery
$240 for the Rifle
$240 for muzzleloader
= $720 to hunt for 1 buck or $550 for the bundle.

Brother, you are agreeing with me….

In my pdf I proposed $465 for NR to hunt all seasons, 1 buck and 2 does.

As a NR do you usually hunt IN several times throughout the year? And do you usually buy that $550 bundle?

I should have been more clear about “increase costs for NR” and that’s on me. I meant as in people will not be able to come on just a bow hunt for $240 after only a buck. Instead, $465 to be able to make several trips to IN to hunt through and season with 3 tags in their pocket. NR such as yourself who are already buying the bundle would actually benefit from the change, my assumption was that the majority of NR only buy a single tag for a specific weapon purely an assumption and I have no data to show either way


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[TK161BOONER]

I usually buy the bundle.

 

[AvgOtdrsmnLf]

I usually buy the bundle.

Interesting. So now that you understand I wasn’t asking to increase your cost, do you still hate it all? Lol


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[TK161BOONER]

Interesting. So now that you understand I wasn’t asking to increase your cost, do you still hate it all? Lol


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Im not a fan of the point system or any increase in tag cost for any state I hunt.
Point system would only make it a waiting game as you build points and will push people to other states and decrease revenue for IN because nonresident will go elsewhere.

 

[AvgOtdrsmnLf]

Im not a fan of the point system or any increase in tag cost for any state I hunt.
Point system would only make it a waiting game as you build points and will push people to other states and decrease revenue for IN because nonresident will go elsewhere.

Yeah I understand that. Maybe a point system wouldn’t be needed. My anticipation was that, with the season/weapon changes, our deer age structure would improve, making Indiana more of a destination. If we could continue to not have a draw system that would be ideal as long as overcrowding doesn’t get too bad.


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[JasonT]

I’m happy with the way IN regs/seasons are now. I think it was a great move when they went from allowing 2 bucks to 1 yrs back.
I’m honestly surprised there are that many non resident hunters coming to IN.