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Coyote Hunting Regulations in Indiana

In Indiana, the coyote is considered a "Nuisance Animal."

According to SENATE BILL No.100:

IT IS LAWFUL FOR: (1) a person who possesses land; or another person designated in writing by that person; to take coyotes on that land at any time.

Of course this does not afford the Coyote much protection.

The Hunting and Trapping Guide for the years 2000-2001 states:

A resident landowner or tenant may take without a permit, a coyote that is discovered damaging property; you must report the taking of the animalto a conservation officer within 72 hrs. The officer will direct you as to how to dispose of the animal. Landowners may take coyotes at any time on the land they own or provide written permission for others to take coyotes on their land at any time. Even though a landowner can toake a coyote at any time, he or she is still bound by the legal regulations set forth by the Departmen of Natural Resources. It is illegal to remove any wild animal from any cavity or den. It is illegal to disturb the den or nest of any mammal by digging, shooting, cutting, or chipping or with the aid of smoke,fire, fumes, chemicals, ferret or other small animals, or any device introduced into the hole where the animal is sheltered.

So ,it does seem that the coyote has some minimal protection. It is also illegal to hunt fox or coyote from a roadway or with the use of any motor-driven conveyance.

In a more detail:

Coyotes can be killed year round by a landowner or a person who is designated in writing to take coyotes on that land by the landowner under state law, IC 14-22-6-12:

Taking of coyotes

Sec. 12. A person:

(1) who possesses land; or
(2) designated in writing by a person who possesses land; may take coyotes on the land at any time.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15.

312 IAC 9-3-12 Foxes, coyotes, and skunks
Authority: IC 14-22-2-6
Affected: IC 14-22
Sec. 12. (a) Except as provided in subsection (c), the season for hunting red foxes, gray foxes, and coyotes is from noon on October 15 until noon on February 28 of the following year.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c), the season for trapping red foxes, gray foxes, coyotes, and skunks is from 8 a.m. on October 15 until noon on January 31 of the following year.
(c) It is lawful for:
    (1) a person who possesses land; or
    (2) another person designated in writing by that person; to take coyotes on that land at any time.
(d) It is unlawful to possess a red fox or gray fox except from October 15 until March 7 of the following year.
(e) It is unlawful to possess a skunk except from October 15 until February 7 of the following year.

312 IAC 9-3-18 Prohibited methods of pursuit and taking furbearing mammals
Authority: IC 14-22-2-6
Affected: IC 14-22
Sec. 18. (a) It is unlawful to take a furbearing mammal with a leg-hold trap possessing saw-toothed or spiked jaws.
(b) It is unlawful to take a furbearing mammal with a leg-hold trap sized number three (3) or larger without offset jaws unless the trap is completely covered by water.
(c) It is unlawful to take a furbearing mammal with a Conibear, Dahlgren, Bigelow, or other killer trap which is seven and one-half (7½) inches or larger in diameter or which is larger than seven and one-half (7½) inches by seven and one-half (7½) inches unless the trap is completely covered by water.
(d) It is unlawful to use a snare to trap a wild animal, except upon land owned by the user or with the written permission of the landowner. No snare shall be used that permits a circumference greater than fifteen (15) inches unless:
    (1) at least fifty percent (50%) of the loop of the snare is covered by water; or
(2) the snare employs a relaxing snare lock (a lock that will allow the snare's loop size to increase once pulling tension is no longer exerted along the snare from its anchored end).
(e) It is unlawful to disturb the den or house of a mammal protected by sections 11 through 14 of this rule:
    (1) by shooting, digging, cutting, or chipping into the leaf nest, hole, burrow, tree, or den; or
    (2) with:
       (A) the aid of smoke, fire, fumes, chemicals, ferret, or other small animal; or
       (B) any mechanical device introduced into the hole, burrow, tree, or den; where the animal is hidden or sheltered.
(f) It is unlawful to wear or use a device to climb poles or trees for the purpose of dislodging a mammal described in sections 11 through 14 of this rule.
(g) It is unlawful to possess an ax, a saw, or a device to climb poles or trees while in the field or woods at night for the purpose of dislodging a mammal described sections 11 through 14 of this rule.
(h) It is unlawful to chase or take a furbearing mammal between sundown and sunrise without carrying a continuous shining light which is visible for at least five hundred (500) feet.
(i) It is unlawful to hunt a furbearing mammal from a boat.

Snares have been allowed under the following conditions per state law,IC 14-22-6-6:

IC 14-22-6-6
Trapping; snares
    Sec. 6. (a) A person may not use a snare for the trapping of animals, except upon land owned by the user or with the written permission of the owner.
    (b) A snare that permits a circumference of more than fifteen (15)
inches may not be used for the trapping of animals unless:
       (1) at least fifty percent (50%) of the loop of the snare is covered by water; or
       (2) the snare employs a relaxing snare lock. As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15. Amended by P.L.183-1995, SEC.1.

IC 14-22-6-4
Trapping; tending traps
    Sec. 4. A person may not do the following:
       (1) Tend or visit a trap or remove a furbearing animal from a trap that is not the person's property without the permission of the owner.
       (2) Fail to tend or visit or have tended or visited a trap and remove a furbearing animal from a trap that is the person's property within a period not exceeding twenty-four (24) hours.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15.

IC 14-22-6-5
Trapping; underwater box traps
    Sec. 5. A person may trap furbearing animals with an underwater box trap during trapping season.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15.

The DNR has proposed modifying the administrative rules governing the hunting and trapping season for coyotes to extend them to March 15; the proposed rule change has not yet become law. Coyotes can already be taken year-round with written permission or on your own land. An additional six (6) weeks to the season will help control the population and will not harm the resource. For more information regarding this rule proposal, please visit the following website: http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/about/rules.htm Comments on the proposed rules should be submitted to jkane@dnr.state.in.us no later than Friday, March 26.

IC 14-22-6-9:
Shooting from or across public highways prohibited
    Sec. 9. A person may not:
       (1) hunt, shoot, shoot at, or kill an animal; or
          (2) shoot at an object; from within, into, upon, or across a public highway in Indiana.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15.

IC 14-22-6-10
Shooting into or across waters of the state
    Sec. 10. A person may not shoot into or across:
       (1) the waters of the state; or
       (2) the boundary waters of the state; except in the lawful pursuit of wild animals.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15.

IC 14-22-6-11
Silencers prohibited
    Sec. 11. A person may not:
       (1) use or possess an apparatus designed for use with or on a firearm commonly called a silencer; or
       (2) use or possess a device used as a silencer; in Indiana while in the act of hunting.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15.