Hunting with a Suppressor / Legal or Not

[G McBride]

I know I should look this up myself but you people are so smart that I know you will answer before I can type google.

Is it legal in Indiana to hunt small game with a suppressed 22? I am talking squirrel, rabbit, Coon. Pistol or rifle.

 

[Hiram2005]

Unless the rules have changed, you can't hunt with a suppressor.

 

[indyjoe]

This year's Indiana Hunting booklet said it was a no-no.

 

[G McBride]

Seems like a good way to hunt squirrel. Would not have to disturb the others cutting nuts until it was their turn to go in the stew.

 

[melensdad]

It makes no sense to me that we can't hunt with suppressors. I'm sure the neighbors would actually appreciate it if suppressors were easier to get and more commonly used. In New Zealand most rifles have them, and they are available cheaply at the local hardware stores! Blame the Brady type groups for our bad suppressor laws, they claim they are devises of terrorists and killing and shooting sprees will become more common. That does not seem to be true in other civilized nations that have sane suppressor laws.

 

[jeremy]

The problem is that we know them as suppressors, to them they are silencers. Plus they think that like in the movies that they make ALL guns super quite. To include revolvers by the way

 

[indyjoe]

The only thing I can figure is that they do not consider it sporting. Each CRACK will often scare wildlife away. For squirrels, this is not often the case. I use sub-sonic and I had a tree full of squirrels and after shooting the first, they just stop to see where the sound came from. If I can engage the others without moving much, they will keep dropping. If you have a miss with a super sonic round, the crack has scared them away for me. I guess the other part might be to fight poaching. I know many deer are poached with a .22. A suppressor would make them even harder to catch.

 

[Scutter01]

The only thing I can figure is that they don't consider it sporting. Each CRACK will often scare wildlife away.

They obviously haven't seen those YouTube videos where the guy takes five or six shots at a deer before it finally walks slowly away.

Personally, I just get tired of getting into arguments with a duck and a rabbit regarding which hunting season it is.

 

[kludge]

Reason is that the DNR relies on hearing the gunshots to catch poachers.

Poachers on the other hand, not deterred by regular hunting laws, probably don't care about the suppressor law either.

chicken/egg? I dunno. Probably not many paochers can afford a suppressor. I dunno.

Would be nice to hunt squirrels with a suppressed MkII though.

 

[jeremy]

Kinda nice to hunt rabbits with also, I would think.

 

[indyjoe]

They obviously haven\'t seen those YouTube videos where the guy takes five or six shots at a deer before it finally walks slowly away.

Very good point.

 

[G McBride]

What about non game animals. Can I shoot a ground hog, ground squirrels, rat, crows or other types of pests with a suppressed weapon? Back in the days when we could go shoot rats at the dump a suppressor would have been great.

 

[indyjoe]

What about non game animals. Can I shoot a ground hog, ground squirrels, rat, crows or other types of pests with a suppressed weapon? Back in the days when we could go shoot rats at the dump a suppressor would have been great.

The hunting guide simply states: Silencers - It is illegal to have a silencer while hunting. The nuisance animal section states: A resident landowner or tenant may take, USING LEGAL METHODS, without a permit, a beaver, mink, muskrat, long-tailed weasel, red fox, gray fox, opossum, skunk, gray squirrel, fox squirrel or raccoon that is discovered damaging property. I do not know where the lesser animals would fit, but it for those listed a suppressor would be illegal as it would not be a legal method.

 

[cordex]

I guess the other part might be to fight poaching. I know many deer are poached with a .22. A suppressor would make them even harder to catch.

Of course, if someone is poaching with a .22, they're breaking the law anyway ... so why not break another one? Just as we don't expect criminals to obey No Guns signs (whether legally enforceable or not), I don't know why we would expect poachers to respect one hunting regulation while flagrantly disobeying a passel of other laws.

 

[G McBride]

Most of our gun laws do not stop crime they just limit the law abiding citizen. Using my silencer that is legal because I paid the $200 tax to own it and shoot it should be legal on my own property to shoot vermin. I think this is a correct statement but I will check and see what else I find.

 

[bigcraig]

I have to run, but the quick answer to the OPs question is, NO.

Also, for those of you who don't know, silencers were put on the NFA list during the depression, the reason, poachers using them on government property.

 

[G McBride]

There you have it. NO HUNTING with a suppressor. I guess I will only get to shoot targets silently.

 

[Longshot308]

have heard that it is OK to hunt Coyotes; They are not game animals; Might be worth checking.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

have heard that it is OK to hunt Coyotes; They are not game animals; Might be worth checking.

The sticky wicket is "is it pest control or is it hunting".

My own personal opinion is that if there's a hunting/trapping season for them, then it's probably a really good idea to not use a suppressor.

Reasoning being: If there's an official season for a critter, then it's obviously regulated. And the harvest of said animal can, therefore, be considered bona fide "hunting"

Now as far as pest control, I'm personally not sure. Yard overrun with starlings and/or English sparrows? Grain bin overrun with rats? If I lived in the country and had to deal with any of the scenarios just mentioned, I'd probably go ahead and use the suppressor.

And yes, I realize that this is an OLD thread... But makes sense to bring it back up due to the advent of several hunting seasons.

-J-

 

[cosermann]

It's interesting that, historically, the suppressor insanity in the U.S. started around the depressoin as a way to curb poaching.

It had virtually nothing to do with crime at the time. Culturally, in some places, like Europe, you may be considered rude if you don't a suppressor one at some ranges.