Section 312IAC9-10-11. Nuisance wild animal control permit

   (a) The director may without fee issue a temporary permit to control a nuisance wild animal that is:

(1) causing damage or threatening to cause damage to property; or

(2) posing a health or safety threat to persons or domestic animals.

The method and dates of control and disposition of the animal shall be set forth in the permit.

  (b) A live wild animal taken under this section shall not be:

(1) possessed for more than forty-eight (48) hours;

(2) sold;

(3) traded;

(4) bartered; or

(5) gifted.

  (c) A property owner or lessee may obtain a permit under this section for the control of a nuisance wild animal.

  (d) A person who charges a fee or provides a service to the public for nuisance wild animal control services must obtain a permit under this subsection to assist a property owner or lessee with the control of a nuisance wild animal. The following testing requirements apply:

(1) A permit applicant must correctly answer at least eighty percent (80%) of the questions on a written examination of basic knowledge supervised and administered by the division of fish and wildlife.

(2) A permittee who has satisfied subdivision (1) must, within four (4) years of being issued the permit and every four (4) years thereafter, either:

(A) satisfy the same requirements as are set forth in subdivision (1) on another examination; or

(B) complete sixteen (16) hours of continuing education as approved by the division.

(3) A person who fails an examination under this section may retake the examination one (1) additional time within forty-five (45) days, but not again within one hundred eighty (180) days after a second failure.

  (e) An application for a nuisance wild animal control permit must be completed on a departmental form and filed with the division of fish and wildlife.

  (f) An individual who does not hold a permit under subsection (d) may assist a permittee, but only if the permittee directly supervises or coordinates the activities of the unpermitted person. A copy of the permit must be on the person when conducting any authorized activities.

  (g) A captive animal must be properly handled in an expeditious manner to prevent unnecessary physical injury.

  (h) The following methods may be used to take a wild animal under this section:

(1) Firearms if possessed and used in compliance with all applicable state, local, and federal firearm laws.

(2) Steel and live traps, except as follows:

(A) A foothold trap that possesses saw-toothed or spiked jaws.

(B) A foothold trap that:

(i) has the widest inside jaw spread perpendicular to the trap's baseplate (Figure 1) greater than or equal to five and three-quarters (5 3/4) inches and the inside width between the trap's hinge posts (Figure 2) greater than or equal to five and three-quarters (5 3/4) inches unless the jaws of the trap have at least a one-eighth (1/8) inch offset (Figure 3), the gap of the offset is filled with securely attached rubber pads, or the trap is completely covered by water. The hinge posts must be maintained at a ninety (90) degree angle to the trap's baseplate (Figures 4 and 5); and

(ii) has an inside jaw spread perpendicular to the trap's baseplate greater than six and one-half (6 1/2) inches and the inside width between the trap's hinge posts greater than six and one-half (6 1/2) inches and set on land.

 

(C) A Conibear™, Dahlgren™, Bigelow™, or similar body-gripping trap that has the widest vertical inside jaw spread measured at the horizontal center of the trap's jaws and the widest horizontal inside jaw spread measured at the vertical center of the trap's jaws is larger than eight (8) inches unless the trap is completely covered by water.

(D) As used in this subsection, "offset jaws" means the jaws of a leg-hold trap in which the holding area of the jaws is separated by a gap or offset (specified measurement) when the trap is closed (not in the set position). The gap or offset must extend at least eighty percent (80%) of the holding area of the trap's jaws.

(3) Snares with a circumference not greater than fifteen (15) inches unless:

(A) at least fifty percent (50%) of the loop of the snare is covered by water; or

(B) the snare employs a relaxing snare lock (a lock that will allow the snare's loop size to increase once pulling tension is no longer exerted along the snare from its anchored end).

(4) Any other methods specified by the permit.

  (i) All traps including snares must be checked at least once every twenty-four (24) hours, and any animal caught in a trap or snare must be removed from that trap or snare within twelve (12) hours from notice to the permit holder of an animal caught in the trap or snare.

  (j) The following restrictions apply to the treatment of an animal captured live under this permit:

(1) When on-site release is not the best viable option, the animal must be:

(A) released in the county of capture with prior consent from the landowner or landowner's agent;

(B) euthanized; or

(C) treated as otherwise authorized in the permit.

(2) An animal must be euthanized with the:

(A) safest;

(B) quickest; and

(C) most painless;

available method as recommended and approved by the division of fish and wildlife.

(3) Prior consent is required from the:

(A) landowner; or

(B) landowner's agent;

before an animal is released on any property.

  (k) A permit expires on December 31 of the year the permit is issued. The permittee must maintain a current record to include the following:

(1) The name and address of the landowner assisted.

(2) The date assistance was provided.

(3) The number and species of animals affected.

(4) The method of disposition.

A copy of the records shall be kept on the premises of the permittee for at least two (2) years after the transaction and must be presented to a conservation officer upon request.

  (l) A permittee must file an application by January 31 of each year in order to renew a permit. The annual report required under subsection (m) must accompany the renewal application.

  (m) The permit holder shall provide an annual report to the division by January 31 of each year. The report shall list the following:

(1) The:

(A) number; and

(B) species;

of animals taken.

(2) The county where the animal was captured.

(3) The method of disposition.

(4) The county where released (if applicable).

  (n) A permit issued under this section may be suspended or revoked if the permittee does the following:

(1) Fails to comply with any of the following:

(A) IC 14-22.

(B) This article.

(C) A term of the permit.

(2) Provides false information to obtain a permit under this section.

(3) Uses or employs any:

(A) deception;

(B) false pretense; or

(C) false promise;

to cause a consumer to enter into an agreement for the removal of a nuisance wild animal.

  (o) No permit shall be issued under this section:

(1) for the control of a migratory bird, except a mute swan;

(2) for a wild animal that is identified under this article as:

(A) an endangered; or

(B) a threatened;

species; or

(3) if granting the permit would violate a federal law.

  (p) Except as authorized in subsection (q), the hide, carcass, or other part or portion of a wild animal taken under this section shall not be:

(1) sold;

(2) traded;

(3) bartered; or

(4) gifted, except if gifted with no compensation of any kind to:

(A) an accredited scientific or educational institution with a special purpose salvage permit issued under section 13.5 of this rule; or

(B) the department;

if tagged with the permit holder's name and address, signature of the person who took the animal, and date the animal was taken.

  (q) The meat of a wild animal taken under this section may be retained or gifted to another person for personal consumption if tagged with the permit holder's name and address, signature of the person who took the animal, and date the animal was taken.

  (r) A permit holder must obtain permission from the landowner or tenant prior to setting a trap, snare, or other device or capturing a wild animal on that landowner or tenant's property.

  (s) A conservation officer may inspect the equipment, wild animals, and any records relative to a permit issued under this section at any reasonable hour. (Natural Resources Commission; 312 IAC 9-10-11; filed May 12, 1997, 10:00 a.m.: 20 IR 2732; filed Oct 28, 2002, 12:03 p.m.: 26 IR 692; readopted filed Jul 28, 2003, 12:00 p.m.: 27 IR 286; filed Jun 23, 2006, 2:24 p.m.: 20060719-IR-312050214FRA; filed Apr 4, 2008, 2:56 p.m.: 20080430-IR-312070659FRA; readopted filed Nov 24, 2008, 11:08 a.m.: 20081210-IR-312080672RFA; filed Feb 28, 2014, 8:01 a.m.: 20140326-IR-312130024FRA; readopted filed May 20, 2014, 9:43 a.m.: 20140618-IR-312140017RFA; filed Sep 23, 2015, 9:57 a.m.: 20151021-IR-312140477FRA)