Laws To Trap And Hunt Squirrels In Indiana

In Indiana, Squirrels are adorable, friendly, and affectionate animals, but if they are not controlled, they may cause significant damage to a home. Find out how to get rid of squirrels by researching the laws to trap and hunt squirrels in Indiana.

With a license, dogs can hunt squirrels year-round. On land managed by the DNR, there are some rules to follow. This blog explains how to go squirrel hunting in Indiana.

Squirrel Types Found In Indiana

In Indiana, there are three kinds of squirrels.

Gray Squirrel

This kind of squirrel is common in Indiana and the rest of the United States. It’s a tree squirrel that is most active in the morning and evening. It balances on its tail and talks to other grey squirrels with it. Even though it is called a grey squirrel, it has white, black, and yellow hair as well.

Even though grey squirrels mostly eat wild foods like fruit, nuts, and bugs, they will also eat field corn, which could be a problem for farmers. They also like to eat out of bird feeders, which can bring them close to their homes and make it hard for birds to eat.

Fox Squirrel

This is a large tree squirrel that lives all over the state. Most of the time, this squirrel is on the ground, and it is most active in the morning and afternoon. It likes to build its nest in trees, especially in the winter and when there are new babies. During other times of the year, it lives in leaf nests called dreys. The fur of the fox squirrel is a mix of black, brown, orange, and white.

Like other squirrels, fox squirrels like nuts, seed pods, and berries. They will also eat from bird feeders or grain crops, especially if they live near people. They also like to eat fruits like strawberries for snacks, which can be bad for your garden.

Pine Squirrel

This squirrel lives in Indiana and most of the rest of the north and west of North America. It is made up of three different species and about the same size as a regular squirrel and has brown and salt-and-pepper coloring. It can climb and swim well, and it talks with a series of calls that sound like music.

Pine squirrels do not hibernate during the winter. In fact, they stay active even though they have less energy and do less during the cold months. Pinecone seeds are their main source of food, but they also like fruits and nuts from bird feeders. Make your home as squirrel-proof as possible and call a professional to get rid of a pine squirrel that is too much of a bother.

Which Types Of Squirrels Are Legal To Hunt In Indiana?

A wide variety of hunting opportunities are available to Indiana residents and visitors.

• The flying squirrel is a protected species in Indiana, so it is against the law to hunt it. You need a special permit to be able to hunt them.
• First, you need a permit from the Indiana Department of Wildlife to hunt flying squirrels.
• Under state law, foxes, grey squirrels, and red squirrels can be killed at any time if they are causing damage.
• Red squirrel hunting season in Indiana starts in August and goes through January.

Squirrels Hunting Season In Indiana

There are multiple squirrel hunting seasons and various seasons for hunting small game in Indiana. Hunting for squirrels and other games is also possible. Additionally, trapping seasons are available for fur-bearing animals in Indiana.

The months of August through January are grey and fox squirrel hunting seasons. November through January are squirrel hunting seasons, and hunters must wear hunter-orange attire.

There are no limitations on the kind of equipment or ammunition used for squirrel hunting. It is recommended that you use either a rimfire rifle with a caliber of.22 or a shotgun with a gauge size of 20 or less loaded with 6- to 7 1/2-size shots.

Laws Governing The Hunting Of Squirrels In Indiana

These are the only legal squirrel hunting methods in Indiana:

• In Indiana, it is against the law to hunt squirrels.
• If you want to hunt or kill wild animals on land you don’t own or rent, you need a hunting, trapping, or nuisance wild animal control license.
• But hunting is allowed from November to January, which is open hunting season.
• Licensed nuisance trappers or others may kill damaging squirrels.
• Live trapping is allowed, but only after trappers or other people ask for and get written permission from the chief of the wildlife division to do so.
• Squirrels that are a nuisance and cause damage to property, people, or the area should be killed. 
• During squirrel hunting season, there is no limit on how many squirrels you can have or how many you can catch. 

Laws Governing The Trapping And Relocating Of Squirrels In Indiana

The following laws in Indiana govern squirrel trapping and relocation:

• Squirrel trapping and relocation are lawful in Indiana if an animal is hurting or trying to hurt someone or something else.
• During squirrel season, only live squirrels are legal to trap. 
• When hunting for animals with fur between dusk and dawn, you need a light that stays on and can be seen from at least 500 feet away.
• You cannot take out wild animals from any holes or caves.
• Shooting, excavating, cutting, or chipping with fire, flame, chemicals, ferrets, or other tiny animals, or with any device placed in the den or nest, is banned.
• It is also against the law to use or carry tree-climbing or tree-cutting tools with the goal of getting an animal out of a tree.
• When you take squirrels out of the traps and keep them alive, keep them in a cage or somewhere else to avoid getting them out easily.

How Can You Shoot And Hunt Squirrels In Indiana?

Here are some ways to shoot a squirrel in Indiana:

• Hunting, shooting, or killing an animal, or shooting at anything from inside, across, or into a public road, is illegal.
• In Indiana, it’s illegal to shoot over a body of water unless you are legally hunting wildlife.
• It is against the law to hunt on private land without the landowner’s permission.
• If you have a gun, bow, or crossbow, it is against the law to shoot a wild animal from a moving car.
• If you kill or injure a wild animal, it can only count toward your daily quota if it has a reasonable possibility of being discovered again.
• But it is against the law to go on private property without permission to get a downed animal.
• Before you go hunting, make sure you’re allowed to follow the animals on the land next to where you’ll be hunting.

Is It Legal To Shoot Squirrels With A Pellet Gun In Indiana?

In Indiana, it is against the law to use Pellet guns, BB guns, or airsoft guns as guns to shoot squirrels. Indiana state law says that a firearm is any weapon that can shoot a projectile by exploding. In the state of Indiana, pellet rifles and airsoft guns, which both use compressed air to work, are not considered to be guns. This means that state law does not control them.

Local governments may also have pellet gun rules that differ from state laws. In Indiana, you must be 18 years old to buy a pellet gun, BB gun, airgun, or air rifle.

Is It Legal To Shoot Squirrels On Property In Indiana?

On private property, it is permissible to shoot squirrels without a hunting license if the squirrels are causing damage. The shooting of wild animals on land that you do not own or rent necessitates the purchase of a hunting or trapping license, as well as a permit for controlling nuisance squirrel populations.

Conclusion

In Indiana, it is illegal to hunt or shoot a squirrel. But you need a permit and a license if you want to hunt and shoot squirrels on public land. If you don’t have them, you can break the law. To catch a squirrel, you need a gun that has been registered.

If a squirrel wants to hurt you, someone with a license can kill it. You can always tell the authorities about your squirrel problem and have them come take a look. You can do it whenever you want, and you won’t have to do anything yourself.