New deer rule changes the Natural Resources Commission adopted last fall are now in effect. One of the first changes means the 2011 Urban Deer Zone season has been extended until Jan. 31, 2012.

During the final days of the Urban Deer Season, other changes for the end of the season go into effect, as well. Other changes to the Urban Deer Zone include:

•The urban deer zone season now lasts from Sept. 15-Jan. 31. Previously, the urban deer zone ended the first Sunday in January.

•A new urban deer zone license is required and replaces the old requirements of needing an extra archery license, bonus antlerless or regular archery license. The resident urban deer zone license is $24 and the non-resident urban deer zone license is $150.

Resident youth hunt/trap, lifetime comprehensive hunting or lifetime comprehensive hunting and fishing license, or individuals exempt from needing a license, do not need to purchase urban deer zone licenses.

•The urban deer zone in Lake and Porter counties now includes the entire counties.

•Hunters using an urban deer zone license must harvest at least one antlerless deer before harvesting an antlered deer with an urban deer zone license; this is also known as “earn-a-buck.” The earn-a-buck program only applies to the urban deer zone season.

•Crossbows can now be used during the urban deer zone season.

 The bag limit for the urban deer zone remains the same at four antlerless deer (one per license) or, with the new “earn-a-buck,” three antlerless and one antlered deer (one per license).

Urban deer zones were established to provide hunters opportunities to harvest deer in specified areas in addition to regular bag limits. Urban deer zones are for archery and crossbow hunting only. The provision does not override any local ordinances restricting bow and arrow or crossbow use.

What do the changes mean for the remainder of the 2011 Urban Deer Zone Season? Listed are three scenarios to help hunters determine license requirements and harvest regulations for the remainder of the 2011 Urban Deer Zone season ending Jan. 31.

Scenario 1: If a hunter has already harvested an antlered deer in an urban deer zone this season (Sept. 15-Jan. 31), all the hunter can harvest through Jan. 31 would be antlerless deer in an urban deer zone; this is assuming the hunter has not reached the bag limit for the urban deer zone.

Scenario 2: If a hunter hasn’t harvested an urban zone antlered deer and has already harvested an urban zone antlerless deer during the 2011 urban zone deer season, the hunter has already met the “earn-a-buck” requirement. The hunter can harvest one urban zone antlered deer through Jan. 31 in an urban deer zone.

Scenario 3: If a hunter hasn’t harvested any urban zone deer this season, the hunter must harvest an antlerless deer in an urban deer zone prior to harvesting an antlered deer in an urban deer zone.

Urban Deer Zones are now Lake County, Porter County. Vanderburgh County, Fort Wayne  (the portion of Allen County within the bounds of Interstate 69 and Indiana 469), Indianapolis (all of Marion County, Hendricks County east of Indiana 267; southeastern portion of Boone County bounded by Indiana 267, I-65, Indiana 32; and the portion of Hamilton County south of Indiana 32), Lafayette (the portion of Tippecanoe County north of Indiana 28), Michigan City (the portion of LaPorte County north of I-94.) and Warsaw (the portion of Kosciusko County within the corporate limits of Warsaw).

All other deer rule changes that went into effect on Jan. 1 can be found at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/2362.htm

The information will be summarized and included in the Indiana Hunting Guide scheduled for release in June or July.