• Hunters should be aware of laws related to harvesting deer in Indiana.hunting image by Katrina Miller from Fotolia.com
  
  The lush state of Indiana has long held a bounty of beautiful game. In recent years, the game has been so plentiful that more than 120,000 deer have been harvested in a 12-month period. In February of 2010, Indiana hunters set a new record by harvesting more than 130,000 deer in 2009. The hunting laws of the state are very specific and outline each phase of the season with extensive detail. These laws are aggressively enforced and it in the hunters best interest to be familiar with them.
  
  

Getting Licensed

• One of the most important laws to comply with is being in possession of a valid hunting license. These are obtained from the Fish and Wildlife department for a nominal fee. If you are a resident of the state, the fee for a deer hunting license is $24. Non-residents pay $150. These licenses only cover the hunting of antlered deer. To be eligible to harvest an antlerless deer, there is an additional license to purchase. This additional license is 15 dollars for residents and 24 dollars for non-residents.
  
  

Deer Seasons

• Leaping Deerdeer image by Charles Kaye from Fotolia.com
  
  In Indiana, there are five different breakdowns for deer season. Urban deer season begins on September 15th, and Firearms Season runs for 16 days following the first Saturday after Veteran's Day. Early Archery Season begins on October 1st. The Muzzleloader Season starts the first Saturday after the conclusion of Firearms Season. And, finally, Late Archery Season runs from the first Saturday following the end of Firearms Season to the first Sunday in January. For the exact dates of each season, please see the reference below as some of the dates change with each passing year.
  
  

Bag Limits

• A hunter is allowed to bag one deer per license. Since there are five different seasons, five licenses can be purchased per year, allowing a harvest of more than one deer per person. Be aware, however, in the archery seasons, no firearms are allowed. All hunting must be done with a bow.
  
  

On a Side Note

• It is forbidden to hunt a deer on an orchard or other area that may be a draw to deer due to natural agriculture growth. Additionally, livestock salt is not acceptable as bait. To comply with all Indiana state laws, the complete hunting and trapping guide is linked as a reference to this article.