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Post by 76chevy on Jul 2, 2008 12:52:25 GMT -5
what are are they and what do they mean for trappers?
Please share your thoughts on them as well....
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Post by Woody Williams on Jul 2, 2008 13:35:59 GMT -5
Trapping Regulations
You must have a valid Indiana trapping license to set traps. (See page
3 for non-resident youth license information.) Traps may not be set prior
to 8 a.m. on opening day of trapping season. Traps must be checked
and animals removed at least one time every 24 hours. Tree climbing
equipment may not be used as an aid in removing wild animals from trees.
The use of motor-driven watercraft is permitted for purposes of setting or
checking trap lines. Traps may be set at any distance from openings to tile
drains or entrances to beaver or muskrat lodges.
Trapping Seasons
Furbearing game animals in Indiana include beaver, coyote, gray fox,
long-tailed weasel, mink, muskrat, opossum, raccoon, red fox and striped
skunk.
FURBEARERS TRAPPING SEASONS
Coyote, Striped Skunk - Oct. 15, 2008 - March 15, 2009
Red and Gray Fox - Oct. 15, 2008 - Jan. 31, 2009
Beaver - Nov. 15, 2008 - March 15, 2009
Raccoon, Opossum, Mink, Muskrat, - Nov. 15, 2008 - Jan. 31, 2009
Weasel (long-tailed weasel only)
All trapping seasons are from 8 a.m. of the first day of the season to
noon of the last day of the season (Eastern Standard Time). There are no
daily bag or possession limits.
Possession of Hides/Carcasses
It is illegal to possess the untanned hides or carcasses of furbearers
outside of these dates:
SPECIES OF HIDES LEGAL POSSESSION
Beaver Nov. 15 - Apr. 4
Red, Gray Fox Oct. 15 - March 20
Mink, Muskrat, Long-tailed Weasel Nov. 15 - Feb. 20
Raccoon, Opossum Nov. 8 - Feb. 20
Coyote, Striped Skunk Oct. 15 - April 4*
*Regulations governing the possession of coyotes is subject to change.
At the time of printing, regulations require that a coyote must not be
possessed from April 5 through October 14 except to provide for its
prompt disposal.
The sale of legally harvested furbearing mammals or untanned hides
of furbearing mammals can be made to licensed fur buyers only. For a list
of Indiana licensed fur buyers, contact the Division of Fish and Wildlife at
(317) 232-4102.
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Post by 76chevy on Jul 2, 2008 13:40:09 GMT -5
Thanks for the reply Woody.
I was wanting to get everyone's opinion and interepratation of the new regulations for foothold traps.
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Post by Woody Williams on Jul 2, 2008 14:34:56 GMT -5
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Post by Decatur on Jul 2, 2008 18:22:46 GMT -5
I'm surprised they took this long to go to actual dimensions instead of size for traps. Trap sizes vary from company to company. The change doesn't affect me personally.
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Post by lonniephillips on Jul 3, 2008 23:04:52 GMT -5
they some what will affect me but in a positive manner now leagally I can use the #11 double long spring on land if I choose to with out any grey area I also know many guys who use the #3 soft catch traps and that was a grey area as well Another thing I think is positive is resticting the size limit on land , before this change there was no limit as long as it was off set it could have been as large as a tractor tire I don't know to many if any trappers who had a real problem with these new size regulations there were a few out of state trappers that had concerns but I say when in Rome to as the Romans do lol! Some other rules need worked on . like the starting of raccoon trapping on Nov.15th when you can coon hunt them on the 8th what is the justification of this? Just FYI , so what is to stop a guy from releasing a coon caught in a legal set coyote / fox set on the 8th and shooting it ( while not in the trap ) he was hunting right? the coon wasn't shot in the trap or harvest from the trap, so the guy must have been coon hunting lol! The law needs to be changed either move them back or trapping up either way. how about this , why do trapper have to BID ( and pay money) for a bid to trap state properties whne anyone who has a liecense can leagly hunt the same state property and harvest the same game animals with out "paying a bid fee"  that is just stupid!! examples of this would be Raccoon state rec area Patoka Lake and many others i could go on but I'll save some for later |
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Post by 76chevy on Jul 5, 2008 19:39:09 GMT -5
I did not realize this! That is just not right. On FWA's they do a FREE drawing each year I know. My brother and a trapping buddy got drawn a few years ago then "gave the trapping rights" to half the property to the only other other guy in the draw. Both parties were happy and each caught a ton of fur! how about this , why do trapper have to BID ( and pay money) for a bid to trap state properties whne anyone who has a liecense can leagly hunt the same state property and harvest the same game animals with out "paying a bid fee" that is just stupid!! examples of this would be Raccoon state rec area Patoka Lake and many others i could go on but I'll save some for later |
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Post by 76chevy on Jul 5, 2008 19:43:00 GMT -5
Thanks Lonnie! I have not trapped in about 8 years and was thinking of taking it up again this season. Just wondered how the new detailed trap measurement regs might affect what traps I could still use. Most of my footholds are 1.5 and 1.75 and conibears are 110 and 220 so I should still be good. -76 they some what will affect me but in a positive manner now leagally I can use the #11 double long spring on land if I choose to with out any grey area I also know many guys who use the #3 soft catch traps and that was a grey area as well Another thing I think is positive is resticting the size limit on land , before this change there was no limit as long as it was off set it could have been as large as a tractor tire I don't know to many if any trappers who had a real problem with these new size regulations there were a few out of state trappers that had concerns but I say when in Rome to as the Romans do lol! Some other rules need worked on . like the starting of raccoon trapping on Nov.15th when you can coon hunt them on the 8th what is the justification of this? Just FYI , so what is to stop a guy from releasing a coon caught in a legal set coyote / fox set on the 8th and shooting it ( while not in the trap ) he was hunting right? the coon wasn't shot in the trap or harvest from the trap, so the guy must have been coon hunting lol! The law needs to be changed either move them back or trapping up either way. how about this , why do trapper have to BID ( and pay money) for a bid to trap state properties whne anyone who has a liecense can leagly hunt the same state property and harvest the same game animals with out "paying a bid fee" that is just stupid!! examples of this would be Raccoon state rec area Patoka Lake and many others i could go on but I'll save some for later |
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Post by tobias on Jul 5, 2008 21:38:08 GMT -5
you should be good 76.........the new huntin regulation book gives a pretty good illustration on the new trap size regulations. I'm glad you brought those points up Lonnie! Alot of people out there don't realize how silly some of these laws are.
It has always got me when I have to turn a coon loose in early November and my "coon huntin" buddies are out fillin their sheds.............it ain't right!
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Post by lonniephillips on Jul 5, 2008 22:45:10 GMT -5
76 , I don't think any #2 traps made today can no ,longer be used and a lot of #3 traps can be used as long as they are offset
Hopefully the ISTA still follows through with their idea of a quick portable scale with the ISTA's logo on it for a quick check of size regs, something we can keep in out packbasket or truck and take out to use
the F&W areas are a bit differant , most of them do not allow land trapping at all because of dog hunting
it's a bad deal for trappers , we pay for liencense and taxes and such but we get restricted on the use of these properties
They leave it up to the property managers as to how , who when and where etc.
it's stinks , they all get deer hunter , they all get goose hunted , etc.
They should all be trapped , even is just a certain times and maybe certain areas could be closed to dog hunting during this time period same as it is to trappers now
why should they only allow 2 trappers? they will allow 20 dog hunters in the same area
maybe they should limit the number of traps each trapper can use and not the number or trappers
bad thing is it's the houdsman against the trapper again , always has been
they wanted us to support them in opening running season 24/7 365 but wouldn't go on record supporting trappers on not even 1 of these issues
so as much as we hate to say it or believe it , it's the honest truth
It's a ugly can of worms and I hate it as much as the next guy but i'm a trapper and I believe in trapping so that is what I stand for.
I'm not bashing dog hunters as I have been a dog hunter , I owned coon dogs and beagles
there isn't any reason we can't all share Indiana's wildlife fairly and equally
Hell I bet my grandfather was even part or the group who pushed for the differance in season dates and such
the same garndafther who taught me my 1st lessons on trapping
see he was a coonhunter , he ate ,slept and drank coon hunting long before I was born until his death in 1985 . He enjoyed our time on the trap line but if he would have had to choose it would have been coonhunting no doudt in my mind
oh well now I'm just rambling lol!
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Post by trapperdave on Jul 5, 2008 23:48:11 GMT -5
Lonnie you said "they some what will affect me but in a positive manner
now leagally I can use the #11 double long spring on land if I choose to with out any grey area"
what grey area is/was that? I have always used #11's on land
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Post by lonniephillips on Jul 6, 2008 7:07:15 GMT -5
dave , if you read the "old" rules it said traps larger than #3 must either be offset or completely submerged under water ( or something close to that)
well since they weren't using a actual measurment and they were using the numerical measurement than the #11 would have been larger than 3 or at least it is where I went to school lol!
I know it seems obviouse to you and I but to some un educated Co's or trappers it may not have been
also the way the old law read I could have ( and I do) changed my pans on my #4's and were they then legal on land? they no longer had a # on the pan so could I use them with out offset?
The argument about the #11's has been gone over and over but no matter how we stack it the way the old rule read the #11 wasn't leagle on land unless offset
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Post by trapperdave on Jul 6, 2008 9:02:16 GMT -5
I never read it that way, most of mine say #1 anyway since I converted about 4 dozen or so back in the 80's. It was always cheaper to buy #1's here and there then tear em apart and make #11's. Never in my mind did I equate an 11 as bigger than a 3 but I guess I could see where some idiot CO that never went to school to be a CO(used to be quite a few of those) could possibly make that mistake; however, has it EVER happened?
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Post by Decatur on Jul 6, 2008 9:26:51 GMT -5
That's interesting about #11's, I never once thought of them being illegal because 11 is larger than 3. It really doesn't seem possible that someone could be that simple minded to even think that, except maybe a PETA member. lol
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Post by tobias on Jul 6, 2008 11:09:51 GMT -5
It could still be quite a conversation when a "simple minded" CO is writing you a ticket. You tell him your #11 is smaller than a #3 and he tells you that 11 is bigger than 3! As long as your dealing w/ a knowledgable CO you shouldn't have any problems but we all know that while most are qualified in their profession, there are still some that makes one wonder.
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Post by lonniephillips on Jul 6, 2008 12:28:40 GMT -5
Ahhh now we see the reason for the rewording of the rules lol!
so are the CO's suppose to educate themself to all makes and models of traps so they don't make these mistakes?
We know the the actual size in measurement is smaller on a #11 than a #3 but thats because we are trappers , wonder how many nontrappers know this?
I mean when all others go from the #0 to #5
even though the #3 DLS trap has the same jaws spread as a 1.75 victor coil spring lol!
I guess from what I'm reading is it wasn't a problem because we knew but what about new trappers? how did they know? were they to asume? sure some got educated at trappers ed but many do not and if they ask a CO I bet most couldn't answer the question
how about these details
some #4 traps fit into the size limits and some don't
heck I could have made a trap any size and called it a #1 and it was fine on land without offset .
take this senerio before the change
what happend when I had a posi trip pan on my #2 coils and the CO doesn't see a size? it says posit-trip pan system.
does he give me a ticket?
I don't know the answer but I also see the need for the changes.
so are you guys saying we didn't need the wording chages? or do you agree the "grey" areas needed defined better for everyones benifit?
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Post by Decatur on Jul 6, 2008 12:35:03 GMT -5
As I said in my earlier post, I'm surprised they didn't do this sooner!
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Post by lonniephillips on Jul 6, 2008 19:56:35 GMT -5
same here Decatur
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Post by 76chevy on Jul 7, 2008 13:18:55 GMT -5
The overwhelming majority of trappers want to abide by the rules and just want to know what the rules are. Clearly some changes needed to be made. Writing the regulations using trap dimensions and not in arbitrary units (1.5, #11 etc) makes the most sense. what happend when I had a posi trip pan on my #2 coils and the CO doesn't see a size? it says posit-trip pan system. does he give me a ticket? I don't know the answer but I also see the need for the changes. |
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that is just stupid!!
