there are several, but these should be of interest to you'uns:

If approved, these changes would take effect in late summer or fall of 2015.

The Division of Fish & Wildlife initiated a number of rule ideas/topics for public comment earlier this year to start the biennial rule change process. Thousands of comments were received both online and by regular mail in January and February. A few ideas submitted by the Division of Fish & Wildlife were dropped, and a couple of ideas received by the public were added as a result of some of these comments. As a result of public comments and requests by staff of the Division of Fish & Wildlife, the following amendments are proposed.

NONE OF THESE PROPOSED CHANGES, IF APPROVED, WILL TAKE EFFECT THIS YEAR (2014).

312 IAC 9-3-18.6: Makes the following changes governing wild pigs:

Prohibits the use of dogs to chase or take wild pigs; allow only state and federal wildlife management agencies to use dogs. The prohibition on using dogs to take wild pigs would prevent wild pigs from being pushed into new areas when being chased by dogs.

Prohibits assisting in the release of a wild pig.

Clarifies that Heritage or Heirloom breed pigs that are possessed, bred, and sold strictly for farming or medicinal purposes are exempt from restrictions on the possession, importation, and sale of wild pigs. Heritage or heirloom breed pigs that are of Eurasian origin and used only for food, exhibition, or medicinal purposes meet the Indiana Administrative Codes definition of wild pig, which was not the rules intent. 

Allows additional rifles to be used by reducing the bullet size required to .243 and eliminating the maximum rifle cartridge case length. This will allow high-powered rifles such as the .30-30 and .45-70 during the deer firearms seasons. Full metal jacketed bullets would be unlawful because since they do not expand when fired, and therefore, do not kill as humanely. The DNR believes this change can be made at this time for the following reasons:

There are currently no limits on rifles that are legal to use for species other than migratory birds, deer and wild turkey.

Muzzleloaders have evolved to the point that with smokeless powder (which is legal to use), they are essentially a high-powered rifle (accurate 500-yard gun).

They are legal in several nearby states, including Kentucky, Michigan (the northern part of the state) and Pennsylvania.

There has been no increase in hunting-related accidents as the result of the use of rifles, neither in Indiana nor in several other states where they are allowed.

There isnt a need to limit the equipment that can be used to take deer in order to manage the deer herd. The deer harvest was a record in 2012, and the DNR is managing the deer herd through other means.

Rifle cartridges that fire a bullet at least .243 in diameter and have a minimum case length of 1.16 inches long can safely and humanely kill white-tailed deer.

Allows firearms to be used during the deer reduction (formerly urban deer zone) season, where legal to discharge a firearm, from the first Saturday after November 11 through January 31 of the following year. Use of firearms in deer reduction zones would give communities greater flexibility to manage deer-related problems and should improve deer-harvest success rates.

Changes the dates for placing tree or ground blinds on state and federal properties to noon on September 15 through January 10

Allows those who place on tree stands or ground blinds on state and federal properties to identify it with their Indiana DNR-issued Customer ID number or name and address, instead of requiring only their name and address. This ID number is pretty short and would add a degree of privacy to hunters without interfering with law enforcement validation of the users.

312 IAC 9-3-4: Makes the following changes to the deer season dates and bag limits:

Allows a youth hunter to take one antlerless deer in an A county (such as Tipton County) during the special youth deer season. This would allow youth hunters additional opportunities in those counties and should have little effect on an A countys deer population.

Allow the adult who accompanies a youth hunter to carry a handgun in accordance with state law. This would comply with state law (Indiana Code 35-47-2), which allows an individual to carry a handgun while hunting lawfully.

Renames Urban Deer Zones to Reduction Zones.

Modifies boundaries for these zones by allowing them to be established annually by the DNR Director in a temporary rule. Adding or removing deer-reduction zones on an annual basis would give the DNR more flexibility to address deer density conflicts and to respond to disease threats.

Increases bag limit of antlerless deer in these areas.