Hunting In Indiana With A Suppressor/Silencer

[fullauto 45]

Couple of years back I contacted DNR about shooting groundhogs and coyotes here in Indiana. I had a friend coming up from Florida with some NFA weapons and wanted to shoot the guns while here and wondered about shooting these pests while here. The answer I got was " you can take a varmint or predatory animal, coyotes, with any weapon of any caliber including NFA". I asked about having the suppressor on the M16 and she said, "any weapon of any caliber including any NFA weapon, including suppressors." I wish I had kept her name. She did state and made it clear this was, "not for game animals, just varmints and predatory animals."
And like I said, this was couple years ago, so subject to change without notice or reason. I may also vary on whom you talk to.

 

[curraheeguns]

What I would like to know is why an "employee of the department or an employee of a federal wildlife management agency" is exempt and I am not? What is the duty of their job that allows them to use a sound suppressor? What makes them superior to others in the use of a sound suppressor?

chuck

They use them in urban areas for select culling around airports and other spots where the herd is a danger to humans. It is a very very controled hunt usually done with bait at night with night vision by USDA employees. It isn't a bubba hunt.

Check out #5 and #6

Mt. Lebanon, PA - Official Website

I have personally met several of these guys that do this and they don't consider it fun and games. These are serious wildlife guys who believe they are helping, not having fun with hush puppies. I was doing "Bird Bomb" details with them removing large starling populations from downtown Indianapolis.

 

[pftraining_in]

Exactly, I think most people know that you cant go put a suppressor on your .44 mag when deer hunting. That is black and white in the hunting and trapping guide.

What about the raccoon that has been terrorizing your trashcans and crawlspace. Assuming you live in an area where it is safe and legal to shoot a firearm, but you usually only see the coon at night. Your neighbors are close enough to possible be disturbed by a late not gunshot.

A suppressor would be great for the above example, so what constitutes "hunting" is best control included in that definition? Basically the question being ask has been drilled down to "can you legally shoot an animal in Indiana with a suppressed firearm"

If you live in an area where a gun shot at night killing a raccoon would be reported, you probably live in an area where it would not be safe to shoot the raccoon. If someone did report it, you are with in the law for killing the raccoon.

Hunting and trapping by definition is the taking of any animal. If the state wanted to get technical, this would include mice and rats.

 

[colt45er]

If you live in an area where a gun shot at night killing a raccoon would be reported, you probably live in an area where it would not be safe to shoot the raccoon. If someone did report it, you are with in the law for killing the raccoon.

Hunting and trapping by definition is the taking of any animal. If the state wanted to get technical, this would include mice and rats.

Plenty of people own enough land to safely shoot in a direction but have other houses relatively close. Melensdad would be the first that comes to mind.

Just becuase you are legal to do something doesnt mean you want to talk to the policy for it. This is the appeal of pest control with a suppressor.

I am in 100% agreement with the OP that simply put you cannot shoot an animal with a suppressed weapon. This is my understanding of the IC as it is written.

 

[pftraining_in]

Plenty of people own enough land to safely shoot in a direction but have other houses relatively close. Melensdad would be the first that comes to mind.

Just becuase you are legal to do something doesnt mean you want to talk to the policy for it. This is the appeal of pest control with a suppressor.

So shoot the animal suppressed and don't brag on the internet or tell your friends.

 

[colt45er]

So shoot the animal suppressed and don't brag on the internet or tell your friends.

I think you missing the point. The point isn't to do something illegal and not get caught. The point is to not doing something illegal.

Who bragged about shooting an animal with a suppressor anyways?

 

[patience0830]

because

What I would like to know is why an "employee of the department or an employee of a federal wildlife management agency" is exempt and I am not? What is the duty of their job that allows them to use a sound suppressor? What makes them superior to others in the use of a sound suppressor?

chuck

I agree that if you're squared away enough to pass the background check for the can in the first place and you dropped all that coin on it you should be smart enough and responsible enough to use the can hunting. But the Aforementioned "employee" is probably expected to be doing deer culls at nght over bait piles and doesn't want PETA or the local hunting community coming in to visit and disrupt the hunt. Obviously they'd have different reasons for doing so. Or having local law enforcement get multiple calls about "Somebody is shooting in the park inside city limits".

They aren't superior. They just know somebody. And the C/O's have a distinct aversion to being shot at and not knowing from which direction the shot is coming. I can sympathize with the point of view but, again, if you're squared away enough to pass the background check for the can in the first place and you dropped all that coin on it you should be smart enough and responsible enough to not shoot at law enforcement.

 

[harrissr]

many years ago i contacted the dnr about using a suppressor for hunting. i was told by them that you couldn't even own a suppressor legally. i explained to the lady that yes you could and that i had my local sherriff's approval and signature and the atf's approval and signature and the law in indiana legality. i asked her if i could speak to her supervisor and she pput a sargent on the line and i explained my situation to him . he stated that i could legally use it to hunt here in indian. i told him that i appreciated his declaration but said that too many dnr thought like the gal that i had just talked to so i asked him if he would send me a letterhead with the dnr approval. he did exactly that and i carried that for years whenever i hunted with a suppressor !!!

 

[Trevlan]

So, what's the law regarding a silencer in Indiana? I read somewhere on the net, that even if you have a silencer for an air rifle, if it can somehow be fitted and work on a fire arm, you'll do 15 years in prison. But I see silencer and gun combos for sale freely and they deliver to IN. How does it work? A silencer would work wonders when practicing quitely in my back yard.

 

[pftraining_in]

many years ago i contacted the dnr about using a suppressor for hunting. i was told by them that you couldn't even own a suppressor legally. i explained to the lady that yes you could and that i had my local sherriff's approval and signature and the atf's approval and signature and the law in indiana legality. i asked her if i could speak to her supervisor and she pput a sargent on the line and i explained my situation to him . he stated that i could legally use it to hunt here in indian. i told him that i appreciated his declaration but said that too many dnr thought like the gal that i had just talked to so i asked him if he would send me a letterhead with the dnr approval. he did exactly that and i carried that for years whenever i hunted with a suppressor !!!

What was your situation?

Even with that letter, you could still be arrested for possession of a suppressor while hunting. A letter from a Sgt. does not trump the state law.

So, what's the law regarding a silencer in Indiana? I read somewhere on the net, that even if you have a silencer for an air rifle, if it can somehow be fitted and work on a fire arm, you'll do 15 years in prison. But I see silencer and gun combos for sale freely and they deliver to IN. How does it work? A silencer would work wonders when practicing quitely in my back yard.

If the suppressor can be removed from the air rifle and used on a firearm, you have to have a stamp. If the sound reducer is permanently attached to the air rifle the ATF does not see it as a suppressor and you can own it with out a stamp.

Never rely on the "it must be legal because they ship it here test". They sale crack pipes and bongs at Karma, but if you use them to consume illegal materials you are in violation of the law.

 

[VUPDblue]

What was your situation?

Even with that letter, you could still be arrested for possession of a suppressor while hunting. A letter from a Sgt. does not trump the state law.

Yep. That Sgt. was wrong and you could land in legal jeopardy because of that letter.

 

[harrissr]

that was many many years ago and the hunting regs that were published didn't say anything about suppressors like they do today. back then they didn't even know that you could legally own machineguns or suppressors in indiana. many of them still don't know that . they only know that you legally can't hunt with a suppressor because the regulations now are specific

 

[Trevlan]

Already knew that from about 2 years ago, when I ask the Southern District DNR-CO Commander about that when looking for coyotes. Question is, I have a NV scope [http://www.nightoptics-sales.com/proddetail.asp?prod=NUSAD7402MS] on my DPMS Panther Bull 20, and the scope cuts out momentarily from the muzzle flash. Does a Flash Hider exist, that screws on, does nothing but keep the muzzle flash from over riding the NV? Screws up a second shot from missing a coyote, 'cause those suckers can take off in a hurry and cover a lot of dirt before the scope comes back in.

In photography, when we want to control the light, we use a device call a 'Gobo' which stands for go between. With a little tape and cardboard side, I'm sure you can block the flash from interfering with the night vision. It'll look silly, I'm sure, but you'll be able confirm and continue to track without the nightvision giving you a headache.

Also, I obtained this information from OnebadV8 in regards to silencers and practicallity. It's legal to own, extra paper work is involved, these weapon modifications are considered Class III (NFA) items. But you CAN NOT hunt with them.

Has anyone ever tried a subsonic round for hunting? One thing I noticed when shooting in my back yard with my 800ft/ps .177 cal air rifle, the birds and animals remain unbothered by the crack. But when I bring out my brake barrel .177 cal rifle(in excess of 1300 ft/ps), the animals scatter and the birds take flight when the pellet brakes the sound barrier.

 

[SSE]

Yes, the sonic boom sends everything running.

 

[ATM]

...moles...

Dang. I hates me some moles.

 

[Monster Man]

Silenced 22's are fun; silent air rifles are more fun

I acquired my suppressor 18 years ago, and my thought at the time was to use it to rid my back yard of pests......mainly squirrels that play havok with my bird feeders. Obviously, I was a bit disappointed to learn it was illegal to do that, and so I never did. I was stuck with a cool toy but couldn't put it to its most obvious use. That started me on my quest for a silent air rifle powerful enough to do what I originally planned with the 22 suppressor. I obtained several, and sold some after trying them, as I thought they shaded too close to the NFA law. I now have a very quiet air rifle and at last, the bird feeders are safe! I am now considering buying another suppressor, as I still like the cool factor of a very silent 22, and they are better than when I bought mine in '93. My next purchase will be the Outback IID, in fact, I may buy two, 'cause you just can't have too many silent 22's.

 

[yotewacker]

If you really want to hunt with a suppressor, then go to another state. Most states will allow it. Not sure why Indiana does not.

 

[tenring]

Poaching!

 

[RelicHound]

Poaching!

FAIL

 

[Hkindiana]

What about hunting with a full auto in Indiana?