Our legislature is ignoring the DNR

To the editor:
Just when you thought the Indiana deer hunting regulations couldn’t possibly get any more confusing, our government finds a way.
Though even more disturbing may be the events leading up to the change:
It appears that rifles will now be legal for deer hunting in .243 (6 millimeters) and .308 caliber (7.62 millimeters) calibers but not in calibers that fall in between. So, in case you haven’t been following along, rifles will now be legal with cartridges that have an empty case length of at least 1.16 inches and have a bullet diameter of .243 (6 millimeters) or .308 (7.62 millimeters) caliber. Also legal are cartridges that have an empty case length of 1.16 inches to 1.80 inches and a bullet diameter of .357 caliber and larger.
Still don’t know what’s legal and what isn’t? I’m sure you are not alone.
Going completely against the Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ long held stance that Indiana is too populated to use long-range rifles for deer hunting, the whole spectrum of long range .300 caliber magnum cartridges is now legal but much shorter range calibers like the .35 Remington, .45-70 Government and .444 Marlin are still illegal along with the slew of cartridges that fall in between .243 (6 millimeters) and .308 (7.62 millimeters) into what we could call medium to long range.
One has to ask the question “What is wrong with the DNR?” Why can’t we have a simple listing of what is legal and what isn’t?
Well the answer is that it may not be the DNR’s fault.
The DNR held public meetings just last year to discuss the issue of opening up the regulations to allow longer range rifles. Due to overwhelming negative feedback from hunters and concerned citizens, the DNR decided not to legalize these calibers.
Just a few months later our state legislature has pushed through legislation that will serve to legalize some longer range cartridges and also muddy the water as to what is legal and what is not. This leaves a person with many questions.
Why is our state legislature forcing the DNR to implement new regulations after it ruled on the very same subject just a few months prior? The DNR is supposed to be the governing body concerning hunting regulations and management. They are supposed to be the experts. So why is their opinion not being followed? Who is really behind this push from the legislature?
Whatever the answers and regardless of whether or not you agree with legalizing long range cartridges, every citizen should be concerned with what has just happened. The state legislature has basically just told the DNR that they don’t care about their expert opinion and they don’t care about the opinions of the Indiana people. They have just sent us all a message that they are willing and able to do whatever they want (or what their special interests want) and there is nothing that we can do about it.
I encourage everyone to send their representatives a quick message and politely ask them just what in the world is going on in Indianapolis.
Dustin Bantz
Portland