Private Land Hunting

[zombiehunter]

So I've been searching and can't find the answer I'm looking for so I figured what better place to ask than my good ol' home at INGO.

Anyway, do I have to have a hunting license and deer tags to hunt on private property? The land is owned by my grandmother and the woods are attached to farmland. She owns a huge field that she rents out the local farmers and the woods are on her ground also and she has told us grandkids that we can hunt there any time we want.

Thanks for any answers or info anyone can give me!

 

[trimman83]

Yes

 

[in625shooter]

I could be wrong but I believe only the property owner/dependents can hunt without a tag but there is also a clause the land also has to be assessed as agriculture etc. The hunting guide is sort of vague on it. I would call a CO and ask to get the right answer or no more than tags are just buy a couple!

 

[zombiehunter]

see it was the whole part about the land being used for agriculture that was confusing to me. The woods in question are attached directly to a huge amount of farmland that she rents out to farmers.....so there are always crops planted on the grounds.

I've heard so many different answers to the question....I think that's a big reason why I've never hunted; too much red tape!

 

[trapperDave]

the ONLY people exempt from buying tags are the actual landowner, dependants of said landowner THAT LIVE WITH THE LANDOWNER, and farmers renting the ground.

You need a lisence

 

[AGarbers]

And woods are agricultural. They can be harvested for timber plus you can grow golden seal and 'sang in them.

 

[billyboyr6]

I've read different, what I read on dnr's website was like all have said already but also that if you had a written contract with the private land owner that you did not need a license. Such as I rent my home that has land attached to it, and my rental contract makes that land my private property. With the land owners concent of course.

Ill see if I can find it again and post a link.

 

[w_ADAM_d88]

Just spend the money to CYA and help support the DNR.

 

[Hookeye]

What happens if you can legally hunt a certain chunk o' ground without a license and the deer you pop crosses over the fence to other property?
Buy a license.
24 bucks is still cheap headache medicine.

 

[Steeler]

Yeah the hunting regs are definately vague. Ive hunted my own woods for yrs and have always bought a tag, this year I tagged mine as landowner, it is labeled agriculteral, but its all woods. Guess if they come knocking I`ll know that wont fly.

 

[MRP2003]

Specifically asked this quwestion to a CO on Saturday. If you lived at the residence full time, then no but since you do not live there, yes you do need a license.

This was specifically for my buddy who grandmother own the land that we were hunting on. Good thing for him, he did buy a license and always has because he was not sure.

By the way, had a CO really looking for violations. Saw him run into the woods where there was shots a little while earlier. He was checking to be sure that the hunter had a tag filled out prior to moving the deer. Saw him stop the hunter half way out of the woods. Same CO told my buddy that he better had tagged his deer before dragging it out, otherwise it is like hunting without a license and he could take the deer and his rifle.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Yeah the hunting regs are definately vague. Ive hunted my own woods for yrs and have always bought a tag, this year I tagged mine as landowner, it is labeled agriculteral, but its all woods. Guess if they come knocking I`ll know that wont fly.

The DNR wording is not as clear as the IC, but the IC is very clear. If you own the land and it's not commercial property, then you are perfectly legal hunting it as far as the State is concerned (local municipalities may differ). Post 21 in this thread:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/the_great_outdoors/236098-hunting_on_your_own_property-3.html