DeKalb County, Indiana: deer harvest and public hunting land
DeKalb County covers 364 square miles around Auburn. Hunters took 3,007 deer here in the 2025 season, 1,359 of them antlered, by the DNR's deer report. That is up 21% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 0.5% of DeKalb County is public land open to the public, the largest share land trusts and other open land (814 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: the DNR's deer reports, 2021 to 2025. Land: PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property layer.
County, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landDeKalb CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 232,882 acres (364 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025 | 3,007 (1,359 antlered, 1,648 antlerless) |
| Public land | 0.5% (1,181 acres) |
| Public hunting properties | None mapped |
| Towns in and near it | Auburn, Garrett, Waterloo, Hudson, Hamilton and Avilla |
How many deer are harvested in DeKalb County?
Hunters took 3,007 deer in DeKalb County in 2025: 1,359 antlered and 1,648 antlerless (55% antlerless).
| Season | Deer taken | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,007 | 1,359 | 1,648 |
| 2024 | 2,493 | 1,131 | 1,362 |
| 2023 | 2,401 | 1,147 | 1,254 |
| 2022 | 2,271 | 1,069 | 1,202 |
| 2021 | 1,896 | 920 | 976 |
Source: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4), DeKalb County.
How much public land is in DeKalb County?
1,181 of DeKalb County's 232,882 acres are public land open to the public (0.5%). The biggest share is land trusts and other open land: 814 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DeKalb County |
|---|---|---|
| Land trusts and other open land | 814 | 0.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 367 | 0.2% |
| All public land open to the public | 1,181 | 0.5% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries. Hunting rules differ by manager: properties on the DNR's public hunting map are open under the DNR's rules for each; national forest is open; refuges follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; Corps of Engineers lake land is open in many places under each project's own rules; state parks hold only special hunts; city and county land sets its own rules.
How do you get to DeKalb County?
Highways through it: I-69 (about 37 miles inside), US 27 (about 37 miles inside) and US 6 (about 20 miles inside). Towns inside: Auburn, Garrett, Waterloo, Butler, Ashley and St. Joe. Nearby: Hudson (on the line), Hamilton (on the line), Avilla (2 miles) and Leo-Cedarville (3 miles).
Which counties border DeKalb County?
DeKalb County touches 4 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allen County | 1,932 | 2025 | 1.7% |
| Noble County | 2,883 | 2025 | 2.5% |
| Steuben County | 3,571 | 2025 | 3.6% |
| LaGrange County | 3,079 | 2025 | 4.2% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DeKalb County in 2025?
3,007: 1,359 antlered and 1,648 antlerless (DNR). In 2024: 2,493.
Is there public hunting land in DeKalb County?
1,181 acres, 0.5% of the county, are public land open to the public by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries, the largest share land trusts and other open land (814 acres).
What is the deer bag limit in DeKalb County?
Indiana's statewide limit is 1 antlered and 6 antlerless deer; each county has its own antlerless limit within that, on the DNR's county antlerless bag limit list.
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries. DNR properties open to hunting: Indiana DNR properties with public hunting (managed lands layer).
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Indiana hunting Allen County Noble County Steuben County LaGrange County