Ind. Code § 15-17-14.7-1 "Hunting preserve"
Sec. 1. As used in this chapter, "hunting preserve" means an area of land where permitted animals are hunted.
As added by P.L.89-2016, SEC.18.
Ind. Code ch. 15-17-14.7
Ind. Code ch. 15-17-14.7
in effectInd. Code § 15-17-14.7-2 "Licensed owner"
Sec. 2. As used in this chapter, "licensed owner" means an owner of a hunting preserve who holds a license issued under this chapter.
As added by P.L.89-2016, SEC.18.
Ind. Code § 15-17-14.7-3 Permitted animal
Sec. 3. As used in this chapter, "permitted animal" means a legally owned captive bred wild animal classified as follows:
(1) A member of the cervidae family.
(2) A member of the bovidae family genus ovis.
(3) A member of the bovidae family genus capra.
As added by P.L.89-2016, SEC.18.
Ind. Code § 15-17-14.7-4 Initial license; change of ownership; annual inspections; fee
Sec. 4. (a) The board shall issue an initial hunting preserve license to a person who:
(1) meets all other requirements of this chapter; and
(2) pays a fee of three hundred dollars ($300).
(b) A hunting preserve license issued under this section may be transferred or assigned. If a person acquires a hunting preserve through a sale, a lease, or a change in ownership of the hunting preserve, the person must:
(1) obtain a hunting preserve license from the board; and
(2) meet the requirements set forth in this chapter;
before allowing hunting on the hunting preserve.
(c) A hunting preserve must pass an annual inspection by the board.
(d) A person who:
(1) meets the requirements set forth in this chapter; and
(2) pays an annual fee of three hundred dollars ($300);
is entitled to renew a license.
(e) The board shall deposit all fees collected under this section in the captive cervidae programs fund established by section 16 of this chapter.
As added by P.L.89-2016, SEC.18.
Ind. Code § 15-17-14.7-5 Permitted animals property of the owner
Sec. 5. Permitted animals, including their products, are the property of the licensed owner of the hunting preserve containing the permitted animals.
As added by P.L.89-2016, SEC.18.
Ind. Code § 15-17-14.7-6 Hunting preserve requirements
Sec. 6. (a) A hunting preserve must:
(1) provide sufficient space and cover to allow permitted animals the opportunity to evade hunters; and
(2) meet the following requirements:
(A) The hunting preserve must meet the applicable minimum size requirement of subsection (b).
(B) The hunting preserve must be enclosed by a fence that is at least eight (8) feet in height and not more than six (6) inches above the ground.
(C) Reasonable efforts must be made to clear the hunting preserve of wild deer.
(D) The hunting preserve may not be bisected by a public road, fencing, or any other barrier.
(E) The fence enclosing the hunting preserve must be marked with signs that meet the specifications of the board.
(b) A hunting preserve must contain:
(1) an aggregate total of at least eighty (80) acres in the areas where permitted animals are hunted if the hunting preserve was in operation during the 2015 calendar year; or
(2) at least one hundred (100) contiguous acres in the area where permitted animals are hunted if the hunting preserve was not in operation during the 2015 calendar year.
As added by P.L.89-2016, SEC.18.
Ind. Code § 15-17-14.7-7 Report of escape
Sec. 7. If a permitted animal escapes from a hunting preserve, the owner shall report the escape to the board within twenty-four (24) hours after the escape is discovered.
As added by P.L.89-2016, SEC.18.
Ind. Code § 15-17-14.7-8 Prohibited activities
Sec. 8. A licensed owner may not do the following:
(1) Release a permitted animal into the wild.
(2) Release any cervid other than a permitted animal on the hunting preserve.
As added by P.L.89-2016, SEC.18.
Ind. Code § 15-17-14.7-9 Hunting permit required; expiration; fees; confidential information
Sec. 9. (a) Hunting on a hunting preserve is not regulated by the department of natural resources. A person who takes or hunts a permitted animal on a hunting preserve is not required to hold a license under IC 14-22.
(b) A person who takes or hunts a permitted animal on a hunting preserve is required to have a special hunting permit issued by the board.
(c) The board:
(1) shall issue a special hunting permit that is required under subsection (b); and
(2) may appoint owners or managers of a hunting preserve as agents to sell the special hunting permit.
(d) A special hunting permit expires on March 2 immediately following the date the license is effective.
(e) The fee for a special hunting permit issued under this section to take a buck is equal to the fee set by the natural resources commission under IC 14-22-12-1(a)(15) per animal.
(f) The fee for a special hunting permit issued under this section to take a doe, a sheep, or a goat is equal to the fee set by the natural resources commission under IC 14-22-12-1(a)(6) per animal.
(g) The board shall deposit all fees collected under this section in the captive cervidae programs fund established by section 16 of this chapter.
(h) The name, mailing address, electronic mail address, and telephone number of an individual issued a special hunting permit under this section is confidential for purposes of IC 5-14-3-4.
As added by P.L.89-2016, SEC.18.
Ind. Code § 15-17-14.7-10 Transportation and cull tags
Sec. 10. (a) The board shall provide a licensed owner with a transportation tag or a cull tag to be affixed as follows to every permitted animal taken on the licensed owner's hunting preserve:
(1) The licensed owner shall cause a transportation tag to be affixed to each permitted animal taken by a hunter on the hunting preserve.
(2) The licensed owner shall cause a cull tag to be affixed to each animal culled by the licensed owner.
(b) A hunter may not transport or possess a permitted animal taken on a hunting preserve unless a transportation tag is affixed to the permitted animal. A transportation tag affixed to a permitted animal taken by a hunter on a hunting preserve is considered to be the bill of sale for the sale of the permitted animal by the licensed owner to the hunter.
(c) A licensed owner may not transport a permitted animal culled from the hunting preserve by the licensed owner unless a cull tag is affixed to the permitted animal. A culled permitted animal may be transported from the hunting preserve to be processed for the personal consumption of the licensed owner or to be donated to charity. The board may not charge a licensed owner for a cull tag provided under this section.
As added by P.L.89-2016, SEC.18.
Ind. Code § 15-17-14.7-11 Records of licensed owner; inspection of records
Sec. 11. (a) A licensed owner shall keep records that accurately represent the following:
(1) The permitted animals entering and leaving the hunting preserve.
(2) The individuals who use the hunting preserve.
(3) Information that documents compliance with this chapter as determined by rules adopted by the board.
(b) The records under subsection (a) must be maintained for a period determined by the board and must be open for inspection by employees of the board during regular business hours.
As added by P.L.89-2016, SEC.18.
Ind. Code § 15-17-14.7-12 Hunting season; bag limits; hunting fees
Sec. 12. (a) Permitted animals may be hunted on a hunting preserve licensed under this chapter from September 1 through March 1 between one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise and one-half (1/2) hour after sunset.
(b) For permitted animals taken on a hunting preserve there is not a bag limit, and both male and female animals may be taken.
(c) A licensed owner may charge fees for hunting on the hunting preserve that reflect the class of permitted animal hunted.
As added by P.L.89-2016, SEC.18.
Ind. Code § 15-17-14.7-13 Weapons allowed; computer assisted remote hunting prohibited
Sec. 13. (a) Only weapons that may be used legally in hunting on other property in Indiana may be used in hunting on a hunting preserve.
(b) A hunting preserve may not allow computer assisted remote hunting.
(c) If a permitted animal has been sedated, the hunting preserve may not allow the permitted animal to be hunted within twenty-four (24) hours of sedation. In addition, the board may adopt rules governing the use of a permitted animal for food after the permitted animal has been sedated or treated with medication.
(d) Hunting on a hunting preserve is prohibited within one hundred fifty (150) yards of an artificial feeding site.
As added by P.L.89-2016, SEC.18.
Ind. Code § 15-17-14.7-14 Animal standards of care; rules; inspections
Sec. 14. (a) The board may establish under IC 15-17-3-23 standards of care for permitted animals on hunting preserves licensed under this chapter.
(b) The board may not adopt rules that have the effect of prohibiting or unreasonably restricting the operation of a hunting preserve. However, the board's ability to regulate animal diseases and food safety is not restricted by this subsection.
(c) The board may inspect a hunting preserve to investigate a complaint at any reasonable time.
(d) The board may inspect a hunting preserve to investigate an issue concerning animal health at any reasonable time.
As added by P.L.89-2016, SEC.18.
Ind. Code § 15-17-14.7-15 Violations
Sec. 15. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), a person who violates this chapter is subject to the penalties set forth in IC 15-17-18-12.
(b) A person who knowingly or intentionally violates section 7, 8, 13(b), or 13(c) of this chapter commits a Level 6 felony.
As added by P.L.89-2016, SEC.18.
Ind. Code § 15-17-14.7-16 Captive cervidae programs fund
Sec. 16. (a) The captive cervidae programs fund is established. The board may use money in the fund to pay the expenses of:
(1) administering IC 15-17-14.5 and this chapter; and
(2) implementing programs to control diseases in cervidae authorized under this article.
(b) The fund shall be administered by the board.
(c) The fund consists of all fees collected under this chapter.
(d) The expenses of administering the fund shall be paid from money in the fund.
(e) The treasurer of state shall invest the money in the fund not currently needed to meet the obligations of the fund in the same manner as other public money may be invested. Interest that accrues from these investments shall be deposited in the fund.
(f) Money in the fund at the end of a state fiscal year does not revert to the state general fund.
As added by P.L.89-2016, SEC.18.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://iga.in.gov/laws/2026/ic/titles/15Fetched: 10/17/2026