Authority: IC 14-22-2-6

Affected: IC 4-21.5; IC 14-22

Sec. 24. (a) This section governs a trapper education permit. A permit is required for a person to conduct a trapper education course and set a trap for a wild animal as part of the course.

(b) The permit is available only to a person who is at least one (1) of the following:

1. (1) A nonprofit organization.
2. (2) An authorized employee of the department.
3. (3) A person who is employed or sponsored by an educational institution or a nonprofit organization.

(c) An application for a permit under this section shall be completed on a departmental form and must provide the following:

1. (1) An outline of the educational program that includes an explanation of the legal methods of trapping and ethics.
2. (2) The location where the course will be held.
3. (3) The types of traps that will be set.
4. (4) The locations (addresses) of any traps set.
5. (5) The date of the course.

(d) All traps including snares must be checked at least once every twenty-four (24) hours, and any animal caught in a trap or snare must be removed from that trap or snare within twelve (12) hours from notice to the permit holder of an animal caught in the trap or snare.

(e) Wild animals must be taken in accordance with 312 IAC 9-3-18 and either:

1. (1) released in the county of capture with prior consent from the landowner or landowner's agent;
2. (2) euthanized; or
3. (3) treated as otherwise authorized in the permit.

(f) A wild animal taken under this section must be euthanized with the:

1. (1) safest;
2. (2) quickest; and
3. (3) most painless;

available method as recommended and approved by the division of fish and wildlife.

(g) Wild animals taken under this section shall not be:

1. (1) possessed for more than forty-eight (48) hours by instructors or students;
2. (2) sold;
3. (3) traded;
4. (4) bartered; or
5. (5) gifted, except as authorized in subsection (h).

(h) A dead wild animal that is taken under this section may be gifted with no compensation of any kind to:

1. (1) an accredited scientific institution or nonprofit organization with a special purpose salvage permit issued under section 13.5 of this rule; or
2. (2) the department;

if tagged with the permit holder's name and address, signature of the person who took the animal, and date the animal was taken.

(Natural Resources Commission; 312 IAC 9-10-24; filed Sep 23, 2015, 9:57 a.m.: 20151021-IR-312140477FRA; readopted filed Sep 18, 2019, 1:16 p.m.: 20191016-IR-312190325RFA; readopted filed Mar 25, 2025, 9:50 a.m.: 20250423-IR-312240574RFA)