By MARGARET L. WILLIS

Hunters be aware: Discharge of firearms will no longer be allowed within the boundaries of Burns Harbor.

With hunting season set to begin, the Burns Harbor Town Council Wednesday voted unanimously in favor of a new firearms ordinance which specifically prohibits the use of all projectile weapons, including handguns, rifles, BB guns, air or gas powered pellet guns, arrows or any other projectile from either a gun or any other instrumentality, within town limits.

The ordinance does allow for the use of bows and arrows with certain restrictions and makes an exception on discharge of firearms for any police officer or other officer of the law, member of the armed forces of the United States or National Guard in “the performance of his or her duty,” and allows for discharge of a firearm in the lawful defense of person or property.

The new ordinance will take effect upon its publication, which will be as soon as the town clerk-treasurer can arrange for it, attorney Chuck Parkinson said today.

Police Chief Jerry Price said this morning “So far, so good. We’ve not had any problems.”

For those caught violating the ordinance, with each incident of discharge constituting a separate offense, there is a fine of $2,500 for the first offense and $7,500 for a second or subsequent offense.

Permitted firing of an arrow is allowed only on private property of ten (10) acres or more and situated north of Interstate 94.

Arrows must be fired only from stands of no less than ten (10) feet in height and facing an interior portion of the property on which it is located and at least 100 yards away from any building, residence, traveled roadway or park.

Hunters will be required to register at the Police Station prior to each day’s hunting. Registration forms will need to be filled out and identification placards will be distributed; one for the hunter to carry, one for the dashboard of the vehicle. The registration box is outdoors on the south side of the Town Hall, near the south entrance.

“This way we know where you are if you need to be reached or if you’re hurt and need to be found,” Price said Wednesday. “We’ll be watching closely,” he added.

Hunters in the audience questioned the high cost of the fine as well as the restrictions on where in town hunting on large parcels of land will be permitted.

Jim Brocksmith, a landowner who rents his acreage for crops, said he already had problems with deer damage. So much so that his tenant farmer has said he may give up.

“I appreciate your efforts on behalf of the safety of residents,” he said, adding he’s more concerned about the numbers of deer increasing. “We’ve been hunting up there for 35 years and nothing’s changed.”

Town council member Richard Bolinger, though he voted in favor of the ordinance, seemed to share Brocksmith’s concern. “We need to do something besides this ordinance,” he said, of the deer population.

Council member Mike Perrine said he knows there may need to be a town controlled cull at some point, but that the firearms ordinance was a separate issue.

The town ordinance does not affect special permits from the Department of Natural Resources for removal of deer causing damage.

The high cost of a first violation concerned Scott Michaels. “Everyone wants to be safe and follow the rules,” he said, “but an individual may make a mistake. I think a $2,500 fine is kind of excessive.”

Council members Perrine, Bolinger, Bernie Poparad and president Jim McGee voted unanimously in favor of the ordinance and also to suspend the rules and adopt the ordinance on second reading the same night as the first reading. Council member Louis Bain was absent.

The ordinance will take effect almost immediately. The council has conducted two previous public input sessions and taken public comment on the issue over several months.

Posted 9/15/2005