Went to the Natural Resources Summer Study

Hunters target Fry rules
DNR panel meets today on limiting waterfowl hunt along populated rivers.

By ED RONCO
Tribune Staff Writer

In June, The Tribune wrote about laws that regulate hunting along the St. Joseph River from the perspective of an Elkhart County homeowner who was in favor of tighter restrictions. Read that story online at www.southbendtribune.com. In this story, hunters talk about possible changes to Indiana's hunting laws, and their opposition. — The editors



State lawmakers will sit down today in Chesterton to consider whether hunting along the St. Joseph River should be more tightly controlled.


And while nothing has been put into actual bill form yet, there are some reverse expectations at work: The measure's critics seem convinced it will become law, and its sponsor — who has introduced similar legislation before — is pretty certain this latest version will get squashed.

The General Assembly's Natural Resources Study Committee meets at 1 p.m. CDT today inside the Nature Center at Indiana Dunes State Park to consider whether the issue of hunting along populated rivers is important enough to be considered by the General Assembly during its 2009 session.

The park is located at 1600 N. 25 E.

The proposed tightening of the hunting rules comes from state Rep. Craig Fry, who says he's responding to complaints from neighbors that their homes have been hit by birdshot from guns on the river.

But two local men who hunt near where the complaints originated say they do so responsibly.

"That stuff did not come out of our guns," said Randy Miller, an Elkhart taxidermist who regularly hunts duck along the St. Joseph River just west of County Road 17. "Those people do not want us out there."

It would take a lot of effort for gunfire to reach across the river, he said. Most of the ammunition used to hunt ducks is made of steel and relatively lightweight, traveling only about 150 yards or so.

"The kill zone on steel shot out of a 12-gauge on a duck, if you get a lucky pellet in the head, is 70 yards, tops," Miller said.

The distance from the cattail blind he uses to one of the complaining homes is about 230 yards, he said. Measurements taken from mapping software back that up.

"It's harder than all get out to kill a duck with steel," he said. "I'm not out there to hurt somebody. That's the last thing I want to see. I don't want to break a window. I don't want to suffer the consequences of a poor decision. I want to have some fun and go home."

One of Miller's hunting friends, Osceola resident Ted Cox, said people who live along the river see it as an extension of their own backyard.

"The folks who live along the river now, they perceive that that is their body of water, for their personal use," he said. "Some of the folks who are complaining about us hunting on the river are living in a subdivision called Hunter's Point."

Or worse, said another hunter, South Bend resident Brent Burkus — they think of the wildlife as their pets.

"They have a house there and they see these ducks flying around, and they're like their pets," Burkus said. "Season rolls around and they see their so-called pets get shot at, and they don't like it."

Miller and Cox both say they think the General Assembly will turn the issue into a law that would greatly restrict their ability to hunt nearby.

"Randy and I, we try to hunt as often as our budgets permit," Cox said. "Realistically, we can't travel 40, 50, 60 miles each way every time we have the opportunity to go hunting."

'A war zone'

State Rep. Fry, D-Mishawaka, lives about a block from the river and can hear the gunshots from time to time.

"You go out there after Labor Day when the duck season opens up," he said. "It's a ... war zone."

Fry said he's a member of the National Rifle Association and supports hunters, but that residents' homes being hit with pellets is too big a safety hazard to ignore.

"Most hunters, real hunters, would not put people in jeopardy while they pursue their sport," he said. "It's not unreasonable to limit people's ability to hunt in densely populated areas."

Fry has introduced legislation on the issue before. A measure in the last General Assembly never made it out of committee, and another one in 1998 also failed.

Newspaper reports from that time document one Osceola resident who was taking down her Christmas tree when some birdshot came through her window.

And while discharging a firearm inside city limits is illegal, unincorporated areas of St. Joseph and Elkhart County have developed significantly and now have denser populations.

And, Fry said, the Department of Natural Resources isn't working hard enough to rein in "irresponsible hunting."

"I'm not against hunting," Fry said. "But I want people to be responsible."

Staff writer Ed Ronco:
eronco@sbtinfo.com
(574) 235-6353

Right after labor day, when duck season starts. what zone is that lol Once again uninformed.

The dnr guy is Mike Crider Good guy lives just a few miles south of me.

No doubt his is 100% behind us!!! Glad I was able to meet him..

Pigeonflier,

Thanks for showing up and making your voice heard. h.h.

Send your comments to Bernadette Bartlett at bbartlet@iga.in.gov and mention that you are commenting on the waterfowl hunting law proposed in high population density areas. She will forward them to the committee. I think the committee will meet at least one more time and probably twice more before they disband. Hopefully they will get a place a little closer to some on this board.

Jack

P.S. I know that Rob Carter is a big duck hunter so I'm guessing most of his guys are not real thrilled with this proposal. Hopefully it won't make it out of the committee.

Thanks pigeon, I couldnt get out of work.
I cant decide on the river or a hay field for the 1st.

Another from Crider.....

He also told the panel that if they limited the hunting abilities from everyone that complains about hunting near a house... DEER HUNTERS or WATERFOWL hunters.. That Indiana would be severely crippled from hunting abilities.....

Amen...way to represent... ..."Some people make things happen and some say what Happen"...

Very happy to hear that you went Pige! Yes.....Crider is outstanding. He fought against the hunting ban in Marion County as well. Glad that you took your time to help protect the rivers you and many others who didn't show up hunt.