Landowner Exemption Conservation Officer Visit

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  • Mattroth54

    Sharpshooter
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    Mar 23, 2013
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    I had an interesting visit yesterday morning from an Indiana Conservation Officer. He was very polite and professional throughout his visit, but the whole thing had some lines of questioning that surprised me. He correctly stated I had tagged a couple turkey and deer from 2018 on a landowner tag. He then correctly stated when he ran the Morgan county landowner report, no property came back with my name. I let him know I lease the ag rights to the same Morgan County property which I hunt, qualifying me to tag animals under one of the qualifications of landowner exempt. I really thought this should have been the end of the conversation, but he insisted on documentation of such a lease/leasee arrangement. I’m certain in many cases, as I’ve been part of them on both ends involving other situations, that many of these agreements are simple handshake agreements. As it happens, this one was a bit more formal and after digging around, I found a copy of the most current, which became effective mid November ‘18. I showed him this paperwork and he questioned the validity of my illegible signature. Wanting to make his job easy as possible, I demonstrate my signature in front of him, to his satisfaction. Then he noticed the date on the document didn’t include earlier in the seaon, when I tagged my spring turkey. I couldn’t quickly locate that document. I told him I’d check with the landowner to see if they were better record keepers and he left, asking me to email him the previous lease agreement. As it turned out, the landowner did have the document, which I sent over. He responded that all was good now.

    I was fairly put off by the line of questioning, as the Indiana Code on the matter makes no mention of any requirements of lease documentation. Although I’m fairly certain the law requires no documentation much less a clear signature, I still feel like these guys have enough trouble without me making his life more difficult. Fortunately I had the paperwork that satisfied his needs and didn’t have to fight this in the courts.

    Apparently the state is looking very close at hunters that tag animals as landowner exempt. If you’re the listed owner on the tax records, you’re probably good to go. If you’re tagging under several other scenarios that also qualify for landowner exempt status, make sure you have your ducks in a row!
     
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    KJW

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    Jan 31, 2010
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    Wow, that's a disheartening story. I'm glad it was resolved without too much inconvenience to you. I read an article (https://www.indystar.com/story/news...hildren-help-save-hunting-indiana/2294138002/) about the dramatic decline in the numbers of hunters and fishermen in Indiana, and as a result, the precipitous decrease in revenue to the state. Apparently those in INDNR are really worried about the shrinking budget and how they might reverse this trend. Most of the article focused on outreach to bring new people into the sports. The article did say that raising license fees was also a consideration, although that would seem to me to be a way to discourage hunting and fishing (similar to how sin taxes reduce the number of smokers). Harassing hunters over the legitimacy of their exemptions wasn't mentioned in the article, but I would judge that to be a poor way to improve revenue too; not to mention poor public relations.
     

    rooster

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    If budgets are threatened then those wearing a badge can be pressured to become little more than tax collectors.

    That aside the landowner tag program is abused in Indiana. I know several folks who like to claim that the deer are hurting there timber harvest and check in deer that way. Can’t say I’ll be all that upset if the CO’s would actually write some tickets for this.
     

    4651feeder

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    Oct 21, 2016
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    East of NWI
    I was brought up to believe real estate transactions (sale/lease) do not exist, if not in writing. It would not surprise me in the least to hear of a DNR citation issued because a lease was conducted on a handshake.
     

    KittySlayer

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    Jan 29, 2013
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    I had tagged a couple turkey...

    ...make sure you have your ducks in a row!
    I'm confused. Did you shoot turkeys or ducks? Or was it one of those rare breed of TurDucken like some people serve at Thanksgiving?

    it is amazing what a little power and a badge will do to some peoples logic.
     

    Mattroth54

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    I was brought up to believe real estate transactions (sale/lease) do not exist, if not in writing. It would not surprise me in the least to hear of a DNR citation issued because a lease was conducted on a handshake.


    This is not a real estate transaction. It’s a business deal. Plenty of those go on every day without paperwork. He could have issued a citation. I can’t find any grounds where such a citation would be substantiated in court.
     

    Mattroth54

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    He's doing his job and I'm darn grateful for it.

    Totally agree. I imagine this initiative came from way above him. They don’t make nearly enough money to do the job they do. That’s why I politely cooperated and gave him way more than what I believe was required. Just a heads up to others that check game in similar fashion...be prepared to justify your qualifications.
     
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    Jul 3, 2008
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    central indiana
    If budgets are threatened then those wearing a badge can be pressured to become little more than tax collectors.

    That aside the landowner tag program is abused in Indiana. I know several folks who like to claim that the deer are hurting there timber harvest and check in deer that way. Can’t say I’ll be all that upset if the CO’s would actually write some tickets for this.

    you can't just claim damage and check deer, you have to apply for & receive a reduction permit to take them because of damage ... You can take them in season on timberland because a timer stand is farmland under Indiana code.

    IC 14-22-11-1
    "Farmland" defined; license requirements and conditions
    Sec. 1. (a) As used in this section, "farmland" means agricultural land that is:
    (1) devoted or best adaptable for the production of crops, fruits, timber, and the raising of livestock; or
    (2) assessed as agricultural land for property tax purposes.
     

    Smokegobbler

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    Jan 13, 2019
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    I remember reading on another forum something very similar. I believe in that case it was Super bowl weekend a few years ago. Field work becomes slower this time of year allowing them more time to perform these paperwork checks.
     

    yetti462

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    They need to check all female hunters that tag a buck. Ask them to draw bow or load gun and hit our plate at 4O yd. They'll get more citations they worrying about landowner exemptions and whether or not they missed a License transaction.
     

    bobjones223

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    Mar 3, 2011
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    Noblesville, IN
    They need to check all female hunters that tag a buck. Ask them to draw bow or load gun and hit our plate at 4O yd. They'll get more citations they worrying about landowner exemptions and whether or not they missed a License transaction.

    Your kidding right?

    I know it happens that guys go hunting, drop a second buck and have their wife/female friend get a tag but as the father of a hunting female I do find this broad brush a little insulting.

    Trust me I am not one to search for things to get my feathers ruffled over but this one got me a bit fired up. My daughter can out shoot a lot of weekend hunters in the woods these days and to say that they should go around harassing her when she tags a deer is a load of crap.

    If I am the only one that found this statement upsetting then I will go quietly back to my corner, but for every father who takes great pride in their daughters sitting in the tree stand next to them I think you can understand my irritation with this statement!
     

    ghuns

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    Pics or it didn't happen.:coffee:

    I continue to maintain that Indiana conservation officers are myths. Like bigfoot, the yeti, a chupacabra, little green men from outer space, a moderate democrat, etc...

    Sure, you see guys dressed up like them in state parks or at hunter safety classes, but I maintain those are paid actors hired by the state to perpetuate the myth.

    Anyone who claims to have seen one in "the wild", I'm gonna need more proof than just their word.;)
     

    Tom Threetoes

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    Jan 14, 2010
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    The state is losing money because they dipped into the funds from lifetime license sales, plus there's no new money coming in from lifetime license holders. Hunter numbers are declining so less funds from lost license sales. With less money coming in they are looking to close or at least police landowner exemptions.
     

    patience0830

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    Not far from the tree
    If budgets are threatened then those wearing a badge can be pressured to become little more than tax collectors.

    That aside the landowner tag program is abused in Indiana. I know several folks who like to claim that the deer are hurting there timber harvest and check in deer that way. Can’t say I’ll be all that upset if the CO’s would actually write some tickets for this.

    I believe you are thinking of the depredations permits. No need to claim any damage to farm crops to shoot deer on your own ground during the season. I think depredation permits for timber might be frowned upon unless you are in the business of raising seedlings.
     

    natdscott

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    Your kidding right?

    I know it happens that guys go hunting, drop a second buck and have their wife/female friend get a tag but as the father of a hunting female I do find this broad brush a little insulting.

    Trust me I am not one to search for things to get my feathers ruffled over but this one got me a bit fired up. My daughter can out shoot a lot of weekend hunters in the woods these days and to say that they should go around harassing her when she tags a deer is a load of crap.

    If I am the only one that found this statement upsetting then I will go quietly back to my corner, but for every father who takes great pride in their daughters sitting in the tree stand next to them I think you can understand my irritation with this statement!

    No, I agree.

    Because I don't know them, I'm not saying yetti is or isn't a horse's ass, but I am happy to say that that statement was pretty ignorant.

    -Nate
     

    rooster

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    I believe you are thinking of the depredations permits. No need to claim any damage to farm crops to shoot deer on your own ground during the season. I think depredation permits for timber might be frowned upon unless you are in the business of raising seedlings.

    i am aware that there are different types of “landowner” exemptions. The 2017 harvest statistics put 12.2% (13,900) of deer harvest under landowner exemption. That’s 13,900 tags the DNR didn’t sell, and my simple math puts that at a bare minimum of $333,600 that they didn’t collect.

    Low hanging fruit for tax tax collectors with badges? You bet.
     

    rooster

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    Pics or it didn't happen.:coffee:

    I continue to maintain that Indiana conservation officers are myths. Like bigfoot, the yeti, a chupacabra, little green men from outer space, a moderate democrat, etc...

    Sure, you see guys dressed up like them in state parks or at hunter safety classes, but I maintain those are paid actors hired by the state to perpetuate the myth.

    Anyone who claims to have seen one in "the wild", I'm gonna need more proof than just their word.;)

    i haven’t seen one in the wild since the older gentleman who patrolled Morgan mornroe retired. Whoever took his place does a pretty terrible job. I couldn’t even get a call back about reporting someone shooting a rifle driving down the road.
     

    cg21

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    Your kidding right?

    I know it happens that guys go hunting, drop a second buck and have their wife/female friend get a tag but as the father of a hunting female I do find this broad brush a little insulting.

    Trust me I am not one to search for things to get my feathers ruffled over but this one got me a bit fired up. My daughter can out shoot a lot of weekend hunters in the woods these days and to say that they should go around harassing her when she tags a deer is a load of crap.

    If I am the only one that found this statement upsetting then I will go quietly back to my corner, but for every father who takes great pride in their daughters sitting in the tree stand next to them I think you can understand my irritation with this statement!


    your not alone...
     
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